r a stouter man. I drew on the latter, fattening my
figure with straw to fill them. That done, I quickly donned the
coat. Each sleeve-end fell to my fingertips, and its girth would
have circled a flour-barrel and buttoned with room to spare. But
with my stuffing of straw it came around me as snug at the belt as
the coat of a bear. I took alarm as I closed the buttons. For
half a minute I had heard a drum-tap coming nearer. It was the
measured _tap! tap! tap-tap-tap_! so familiar to me. Now I could
hear the tread of feet coming with it back of the hill. How soon
they would heave in sight I was unable to reckon, but I dared not
run for cover. So I thrust my scabbard deep in the soft earth,
pulled down the big beaver hat over my face, muffled my neck with
straw, stuck the stake in front of me to steady myself, and stood
stiff as any scarecrow in Canada. Before I was done a column,
scarlet-coated, came out in the level beyond the hillside. Through
a hole in the beaver I could see them clearly. They came on, rank
after rank. They deployed, forming an open square, scarlet-sided,
on the green turf, the gap toward me. Then came three, walking
stiffly in black coats, a squad leading them. The thing I had
taken for a white visor was a blindfold. Their heads were bare. I
could see, now, they were in shackles, their arms behind them.
They were coming to their death--some of my unlucky comrades. God
pity them! A spy might as well make his peace with Heaven, if he
were caught those days, and be done with hope. Suspicion was
enough to convict on either side of the water that year. As my
feet sank deeper in the soft earth I felt as if I were going down
to my grave. The soldiers led them into the gap, standing them
close together, backs to me, The squad drew off. The prisoners
stood erect, their faces turning up a little, as if they were
looking into the clear, blue sky. I could see them waver as they
stood waiting. The sharpshooters advanced, halting as they raised
their rifles. To my horror, I saw the prisoners were directly
between me and them. Great God! was I also of that little company
about to die? But I dared not move a step. I stood still,
watching, trembling. An officer in a shining helmet was speaking
to the riflemen. His helmet seemed to jump and quiver as he moved
away. Those doomed figures began to reel and sway as they waited.
The shiny barrels lifted a little, their muzzles pointing at th