musing over their spades, gave
vent to feelings which, at such a moment, it neither belongs to
humanity, nor becomes it, to resist.

The funeral service was performed by Allen Musgrove. The character of
the miller, both physical and moral, impressed his present employment
with singular efficacy. Though his frame bore the traces of age, it was
still robust and muscular; and his bearing, erect and steadfast, denoted
firmness of mind. His head, partially bald, was now uncovered; and his
loose, whitened locks played in the breeze. The torches were raised
above the group; and as they flared in the wind and flung their heavy
volumes of smoke into the air, they threw also a blaze of light upon the
venerable figure of the miller, as he poured forth an impassioned
supplication to the Deity; which, according to the habit of thinking of
that period, and conformably also to the tenets of the religious sect to
which the speaker belonged, might be said to have expressed, in an equal
degree, resignation to the will of Heaven and defiance of the power of
man. Though the office at the grave was thus prolonged, it did not seem
to be unexpected or wearisome to the auditory, who remained with
unabated interest until they had chanted a hymn, which was given out by
the miller, and sung in successive couplets. The religious observances
of the place seemed to have taken a profitable hold upon the hearts of
the mourners; and before the hymn was concluded, even the voice of Mary
Musgrove rose with a clear cadence upon the air, and showed that the
inspirations of piety had already supplanted some of the more violent
paroxysms of grief.

This exercise of devotion being finished, the greater part of the
company began their retreat to the woodman's cabin. Winter and his
comrades remained to perform the useless and idle ceremony of
discharging their pistols over the grave, and when this was accomplished
they hurried forward to overtake the party in advance.

They had scarcely rejoined their companions, before the horses of the
wagon were seized by an unknown hand; and the glare of the torches
presented to the view of the company some fifteen or twenty files of
British troopers.

"Stand, I charge you all, in the name of the king!" called out an
authoritative voice from the contiguous thicket; and before another
word could be uttered, the funeral train found themselves surrounded by
enemies.

"Hands off!" exclaimed Butler, as a soldier had seized