eset by a panic, and fearful of pursuit; and the clouds
of dust raised by the press and hurry of this career almost obscured the
setting sun.

During the first moments of uncertainty, Curry, no less anxiously than
Butler, remained stationary by the road-side, reading the distant signs
of the progress of the fight; but now, when the disastrous issue was no
longer doubtful, he commanded his cavalcade to move forward, and from
that moment prosecuted his journey with unabated speed until he arrived
at Blackstock's.

Butler was unceremoniously marched to his former place of confinement
in the barn, where a rigorous guard was set over his person. In the
confusion and insubordination that prevailed amongst the crowd, that,
during the night, was continually increasing in the little hamlet, the
common rites of humanity towards the prisoner were forgotten, and he was
left to pass the weary hours till morning, on a shock of hay, without
food or other refreshment than a simple draught of water. From the
unreserved murmurs of those who frequented the place, and the querulous
upbraidings of the soldiery against each other, Butler was enabled to
glean the principal incidents of the day. The supposed death of Innis
reached him through this channel, and, what was scarcely a subject of
less personal interest to him, the certain end of Hugh Habershaw. It was
with a silent satisfaction at the moral or _poetical_ justice--as it has
been called--of the event, that he heard the comrades of the late
self-conceited captain describe his death in terms of coarse and
unpitying ribaldry--a retribution due to the memory of a cruel and
cowardly braggart.

When the morning was fully abroad, the disarranged and broken remnants
of the Tory camp began gradually to be reduced to a state of discipline.
The day was spent in this occupation. Orders were every moment arriving
from the higher officers of the late camp, or from the nearest British
posts. Videttes bore the tidings of the different military operations
from the neighborhood of the enemy. The fragments of companies were
marshalled into squads and subdivisions; and, successively, one party
after another was seen to leave the hamlet, and take a direction of
march that led towards the main British army, or to the garrisons of the
lower districts.

Towards the close of the day one detachment only was left; and Butler
was given to understand that this was intrusted with his especial
keeping. It was