an about
cursing and shouting; the smashing roll of the drums broke out, beating
the assembly; teamsters rushed to harness horses; dismayed soldiers
pushed and struggled through the mass, searching for their regiments
and companies.

Mounted on a gaunt, gray horse, the General rode through the disorder,
quietly directing the incompetent militia officers in their tasks of
collecting their men; and behind him, splendidly horsed and caparisoned,
cantered the tall Oneida, known as Thomas Spencer the Interpreter, calm,
composed, inscrutable eyes fixed on his beloved leader and friend.

The drums of the Canajoharie regiment were beating as the drummers swung
past me, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, sweat pouring down their
sunburned faces; then came Herkimer, all alone, sitting his saddle like
a rock, the flush of anger still staining his weather-ravaged visage,
his small, wrathful eyes fixed on the north.

Behind him rode Colonels Cox and Paris, long, heavy swords drawn,
heading the Canajoharie regiment, which pressed forward excitedly. The
remaining regiments of Tryon County militia followed, led by Colonel
Seeber, Colonel Bellenger, Majors Frey, Eisenlord, and Van Slyck. Then
came the baggage-wagons, some drawn by oxen, some by four horses; and in
the rear of these rode Colonel Visscher, leading the Caughnawaga
regiment, closing the dusty column.

"Damn them!" growled Elerson to Murphy, "they're advancing without
flanking-parties or scouts. I wish Dan'l Morgan was here."

"'Tis th' Gineral's jooty to luk out f'r his throops, not Danny Morgan's
or mine," replied the big rifleman in disgust.

The column halted. I signalled my men to follow me and hastened along
the flanks under a fire of chaff: "Look at young buckskins! There go
Morgan's macaronis! God help the red-coats this day! How's the scalp
trade, son?"

Herkimer was sitting his horse in the middle of the road as I came up;
and he scowled down at me when I gave him the officer's salute and stood
at attention beside his stirrup.

"Veil, you can shpeak," he said, bluntly; "efery-body shpeaks but me!"

I said that I and my riflemen were at his disposal if he desired leaders
for flanking-parties or scouts; and his face softened as he listened,
looking down at me in silence.

"Sir," he said, "it iss to my shame I say dot my sodgers command me, not
I my sodgers."

Then, looking back at Colonel Cox, he added, bitterly:

"I haff ordered flanking-parties and sco