plenty of others here willin' to take the chances."

It grieved me sorely to think that the brave officer might be at that
moment in the hands of the savages, or, what amounted to much the same
thing, in the custody of the Britishers, for it was charged openly that,
in order to keep the Indian allies in good temper, prisoners taken by his
Majesty's troops were often delivered over to the red-skinned wolves for
torture.

However, there was but little time left me in which to speculate upon this
painful matter, for even as Sergeant Corney and I spoke together the
British troops, supported by the Johnson Greens, came out into view from
amid the encampment, marching directly toward the fort.

"There is more in this than an ordinary assault," I heard the sergeant
mutter, as he looked to the priming of his musket. "St. Leger would not
expose his men to the slaughter which must follow without good and
sufficient cause. I'm not overly given to praising the Britishers; but we
must admit that he who's in command here is a thoroughly good soldier."

Under ordinary circumstances I would have been conscious of a certain
chill along my spine, and felt my knees trembling beneath me at the
certainty of soon being engaged in a life or death struggle; but after my
experience as a prisoner there was but one thought in my heart, and that
of repaying the enemy for some of the sufferings I had undergone.

The desire for revenge was greater than the fear of death.

Before many moments passed Sergeant Corney hit upon what I firmly believed
was the true answer to my question of why an assault was to be made at
this time.

The Britishers and Tories advanced in good order until facing the
northerly and westerly sides of the fort, within musket-shot range, and
from that distance poured their bullets into us without doing much
execution; but calling for strict attention on our part lest a charge be
made, for the ditch was not so wide or deep but that a body of trained
soldiers could have overcome the obstacle.

Only twice were the guns, which could be trained in that direction,
discharged, and then we inflicted no slight injury upon the foe; but
Colonel Gansevoort soon showed that he was far too prudent a commander to
shoot away all his powder at one time, even though it was possible to
punish the enemy severely.

It looked much as if the king's forces were bent on continuing the battle
with small arms at short range, for they discharged