rked Walter, with a
slight sniff of contempt.

"Perhaps Captain Huddy may have thought differently," replied his
mother, with a slightly amused smile. "There were several guns in the
house which she loaded for Huddy while he passed from one window to
another firing through them at his foes. Titus and several others were
wounded; then they set fire to the house and Huddy surrendered.

"He was taken on board of a boat from which he jumped into the water and
escaped, assisted in so doing by the fire of some militia who were in
pursuit of the Tories.

"About two years later Huddy was in command of a block house near the
village of Tom's River, when it was attacked by some refugees from New
York, and, his ammunition giving out, he was obliged to surrender. He
and his companions were taken to New York, then back to Sandy Hook,
where they were placed on board a guard-ship and heavily ironed.

"Shortly afterward he was taken to Gravelly Point, by sixteen refugees
under Captain Lippincott, and hung on a gallows made of three rails.

"He met his fate like the brave man that he was, first calmly writing
his will on the head of the barrel upon which he was presently to stand
for execution.

"A desperate Tory, named Philip White, had been killed while Huddy was a
prisoner in New York, and these men falsely accused Huddy of having had
a share in his death. After hanging him that cruel, wicked Lippincott
fastened to his breast a notice to the effect that they had killed
Captain Huddy in revenge for the death of Philip White, and that they
were determined to hang man for man while a refugee lived."

"Oh, what dreadful, dreadful things people did in those days!" sighed
Grace. "Did anybody venture to take the body down and bury it, Grandma
Elsie?"

"Yes, Captain Huddy's body was carried to Freehold and buried with the
honors of war."

"And did people care much about it?"

"Yes, indeed! his death caused great excitement and indignation, and Dr.
Woodhull, the Freehold minister, who preached the funeral sermon from
the piazza of the hotel, earnestly entreated Washington to retaliate in
order to prevent a repetition of such deeds.

"Washington consented, but, ever merciful, first wrote to Sir Henry
Clinton that unless the murderers of Captain Huddy were given up he
should retaliate.

"Clinton refused, and a young British officer, Captain Asgill, a
prisoner in the hands of the Americans, was selected by lot for
execution. Wash