Washington, and if he does not attack you it is because he does
not think it worth while," put in Spinks, in his amusingly independent
manner.

The Hessian officer looked as if he would like to eat him.

"Well, sir," said I, "you have every proof I can give you of the
correctness of my statement. You see what Sir Peter Parker says. Will
you allow my party to proceed?"

The colonel must have seen that we could in reality not do him the
slightest injury by any information we could give as to his movements,
so after some more conversation he ordered his detachment to advance,
while he remained with us. It was with much satisfaction that I saw
them march by, casting no very friendly looks at us.

"Now proceed as fast as you can," said the grim old officer. "My men
are rather unmanageable at times. They might have attempted to revenge
themselves for the way you treated their comrades, though on my word you
were perfectly right."

We thanked the gruff old man for his courtesy. I suspect that he had a
softer heart than he would have wished to appear under his rough
exterior, and, taking his hint, moved on as rapidly as our horses would
carry us to the northward.

I will not repeat the indignant expressions uttered by Mrs Tarleton at
the conduct of the Hessians. I could only blush for my country, and
bitterly regret that such men were employed in that fratricidal warfare.
Madeline expressed her thanks to me, rather by her looks than her
words. She said little, afraid of wounding my feelings, but I suspect
that the behaviour of the Hessians made her abandon any sympathy for the
Tories which she might have entertained. Every now and then we looked
round to see that none of the Hessians were following us. Their march
could be traced by the fields trampled down--cottages unroofed or
burnt--stacks of corn scattered about, and walls and hedges overturned.
It showed the utterly unprotected condition of New Jersey at the time--
that no opposition was offered them in their progress. For my part I
felt that the patriot cause was hopeless, and it was with a secret
feeling of gratification that I pictured to myself the service I might
render to my friends when the royal cause should finally triumph, and
all ranks be compelled to submit. I did not venture to ask Mrs
Tarleton what opinion she had formed from the aspect of affairs, but she
apparently divined my thoughts.

"It is very sad to behold all this," she remarked,