eroga was so strongly garrisoned that he could not hope to
take it without considerable loss both of men and time, and he would
afterwards have had to advance through a difficult country in the middle
of winter with a vigilant enemy ever on the watch to harass him. He
therefore returned with his army to Montreal.

General Washington, meantime, after he had retreated from New York with
his shattered forces, endeavoured to hold the country to the westward on
both sides of the Hudson. The greater part of his army occupied a rocky
and mountainous district known by the name of the Highlands. There he
carried on a sort of Fabian warfare, ever avoiding a regular engagement,
always on the defensive, and retreating when pursued. So ill-formed and
ill-disciplined were the American forces at this time that he had no
other resource than to act as he did. His army was still further
weakened by the loss of Fort Washington with a garrison of nearly three
thousand men, which was gallantly taken, after a desperate defence, by
Lords Percy and Cornwallis, and a body of Hessians under Colonel Rahl,
of whom I have before spoken.

Altogether, it seems surprising that our generals should not have been
able at this juncture to crush Washington, and put an end to the
rebellion. A higher Power than either of the belligerents ruled
otherwise.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

MY COMMAND ENDS.--AT SEA ON BOARD THE ORPHEUS.--ON A LEE-SHORE.--
SAVED.--SENT UP PROVIDENCE RIVER.--THREATENED BY FIRE-SHIPS.--EMPLOYMENT
OF SPIES.--THE OLD SPY AND HIS NEPHEW.--ATTACKED BY FIRE-SHIPS.--
EXECUTION OF THE SPIES.--SAIL ON A CRUISE WITH OTHER FRIGATES.--PRIZES
TAKEN.--A PRIVATEER ESCAPES US IN A GALE.--CHASE VESSELS ON SHORE.--
EXPOSED TO HEAVY FIRE.--NARROW ESCAPE.--MY YOUNG MESSMATE WOUNDED.

"Well, skipper, I'm afraid our cruise is at an end," said Delisle,
coming into my cabin one morning as I sat discussing such a breakfast as
rarely fell in those days to the share of a midshipman before my warm
stove.

"Oh, bird of ill omen, why croak you forth such dire intelligence?" I
asked, as he threw off his snow-covered coat, and prepared to join me in
my meal with a look which made me fear there were not many more such in
store for us.

"Because, by the pricking of my thumbs, something evil this way comes,
in the shape of the `Orpheus,' of which I caught a glimpse as I came
along, standing into the harbour," he replied, knocking the top off an
egg.

We had b