p. By
a hut which had recently been burned, after some resistance, as was
shown by the dead body of a Hessian trooper, a peasant knelt by the
body of his wife. A dead child of some five years old lay by, and a
baby kicked and cried by the side of its mother. The peasant looked
up with an air of bewildered grief, and on seeing the British
uniform sprang to his feet, and with a fierce but despairing
gesture placed himself as if to defend his children to the last.

Rupert drew his rein.

"I would not hurt you, my poor fellow," he said in Dutch.

The man did not understand, but the gentleness of the tone showed
him that no harm was meant, and he again flung himself down by his
wife.

"I do not think that she is dead, Hugh," Rupert said. "Hold my
horse, I will soon see."

So saying, he dismounted and knelt by the woman. There was a wound
on her forehead, and her face was covered with blood. Rupert ran to
a stream that trickled by the side of the road, dipped his
handkerchief in water, and returning, wiped the blood from the face
and wound.

"It is a pistol bullet, I imagine," he said to him; "but I do not
think the ball has entered her head; it has, I think, glanced off.
Fasten the horses up to that rail, Hugh, get some water in your
hands, and dash it in her face."

The peasant paid no attention to what was being done, but sat
absorbed in grief; mechanically patting the child beside him.

"That's it, Hugh. Now another. I do believe she is only stunned.
Give me that flask of spirits out of my holster."

Hugh again dashed water in the woman's face, and Rupert distinctly
saw a quiver in her eyelid as he did so. Then forcing open her
teeth, he poured a little spirit into her mouth, and was in a
minute rewarded by a gasping sigh.

"She lives," he exclaimed, shaking the peasant by the shoulder.

The man looked round stupidly, but Rupert pointed to his wife, and
again poured some spirits between her lips. This time she made a
slight movement and opened her eyes. The peasant gave a wild scream
of delight, and poured forth a volume of words, of which Rupert
understood nothing; but the peasant kneeling beside him, bent his
forehead till it touched the ground, and then kissed the lappet of
his coat--an action expressive of the intensity of his gratitude.

Rupert continued his efforts until the woman was able to sit up,
and look round with a frightened and bewildered air. When her eye
caught her husband, she burst into