blindly, desperately,
amid the din and the carnage.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes--ah, there it is at last, and the roar of
the opening battle broke out to the right and left of us, as the
re-formed regiments went into the fight.

Then to our left came the high piercing yell of our brothers of the
Line, and we knew that the British were falling back before them. The
Grenadiers struggled on for a moment longer, but the force of their
charge was spent, and the fire of the new regiments forced them back
in turn.

But it was only for awhile, for they re-formed, and, under the
leadership of the gallant Monkton, hurled themselves upon us once
again.

Monkton fell, and their lines shrivelled up under our fire. Then, as
it was near the setting of the sun, Washington, glancing over the
field, saw that the time had come and ordered the advance.

Our whole line sprang forward, and, though we had borne the brunt, the
toil, and heat of the day, not a man faltered. As the long line swept
forward the British slowly retreated before us. We drove them across
the plain and through the second pass, where night overtook us and
stopped our pursuit.

But then, when the fever of the battle left us, a great fatigue
seized hold of our limbs, the men sank to the earth as they stood,
and slept from very exhaustion.

But we were soon to be aroused.

Through the darkness came the sound of a horse's hoofs, and a voice,
asking for Ramsay's regiment. I sprang up, answering, and saw
approaching a body of horsemen. The foremost rider seemed an immense
figure, as he advanced in the darkness; but I, who had seen him often
before, knew him to be the great General.

I immediately gave the alarm, and the men sprang to their feet and
presented arms.

And then, there under the pines, by the light of the stars, the
General rode down our line, and, coming to the centre, we felt his
glance fall over our ranks.

"Men of Maryland," spoke Washington, and his voice rang clear through
the pines, "once before at Long Island you saved the army, and to-day,
for a second time, you have done so by your courage and tenacity. I
thank you in the name of the army and the nation; I thank you for
myself."

A wild yell that broke from the Line was his answer. We forgot our
fatigue and our wounds in the pride of the moment.

CHAPTER XX

IN THE LINES OF THE ENEMY

It was near the end of the first watch when an order came to me to
pick out several men,