Tehhy, I pehsume you have pehmitted the attacking fohce to select its own basis of opehations, and have yohselves stood almost entihely on the defensive.  With a small fohce, this is vehy often the only couhse to puhsue.  But, as I now undehstand from reeliable infohmation brought in, the enemy’s fohce of seventeen is reduced by four, while that of the gahhison is augmented by three—­the doctor, myself and my sehvant.  Ah, no; I fohgot you have had one sad casualty, as my niece infohms me, in the fall of Mr. Nash; which leaves the strength of the gahhison fohteen, as against thihteen of the assailants.  My friend, Mr. Wilkinson, infohms me that a small detachment of five men, well ahmed, holds a foht some six miles in the dihection of the enemy.  Now, gentlemen of the council of wah, can we not obtain that this friendly outpost make a divehsion in conceht with the offensive paht of our ahmy?  Send a scout with instyuctions foh them to occupy the wood neah their foht, and, eitheh with blank or ball cahtyidge—­as you, Genehal Cahhathers, may dihect—­meet the enemy as ouah troops dyive them back, and thus pehvent them seeking the coveh of the trees against us.  This being done, send a scout, mounted if possible, to guahd against attack from the left; post pistol sentinels round the buildings, and fohm the rest of the available fohce into an attacking pahty occupying the strategic point examined by Mr. Tehhy and me:  I allude to the plantation to the reah of the right wing.  Just as soon as the enemy comes up to occupy that position, chahge them like bulldogs and drive them as fah as possible towahds the road, and at last bring them undeh the guns of our friendly foht.  That, I think, is bettah than losing heaht by watching all night long and endangehing the safety of the ladies.  Such, gentlemen, is my humble counsel.”

“Hark till him, now, jantlemen; pay attintion till him, all av yeez,” exclaimed Mr. Terry; “fer ’tis the wurrud av a sowldjer and an offisher.”

“Assume command, Colonel, if you please.  We are all ready to obey orders,” said the Squire.  “Is that not the case, friends?”

To this the whole company answered “Yes,” and Colonel Morton at once gave his commands.

The garrison was paraded on the lawn, its armament strengthened by two rifles borrowed in the neighbourhood, of which the Squire carried one and the lawyer the other.  The post office had been cleared out of its complete stock of powder and shot by Carruthers, early in the morning, to the no little disgust of the Grinstun man when he went for his mail.  “Volunteehs foh the foht, foh mounted patyol, foh plantation picket—­three!” called out the colonel.  Perrowne volunteered for the first, as likely to have most influence with the Richards.  “Blank cartridge,” said the Squire, as he rode away amid much waving of handkerchiefs.  “Oi’m yer picket, cornel,” said Mr. Terry, stepping out of the ranks with his rifle at the shoulder in true military fashion.  “Ef