e in an unexpected manner, that always reminds me of that
siege of Samaria by the host of the Syrians, in the days of Elisha the
prophet of Israel, and the way the Lord took to deliver them, causing
'the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the
noise of a great host; and they said one to another, Lo, the King of
Israel hath hired against us the Kings of the Hittites and the Kings of
the Egyptians to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the
twilight, and left their tents and their horses, and there asses, even
the camp as it was, and fled for their lives.' For suddenly and
mysteriously the British, Indians, and Tories besieging Fort Schuyler
did the same--fled, leaving tents, artillery, and camp equipage behind
them."

"Why, papa, how very strange!" exclaimed Lulu, "were they really
frightened in the same way?"

"Not exactly the same but somewhat like it," replied her father.
"General Schuyler, then at the mouth of the Mohawk, had made an appeal
to his men for volunteers to go to the relief of Gansevoort and his men,
now besieged by the enemy in Fort Schuyler, and Arnold and his troops,
most of them Massachusetts men, responded with alacrity and, joined by
the First New York regiment, they marched at once.

"Arnold's force was much smaller than that of St. Leger's and he
resorted to stratagem as the only means of securing his end. A half
idiot, a nephew of General Herkimer, named Hon-Yost Schuyler, a coarse,
ignorant fellow, had been taken prisoner along with that Walter Butler
who had been arrested while carrying to the people of Tryon County the
call for them to force the defenders of Fort Schuyler to surrender,
tried and condemned as a spy.

"The same thing had befallen Hon-Yost, but his mother plead for him, and
though at first Arnold was inexorable, he at length agreed to release
the fellow on condition that he would go to Fort Schuyler and alarm St.
Leger with the story that the Americans were coming against him in force
to compel the raising of the siege.

"Hon-Yost seemed not at all unwilling, readily gave the required
promise, and his mother offered to remain as a hostage for his faithful
performance of the duty; but Arnold chose instead Nicholas, the brother
of Hon-Yost, as his security.

"Hon-Yost managed the business with great adroitness. Before leaving he
had seven bullets shot through his coat, which he showed to the British
and Indians on arriving at their encam