ssians! He had made his last charge, poor
Bunster! Such a genial fellow; such a kindly, helpful soul, with no
fear in your heart! You have done as much as the best and bravest of
them, and your country can never do as much for you.

At the first opportunity his companions sought him out from among the
slain, and laid him in a hastily constructed grave. Zeb's eyes were
wet and tears made furrows among the powder stains on Rodney's face.
Their hearts would be hardened in the days of war to come, for that is
one of war's penalties. What sympathy they might have would be rather
with those writhing and waiting for death.

"Thar's a heap o' walkin' ahead of the Rangers," was Zeb's greeting as
he returned from a talk with their colonel several days later.

"What is it now?"

"Schuyler an' Gates are howlin' fer more men an' expect Washington to
furnish 'em whether he has 'em or not. Burgoyne's comin' down Lake
Champlain with a horde of red devils at his heels, an' the country
people up that way don't feel easy about their hair, with the lovely
flag of England wavin' over 'em."

"I just heard a report that the farmers were taking the field. If they
do as well as they did at Bunker Hill, Burgoyne may not have an
altogether pleasant summer."

"Thar's too many people in this country who want to be independent of
everything, even to fightin' whenever and how they please. It's time
they did something."

"Certainly they don't respond very promptly to Washington's call for
troops."

"This war has got to be won, if it's won at all, by armies an' not by
a few men shootin' from behind a stone wall whenever the Britishers
march their way."

"It can't be said that Morgan's Rangers don't respond when called
upon."

"That's right. The country will remember us after we're killed. We've
got a reputation for fighting already. Two thirds of us 'd rather be
at a fight than a feast."

"You among the number."

"Not right. I hate war except when I get in a skirmish, an' then I
don't think about it. I wish the men who bring on war had to do the
fightin'."

Howe, twice foiled in his attempts to outwit Washington, had returned
to New York, leaving his antagonist in doubt whether he proposed
taking his army up the Hudson to meet Burgoyne or around to
Philadelphia by sea. During this period of uncertainty, Morgan's
Rangers marched to Hackensack and back again. They travelled light,
each man lugging his provisions, rations of corn meal a