id; "and there will
be sufficient time left to punish the redskins thoroughly." To this
all seemed to agree.

"And what do you think of the situation?" the Captain asked Fred.
"Do you think we should attack right now?"

The eyes of all were turned upon the boy with eager expectancy, for not
one had expected that so great a fighter as Mason should ask him for
his advice.

Yet he answered briefly and truthfully.

"I would not do it, Captain," Fred said calmly; "if I were in command
of the troops. Your men are worn out by the march, while the Indians
are no doubt ready for an attack. Then, too, if the attack should fail,
the night would intervene and disconcert us. My advice would be to give
the troops a thorough rest, start out when darkness has set in, and
attack the Pequot village toward the morning. This will not give them
any time to gather their forces."

"That advice seems good to me," the Captain says; "I myself entertained
similar thoughts. But pray, tell us more of the plan."

"We may start fires," Fred resumed, "since the storm rages and the woods
hide the smoke. Also from the Indian village the smoke can not be seen,
since it is closed in by trees. So the soldiers can thoroughly rest.
When we attack I would supply a number of brave and enterprising men
with burning fire brands. These will proceed to the village and set it
on fire. The rest is a matter for all of us who fight."

The plan was adopted, and the march was not resumed until late at night.
Just before daybreak the white men surrounded the slumbering village.
Due to the severe storm the Indians had not even placed guards around
the village, since they did not expect the enemy to attack them.

So it happened that the attack worked out successfully. Fred himself
led those who carried the fire brands, and they succeeded in entering
the palisaded village and setting it on fire. Eggleston in his "History
of the United States and Its People" reports the battle, and says: "In
the war which followed this attack, the whole Pequot tribe was broken
up, and the other Indians were so terrified that New England had peace
for many years after."

All this is true, for Eggleston is a fine historian, who always relates
the events truthfully and accurately. Yet the matter was not as simple
as all that. In fact, there was much marching and lighting and
suffering, before peace was restored. Fred and Matthew took part in it,
until all was ended, an