y only two were to suffer was something at which
we could not even so much as guess.

I saw Colonel Gansevoort and several of the officers come out from
headquarters, having most likely been informed as to what was going on,
and, when they stood where it was possible to have an unobstructed view of
the horrible preparations, the entire garrison of Fort Schuyler were
assembled as spectators.

"Cannot something be done for the poor fellows?" I heard a man behind me
ask in a quavering tone, and, turning, I saw one who had declared most
vehemently but a few hours previous that if we would surrender the fort we
could be assured beyond question of such treatment as civilized people
give to prisoners of war.

No one answered his question, and in a whisper I repeated it to Sergeant
Corney, whereupon he shook his head decidedly.

"The commander who would make a sortie for the purpose of savin' only two
lives would be guilty of criminal folly," the old soldier said,
emphatically. "If those who are to suffer were Colonel Gansevoort's
nearest friends, still must he remain here idle rather than put in
jeopardy all the garrison. As it is, those painted devils are givin' us
sich a lesson as will cause every man here to fight until the death,
rather than so much as hint that we might trust to the enemy's promises.
It's a harsh remedy--the harshest man could imagine; but yet there are an
hundred or more lookin' on at this minute who need it."

I cannot make the feeblest attempt at describing the horror which took
possession of me as I realized that we could make no effort toward saving
the unfortunate men, who were not the less to be pitied because they had
brought about their own misery, and, unable longer to gaze at what was so
soon to be such a terrible scene, I turned away with a mind to shut myself
up in the barracks.

Chapter XV.

The Torture

There was one odd thing I noted while turning away, sick at heart, which
was that those friends of the deserters, the men whose voices had been
raised highest against Colonel Gansevoort because he would not surrender
the fort at St. Leger's bidding, had no word to say now that their friends
were in such dire distress, while those who had struggled to quell the
mutiny were asking loudly if it were not possible to do something toward
saving the lives of the unfortunate men.

Twenty or more of the bolder spirits, among whom was Sergeant Corney, were
making ready to ask perm