r wide, he gave a cry as if he had been hit, and staggered back into
the woods. He was no sooner within its cover, than he ran swiftly
Eastward with all possible silence. He had noted that the sentry had
been pacing in that direction; hence the first of the sentry's
comrades to run up would be the one approaching therefrom. This would
leave a break in the line, at that part of it East of the scene of the
alarm. Philip stopped presently; peered forth from the woods, saw the
second sentry hasten with long steps Westward; and then made a dash
across the latter's tracks, bending low his body as he went. He thus
reached a cover of thicket, through which he forced his way in time to
emerge toward the town ere any results of the alarming gun-shot were
manifest.

Unless he were willing to attempt crossing what British defences he
knew not, or other impediments that might bar passage to the town
elsewhere than at the Bowery lane entrance, he must now pass the guard
there, which served for the town itself as the outer barriers at
Kingsbridge served for the whole island of Manhattan. He chose the
less tedious, though more audacious alternative of facing the guard.

He could not employ in this case the method used in passing the shore
patrol, or that adopted in crossing the line of sentinels above the
town; for here the road was the only open way through, it was flanked
by a guardhouse, it was lighted by a lantern that hung above the door,
and the sentinels were disciplined men. Philip gathered these facts in
a single glance, as he approached by slinking along the side of the
road, into which he had crawled, through a rail fence, from an
adjoining field.

He was close upon the sentinels who paced before the guardhouse, ere
he was discovered. For the third time that night, he heard the
challenge and saw the threatening movement.

"All's well," he replied. "I'll give an account of myself." And he
stepped forward, grasping one of his pistols, not by the breech, but
by the barrel.

"Stop where you are!" said the sentry, menacingly.

Philip stood still, raised the pistol, flung it at the lantern, and
instantly dropped to his knees. The sentinel's musket flashed and
cracked. Total darkness ensued. Philip glided forward between the two
men, his footfalls drowned by the sound of their curses. When past
them, he hurled his remaining pistol back over his shoulder toward a
mass of bushes on the further side of the sentinels. Its descen