r cost than that of being hungry during a certain length of time!

When another day had come, and the rations were reduced in size as the
commandant had said they would be, there was a hum of dissatisfaction all
over the fort, even those whom we counted as being the stoutest-hearted
doing their full share of grumbling, and wholly because the commandant had
so lately told them that we had sufficient of food for many days.

They were not yet done with the business of deciding what punishment
should be dealt out to Cox; but that was entirely lost sight of in face
of this apparent change in the situation. It seemed as if the store of
provisions must be very low indeed, else the rations would not have been
cut down so soon after the statements made by the quartermaster.

It is true that there was no mutinous talk to be heard; the fate of the
deserters had taught the grumblers a lesson that would not soon be
forgotten, but much was said that did not tend to improve the discipline.

At noon word was passed among the men that the last of the votes on Cox's
case must be in the commandant's hands within two hours, and it was
generally understood, if not stated as a fact, that at nightfall we would
hear the verdict. Then also, so nearly all the members of the garrison
believed, Colonel Gansevoort would explain the reason for putting us on
short allowance after having stated that we had food in plenty.

Therefore it was the men went about their work as usual, content to wait
until night; but the commandant would have been unwise to keep them in
ignorance longer.

"The only mistake that has been made in this business was when Colonel
Gansevoort condescended to give out any statement while the men were ripe
for mutiny," Sergeant Corney stopped to say to me, as I met him on the
parade-ground while going to the barracks to summon some of the lads whose
time for sentinel-duty had come. "If a dozen or more of the
loudest-mouthed had been put under arrest, an' such as the deserters
strung up by the thumbs, four lives might have been saved, an' there
wouldn't be any foolish talk made now."

I had no time to reply to the old man, for, having thus relieved his mind,
he passed on, and I went about my duties.

The Britishers and Tories worked half-heartedly in the trenches, the
savages kept well out of sight, and we of the garrison watched eagerly for
an opportunity to send home a bullet where it would do the most good,
until nightfall,