furiously the cannon opened from the fort. It was then
that the superiority of the artillery was made manifest.
Both right and left of the retreating files the ponderous
shot flew heavily past, carrying death and terror to the
Indians; while not a man of those who intervened was
scathed or touched in its progress. The warriors in the
forest were once more compelled to shelter themselves
behind the trees; but in the bomb-proof, where they were
more secure, they were also more bold. From this a
galling fire, mingled with the most hideous yells, was
now kept up; and the detachment, in their slow retreat,
suffered considerably. Several men had been killed; and,
about twenty, including Lieutenant Johnstone, wounded,
when again, one of those murderous globes fell, hissing
in the very centre of the bomb-proof. In an instant, the
Indian fire was discontinued; and their dark and pliant
forms were seen hurrying with almost incredible rapidity
over the dilapidated walls, and flying into the very
heart of the forest, so that when the shell exploded, a
few seconds afterwards, not a warrior was to be seen.
From this moment the attack was not renewed, and Captain
Erskine made good his retreat without farther molestation.

"Well, old buffers!" exclaimed one of the leading files,
as the detachment, preceded by its dead and wounded, now
moved along the moat in the direction of the draw-bridge,
"how did you like the grip of them black savages?--I say,
Mitchell, old Nick will scarcely know the face of you,
it's so much altered by fright.--Did you see," turning
to the man in his rear, "how harum-scarum he looked, when