slow progress, for one cannot travel rapidly when striving to advance
without so much as the breaking of a twig, we counted on arriving in front
of the enemy's lines by midnight. And this I believe we did.

The first intimation we had that our journey was approaching a close came
when we suddenly saw, directly in our line of advance, a faint light amid
the thicket in the distance, and Sergeant Corney, who had been leading the
way, halted quickly.

"You lads are to remain here while I find out what portion of St. Leger's
force is in front of us," he said, in a whisper, and then it was that I
ventured to dispute his authority, having, as I believed, good reason for
so doing.

"You yourself have admitted that either Jacob or I could beat you out at
work of this kind. Let me go, an' do you stay here."

Then it was that Jacob insisted on performing the most dangerous portion
of the work, and would have passed by me in the darkness to avoid a
controversy, but that I clutched him by the arm, and Sergeant Corney
whispered:

"You lads shall lead the way, and I will follow at your heels; but
remember what General Herkimer impressed upon us--that one _must_ get
through, therefore if he who leads is captured, the other two shall leave
him to his fate, for the life of a single human being is not to be counted
when we are tryin' to save hundreds."

It was not a time nor a place for argument, and in token of agreement with
him I took up the lead.