od cool and undaunted.

There came a puff of smoke from the palisades at Jamestown, a heavy
report of a cannon, and an iron ball struck the earth-work.

"Come down, general!" cried the thoughtful Mr. Lawrence. "You endanger
your life up there."

Bacon paid no heed to the warning. He was watching the manoeuvres of the
enemy, about eight hundred strong, who were about to assault him. Robert
Stevens sprang to his side, and both smiled at the lack of courage and
discipline which Berkeley's longshoremen displayed. Giles Peram, at the
head of the company, marched forth. He wore a tall hat with a feather in
it, and strutted about, until his eye caught sight of the enemy, when he
wheeled about as quickly as if he were on springs and bounded away
toward Jamestown, yelling loud enough to be heard in Bacon's camp:

"Oh, I will be killed! I will be killed!"

A shot was fired from Jamestown, and Giles, believing himself struck,
fell on the ground and rolled over and kicked, producing such a
ridiculous scene, that Robert and Bacon laughed outright. Berkeley,
himself, headed the army, with which he intended to storm the
earth-works, and, after some little difficulty, he got his forces
formed, and the advance began.

"Don't fire, until I give you the command," said Bacon, coolly. "We will
soon disperse this motley crowd, have no fear."

He and Robert were prevailed upon to descend from the ramparts, and all
awaited the arrival of the enemy. They came slowly, doing plenty of
yelling, and firing their fusees at random. The bullets either buried
themselves in the earth-works, or whistled harmlessly through the air.
Not one of Bacon's men was touched.

Nearer and nearer they came, until within easy pistol range, when Bacon
cried:

"Fire!"

Pistol, musket and cannon belched forth fire and death, while a cloud of
smoke rolled up above the fort. One volley had done the work. Alas! the
motley crowd from Accomac were no fit adversaries for those stern
backwoodsmen. Berkeley's recruits had come over to plunder, and, finding
lead and bullets instead of gold and treasure, they fled with light
heels to Jamestown, leaving a dozen of their number stretched on the
ground as the only proof that they had fought at all.

Bacon now opened a cannonade in earnest on the town. The first ball that
came screaming over the town to crash into the house which was the
governor's headquarters was answered by a wild yell of fear, and the
boastful Mr. P