“Vell, ’tain’t hardly right in me to tell ’em,” the fellow said, as though he didn’t want to reveal all that he knew, although I could see that he was anxious to, “but the commissioner has sent out men to mislead the party vot has gone to stop the artillery, and they vill get on another road and not come back for two or three days.  The Yankee chaps vid their rifles ’ave gone vid the green vons, and now the colonel don’t care an old button for the rest.  An attack vill be made to-night at one o’clock, but don’t tell that I said so.”

We did not promise a compliance with his request, and after a liberal drink of whiskey Steel Spring left us to plot mischief, and to steal whatever he could lay his hands on during the melee.

We held a short counsel, and then resolved that, as the time was near at hand when the attack was contemplated, we would risk our lives in witnessing it, and, if possible, render some assistance to the injured, whether miners or soldiers.  We locked up our gold in the safe, and then started for Gravel Pit Hill.  The streets were silent and deserted.  Not a policeman wearing a blue coat was to be seen until we entered the square where the palisades were erected, and there we found about five hundred men drawn up in line, silent and immovable, their muskets gleaming by the starlight, awaiting but the order to open a volley upon the poor fellows who were cooped up behind the timber, full of pluck, yet hardly prepared to meet so many disciplined men, and hoping that only a menace was intended.

“Who comes there?” shouted a sentry, as we approached.

“Friends,” I replied.

“Well, friends, stand back and keep out of sight, or you’ll lose the number of your mess,” the soldier added, jocosely.

We had no desire for such a calamity, and therefore retired to another part of the hill, and managed to secrete ourselves from observation by keeping within the shadow of a friendly tree.

We had not been in our position more than fifteen minutes when we heard a clash of arms, and the sound of many feet in motion.  The soldiers were formed in two columns, and were rushing with headlong speed towards the palisades.

The movement was so sudden that the miners were entirely unprepared.  Many of them were asleep, and others had laid their guns aside, and were at work strengthening the fortifications when the soldiers commenced the attack.  A number of the bravest raised a shout and discharged their muskets at the approaching columns, but the soldiers did not falter.  They answered the cheer of the miners with a yell, at the sound of which many of the young men became panic-stricken, threw down their arms, and fled for their lives.

Amid the uproar I could hear the loud voice of Ross urging his men to stand to their posts firmly and fight to the last, and a few obeyed, and poured straggling volleys upon the red coats.  Occasionally I could hear the sharp crack of the American rifle, and I felt sorry to think that my countrymen were fighting against men who would show them no mercy if victory perched upon the banner of the government officials.