_John_. "Father, could a soldier dodge a cannon ball?"

_Henry_. "Why, John! I should think you knew enough, not to ask so
foolish a question."

_Gen. P_. "Not so bad a question neither, master Henry; under some
circumstances, a cannon ball might he avoided."

_William_. "Not when it is first fired, father."

_Gen. P_. "True; but when it has nearly spent its force, a person
might easily get out of its way. But even when a ball only rolls along
the ground, apparently slow, it would be dangerous to attempt to stop
it: especially if large. I recollect to have read of a soldier, who
saw a ball rolling towards him, which he thought to stop with his
foot; but, poor fellow! it broke his leg in an instant.

"Some of the American soldiers at St. Johns, were too intent upon
their labour, to pay much attention to the shells. Crosby was one. All
on a sudden, a fellow-soldier near by called out in a tone of thunder,
'Crosby! look out! take care! take care!' Crosby looked up, and
directly over him, a shell was descending."

[Illustration]

"He had but a minute to think--he dropped flat upon the ground, and
the shell just passed over him. 'A miss,' thought he, 'is as good as a
mile;' but he said, after _such a warning_, he kept one eye upon the
enemy.