in this way, was
often useful.

When Middleton departed, it was a few minutes past twelve, so that
Champe had the start of his pursuers by little more than an hour. Lee
was very anxious, and passed a sleepless night. The pursuing party were,
on their part, occasionally delayed by the necessary halts to examine
the road, as the impressions of the horse's shoes directed the course.
These were, unfortunately, too evident, no other horse having passed
over the road since the shower. When the day broke, Middleton was no
longer obliged to halt, and he passed on with rapidity.

As the pursuers ascended an eminence to the north of the village of
Bergen, Champe was descried not more than half a mile in front.
Resembling an Indian in his vigilance, the sergeant at the same moment
discovered Middleton and his men, to whose object he was no stranger,
and giving spur to his horse, he determined to outstrip them. Middleton,
at the same instant, put his horses to the top of their speed; and
being, as the legion all were, well acquainted with the country, he
recollected a route through the woods to the bridge below Bergen, which
diverged from the great road near the Three Pigeons. Reaching the point
of separation, he halted, and, dividing his party, directed a sergeant,
with a few dragoons, to take the near cut, and possess, with all
possible dispatch, the bridge, while he, with the rest of his men,
followed Champe. He could not doubt but that Champe, being thus enclosed
between him and his sergeant, would deliver himself up. Champe did not
forget the short cut, and would have taken it, had he not remembered
that it was the usual route of our parties when returning in the day
from the neighborhood of the enemy. He consequently avoided it, and
wisely resolved to abandon his intention of getting to Paulus Hook, and
to seek refuge from two British galleys, lying a few miles to the west
of Bergen.

This was a station generally occupied by one or two galleys. Passing
through the village of Bergen, Champe took the road toward Elizabethtown
Point. Middleton's sergeant gained the bridge, where he concealed
himself, ready to intercept Champe as soon as he appeared. In the
meantime, Middleton, pursuing his course through Bergen, soon arrived,
also, at the bridge, when, to his mortification, he found that Champe
had escaped. Returning up the road, he inquired of the villagers of
Bergen, whether a dragoon had been seen that morning preceding hi