“We’ll pay you now for the River Raisin!  We’ll give you something to remember the River Raisin!” When the British came up on the opposite side of the breastwork, having no gun, he picked up a rifle barrel which had been broken from the stock and threw it over at them.  Then finding an iron bar he leaped upon the breastwork and threw it at the mass of heads crowding forward to scale their works.

While the conflict was at its height, when Packenham was leading the last grand charge against the earthworks.  Major Stevens’ attention was directed by repeated and vociferous shouts to “come down,” to an object on his right.  Turning his eyes in that direction, he saw Sukey, standing coolly on the top of the breastwork peering into the darkness for something to shoot at.  The balls were whistling as thick as hail around him, and cutting up the dirt at his feet.

“Come down, Sukey, come down!” Fernando commanded.  Sukey turned round and, holding up the flap of his old, broad-brimmed hat with one hand, to see who was speaking to him, answered: 

“Oh, never mind, Fernando—­here’s Sukey—­I don’t want to waste my powder, and I’d like to know how I’m to shoot until I see something.  I’m watching for that man on the big white horse.”

It was not long until Sukey got his eye on the man on the big white horse, and leveling his rifle pulled the trigger.  At that instant Packenham fell, bleeding and dying, into the arms of Sir Duncan McDougall, his favorite aid, who performed a similar service for General Ross when he was mortally wounded a few months before.  Sukey coolly descended from the breastwork and, sitting down at the root of a tree, took out his book and said: 

“I’ve balanced the score.  They flogged me; but, by the eternal, I’m more than even.”

During the action some of the Tennesseeans became mixed with Smiley’s regiment.  One of them was killed about five yards from where Fernando stood.  A ball passed through his head, and from the range of British bullets it seemed quite probable that he was accidentally shot by some of the Americans.  This was the only man killed near where Fernando stood.  The firing began to slacken when he fell.  While three or four men were carrying the body away, a white flag was raised on the opposite side of the breastwork, and the firing ceased.  The white flag was a handkerchief on a sword or stick.  It was raised by a British major, who was cut off and unable to retreat with the main army.  When the firing ceased, he came over the breastwork.  A little Tennesseean, who looked as if he had spent his days in the fever-infested swamps, demanded his sword; but the officer was looking about for some commissioned officer to give it to, when Colonel Smiley, whose democratic principles were at enmity with punctilio, ordered him to hand over the sword to “Paleface,” as the youth was called.  A great many who were unable to escape in the retreat, came over and surrendered.  Among them, Fernando saw a very neatly dressed young man, standing on the edge of the breastwork offering his hand as if for some one to assist him down.  He was not over nineteen years of age, and his language and manner indicated the gentleman.