,
sarcastically; "I hope that the British army is not composed of such
noble spirits as you; if it is assassination must be held in repute
wherever there is a regiment."

The colonel was too angry to reply, but I thought that he seemed ashamed
of his late attempt on the life of my friend, for he sheathed his sword
without seeking to again use it.

"You shall hear from me in the course of the day," Kellum said, and
without looking to the right or left he marched from the store, mounted
his horse, and left our part of the town in peace.

"He is the most unscrupulous colonel in the English army," the agent
said, after we had got rid of our unwelcome visitors; "he is feared by
his men, and disliked by his officers, and he was never yet quartered in
a town without finding cause to quarrel with some of the inhabitants. He
has been sent here to crush this rebellion, and unless you shoot him he
will do it, even if he has to shed torrents of blood.

"By the way," the agent said, as he turned to leave the store, "the
miners must have employed our countrymen to chop wood for them last
night, if I might judge from appearances."

"How so?"

"Why, haven't you heard the news?" he asked, in surprise.

"No; what has transpired?"

"Why, the miners are building fortifications on Gravel Pit Hill, and
last night the sound of axes was heard from dark until light. A thousand
trees were felled and trimmed, and cut into suitable lengths for a
palisade, and even now men are at work digging holes in the sand to
insert the ends of the timber. The miners mean mischief, and we shall
have a hot fight before long."

"But why don't the commissioner interfere, and prevent the men from
continuing the work?" I asked.

"That is something that I cannot explain, although I have endeavored to
solve the mystery. The miners think that he is frightened, and therefore
count on an easy victory."

The agent bade us a good morning, and walked off to attend to his
duties.

"Can't you see through this seeming indifference?" asked Mr. Brown; "the
commissioner has sent for artillery, and expects the arrival of the
company in a day or two at farthest. The palisade will afford but
trifling resistance to a twelve pound cannon ball. Besides, there is
more glory for the officers if the miners are fortified. Be assured that
the commissioner winks at the operations of the disaffected, simply
because he can crush them more effectually if cooped up, than displaye