She gave me a kiss then that told me something of what was in her
heart, and went away into the house.

"Goin' t' surround us," said Arv Law--"thet 's whut 's th' matter."

"Mus' be ready t' rassle 'em any minute," said Asher Eastman, as he
sidled over to a little group.

A young man came out of the house and took his place in line with a
big squirt-gun and a pail of steaming-hot water.

The night wore on; our fires burned low. As the approaching day
began to light the clearing, we heard a sound that brought us all
to our feet. A burst of bugle notes went chasing over the
timber-land to the tune of "Yankee Doodle." We looked at one
another in surprise. Then there came a thunder of hoofs in the
distance, the ragged outline of a troop of cavalry.

"Soldiers!" said Arv, as he raised his pike.

"The British?" somebody asked.

"Dunno," said he. "Ain' no Injuns, I don't b'lieve."

A troop of cavalry was approaching at a gallop. They pulled up a
few rods away and jammed into a big crescent of rearing, trampling
horses. We could see they were American soldiers. We all lowered
our guns.

"Who are you?" one of them shouted.