rook. That very day two divisions of the British forces, one
under Cornwallis and the other under DeHeister, set out from New
Brunswick for the purpose of engaging Washington, confident that, with
a little more fighting, they would crush the revolution.

The Rangers had their first glimpse of the British under Cornwallis
when the latter reached Somerset Court House, and, for several days,
there was sharp skirmishing with scouting parties.

Rodney and Zeb were stationed one afternoon on one of the roads as
pickets, when a company of the British were discovered approaching.
The pickets' orders were to fire and fall back on the main body,
unless it should be thought possible, in case of a small number of the
enemy, to report their presence and secure force enough to cut them
off. This was the view taken both by Zeb and his companion, so they
ran back to report.

A squad of the Rangers was hurried forward to meet the enemy, with
instructions to get between them and their main army, and make them
prisoners. Before this could be accomplished the British came upon
them. The enemy outnumbered the Rangers two to one, yet the latter
would have charged them but for orders to halt and fire. So quickly
was the order obeyed that the crack of their rifles rang out together
with the British officer's command to fire. The British fired blindly
into the smoke, whereas the riflemen had taken quick, accurate aim.
But one among the Rangers was hit, and that was Rodney, he receiving a
slight flesh wound in the left arm.

"I thought a bee had stung me," he said, later, when Zeb discovered
the blood on his friend's sleeve.

The enemy, being uncertain as to the number of the Rangers, fell back
in good order, carrying their dead with them. They were pursued by the
Rangers until a larger body met them, when the Americans retreated.

Skirmishes like this were of daily occurrence, and Cornwallis, finding
that Washington was not disposed to accommodate him by rashly engaging
in battle under disadvantageous conditions, retreated to New
Brunswick, with the Rangers dogging his flanks.

Quite a number of deserters were picked up. Benjamin Franklin had
devised a shrewd scheme for encouraging desertions. Learning the brand
of tobacco specially liked by the Hessians, he had offers concealed in
packages of this tobacco, which was distributed where the Hessians
would get them. These hired troops had no love for the cause for which
they were fighting,