e was very anxious to ascertain if this was
the number of soldiers in the place, but it was too dark in the shanty
for him to determine whether or not the bunks were all in use. It was
too many for him to encounter with his force of twenty men and three
officers in the open field.

Christy returned to the end of the building, and tried the door. It was
not locked, and he decided to make use of a little of the audacity of
which he was accused of having a good deal. Taking off his shoes, and
passing his sword to Mr. Amblen, he entered the barrack on tiptoe.

The boards of the floor began to creak under his weight; he stooped down
and felt till he found the nail holes; then he knew that he was on a
timber, and he walked the whole length of the shanty, returning on the
opposite side, counting the occupied berths, for he passed within three
feet of all of them. The count gave seventeen men as the number of
sleepers, though this might not be all the force at the place.

He had ascertained all he wished to know, and he walked back to the
shore where the men were concealed. Apart from the men, he had a
conference with Flint and Amblen, giving them the details of what he had
discovered. Then he stated his plan, and the men were marched silently
to the battery, and were posted behind the breastwork. Not a man was
allowed to move, and Christy and Flint went to the casemate, which
looked like a mound of sand.

It was locked, but taking a bar of iron they found with some tools for
digging, they tore off the padlock. A lantern had been brought from
the steamer, which was lighted. The structure was found to be for the
protection of the artillerists in the first instance; but the apartment
was connected with the magazine, the lock of which was removed.

Amblen was sent for ten men, and all the ammunition they could carry was
removed. The rest of it was thrown into a pool of water made by recent
rains. The powder, solid shot, and shells were carried to the boats. The
rest of the men drew the four guns to the shore, where one was placed,
with its carriage, in each of the cutters, and the other two put where
they could be carried to the Bronx, or thrown overboard in deep water,
as occasion might require.

The seventeen soldiers, reinforced by any that might be in the town,
were thus deprived of the power to do any mischief except in a
hand-to-hand fight. If the place was not actually captured, it was
practically lost to the enemy. T