trife; till a panic arising among the Americans, they dispersed
in all directions and left us masters of the field.

In giving a detail so minute of my own adventures this night, I
beg to repeat what has been stated already, that I have no wish
whatever to persuade my readers that I was one whit more cool or
more daring than my companions. Like them I was driven to
depend, from first to last, upon my own energies; and I believe
the energies of few men fail them when they are satisfied that on
them alone they must depend. Nor was the case different with my
comrades. Attacked unexpectedly, and in the dark, surrounded,
too, by a numerous enemy, and one who spoke the same language with
ourselves, it is not to be wondered at if the order and routine of
civilised warfare were everywhere set at nought. Each man who
felt disposed to command was obeyed by those who stood near
him, without any question being asked as to his authority; and
more feats of individual gallantry were performed in this
single night than many regular campaigns might furnish an
opportunity to perform.

The night was far spent, and the sound of firing had begun to wax
faint, when, checking the ardour of our brave followers, we
collected them once more together and fell back into the village.
Here likewise considerable numbers from other detachments
assembled, and here we learned that the Americans were repulsed
on every side. The combat had been long and obstinately
contested: it began at eight o'clock in the evening and continued
till three in the morning--but the victory was ours. True, it
was the reverse of a bloodless one, not fewer than two hundred
fifty of our best men having fallen in the struggle: but even
at the expense of such a loss, we could not but account ourselves
fortunate in escaping from the snare in which we had confessedly
taken.

To me, however, the announcement of the victory brought no
rejoicing, for it was accompanied with the intelligence that my
friend was among the killed. I well recollect the circumstances
under which these sad news reached me. I was standing with a
sword in each hand--my own and that of the officer who had
surrendered to me, and, as the reader may imagine, in no bad
humour with myself or with the brave fellows about me, when a
brother officer stepping forward abruptly told the tale. It came
me upon me like a thunderbolt; and casting aside my trophy,
thought only of the loss which I had sustained.