militia-men had brought with them as a prisoner, and his captors were found to be no less than Fagan and a portion of his band.  They had that night robbed five different houses before they attempted our Friend’s.  Aware that his sons were from home, they expected to find the old man unsupported, but having gained admission into the house, they were surprised at the appearance of three additional men.  Fagan, however, was bent upon completing his enterprise in spite of all opposition; but his followers obstinately refused.  At the foot of the avenue a bitter quarrel ensued, Fagan taxing his men with cowardice; but the fear of pursuit silenced them at length.  The next question was, how to dispose of their prisoner, whom they had seized in one of their ‘affairs,’ and, for want of some means of securing him, brought with them.  Fagan, as the shortest way, proposed, as he had before, to cut his throat; but the proposal was overruled as unnecessary.  He was unbound, and, upon his solemn promise to return without giving the alarm, one of the band returned him his silver and a little money they had abstracted from his chest.  In consideration whereof he made to the nearest house and gave the alarm, impelled by instinct more than anything else.

“Suddenly, the man’s narrative was interrupted by an explosion of fire-arms, which broke upon the clear, frosty night, and startled even Nathan.  Another and another followed before a word was uttered.

“‘What can that be?  It must be at Trenton.’

“‘By jingo,’ exclaimed Elnathan, forgetting, in his excitement, that his master was present, ’if I don’t believe our men ain’t giving the Hessians a salute this morning with ball cartridges—­there it goes again!—­I say, John, it’s a piert scrimmage.’

“In his own anxiety, Nathan forgot to correct his servant’s profanity.  ‘It must be—­but how they got over through the ice without wings—­’

“’No matter ’zackly how, marster, it’s them.  I’ll warrant them’s hard plums for a Christmas pudding.  Ha! ha! they get it this morning,—­them tarnation Hessian niggers!’

“‘Ann, thee’ll never forgive the Hessians thy sausages and pork.’

“’Forgive—­not I. All my nice sausages and buckwheat cakes, ready buttered—­and all for them ‘are yaller varments.’

“The firing having continued some minutes, though less in volleys than at first, gradually ceased, and all was quiet, as if nothing had happened to disturb the deathlike stillness of the night.  Yet, in that brief hall hour, the fate of a continent was decided—­the almost desperate cause of the colonies had been retrieved.  The victory of Trenton had been achieved.

“The attention of Nathan was diverted, by this first incident, from the other events of the night, but was soon recalled to the pursuit of the robbers, and the relief of their victims, who, from their late prisoner’s account, had been left in an unpleasant condition.  His men being dispatched to collect aid, Nathan now remained with old Anne; the sole efficient defender of the house.  He was not doomed to wait their return undisturbed—­the indistinct sound, as of many feet, was heard advancing along the road to Bordentown.