so plentiful; but, fortunately, I had sense enough to
understand that, for a lad like me, to make searching inquiries of the
commandant of a fort was something which the most easy-going officer would
not tolerate for an instant.

Therefore, thanking him for having given me the assurance which he had, I
took my leave, going with all speed to the barracks that I might acquaint
Sergeant Corney with what I had heard.

"It's good news, lad, though not much different from what I've come to
expect from sich a soldier as the commandant. Now we've nothin' in
particular to worry about, seem's there won't be any question of takin'
advantage of the Britisher's offer, which would be kept in the case of all
hands much as it was when our poor fools deserted. But what is this about
short allowance? I thought it was proven to us that we had supplies in
plenty for many days to come?"

"I can only tell you what the commandant said."

"I reckon he'll explain matters when he tells us why the rations are
short, an' that he'll have to do in order to satisfy some of the imitation
soldiers we've got in this 'ere fort."

Then the old man went to his post of duty, and I rejoined the Minute Boys
over the sally-port, where every member of my company was aching to get a
fair shot at one of Thayendanega's curs.

The Indians were not inclined to show themselves on this morning after we
gave our surprise-party. I fancy they had come to understand it wouldn't
be an easy matter to get the best of us, and were having considerably more
of fighting than was pleasing.

Never one of the painted snakes came within range of our rifles. At some
time during the night they had plucked up courage enough to drag off their
wounded, and, if they visited the British or Tory camp that day, it was
after making such a detour through the thicket as kept them screened from
our view.

In the trenches the white portion of St. Leger's army worked like men who
feel the whip behind them, and our people succeeded in sending six to the
hospital or their last resting-place, without receiving a scratch.

Such a siege as had been carried on during the past eight and forty hours
could not be cheerful amusement, and I began to have an idea that it would
not take very much of a reverse to send the Tories flying to some other
section of the country. If our people would only follow the example set
them by Colonel Gansevoort, it seemed certain we could hold the fort at no
greate