me enchanted forest? A cavalry charge, with no sort of regular
formation, up a wooded hill, in a night dark enough in the open but
sheer black under the thick boughs; to meet an encamped enemy at the
top! But James De Lancey's men were noted rather for reckless dash
than for military prudence; they felt best on horseback, and would
accept a score of ill chances and fight in the saddle, rather than a
dozen advantages and go afoot. I think they were not displeased at
their discovery by the sentinel, which gave them an excuse for a
harebrained onset ahorse, in place of the tedious manoeuvre afoot that
had been planned. As for Tom and me, we were at the age when a man
will dare the impossible.

So we went, trusting to the sense of our beasts, or to dumb luck, to
carry us unimpeded through the black woods. As it was, a few of the
animals ran headforemost against trees, and others stumbled over roots
and logs, while some of the riders had their heads knocked nearly off
by coming in contact with low branches. But a majority of us, to judge
by the noise we made, arrived with our snorting, panting steeds at the
hill-crest; where, in a cleared space, and fortified with felled
trees, upheaved earth, forage carts, and what not, stood the
improvised cabins of the rebels.

Three or four shots greeted us as we emerged from the thick wood. We,
being armed with muskets and pistols as well as swords, returned the
fire, and spurred our horses on toward the low breastwork, which, as
it was not likely to have anything of a trench behind it, we thought
to overleap either on horse or afoot. But the fire that we met, almost
at the very barrier, felled so many of our horses and men, raised such
a hellish chorus of wild neighing, cries of pain and wrath, ferocious
curses and shouts of vengeance, that the men behind reined up
uncertain. De Lancey turned upon his horse, waved his sword, and
shouted for the laggards to come on. We had only the light of musketry
to see by. Tom Faringfield was unhorsed and down; and fearing he might
be wounded, I leaped to the ground, knelt, and partly raised him. He
was unharmed, however; and we both got upon our feet, with our swords
out, our discharged muskets slung round upon our backs, our intent
being to mount over the rebel's rude rampart--for we had got an
impression of De Lancey's sword pointed that way while he fiercely
called upon his troops to disregard the fallen, and each man charge
for himself in any