“Ah! is it even so?” exclaimed the General, with vivacity, as if to himself.  “Quick, my horse!  I must go to meet him.  He has seen that we have stout hearts—­but he must not perceive the weakness of our numbers.  Captain Stanley—­ De Courcy—­mount—­St. Julian (turning to his second in command) finish what I have begun—­let the columns be got ready in the order I have directed.  We may have need of them yet.”

So saying he once more sprang into his saddle, and accompanied by his young aides-de-camp, galloped past the line of admiring troops, who involuntarily cheered him as he passed; and quitting the field hastened to leach the flag, before the bearer could approach sufficiently near to make any correct observation respecting his force.

Nearly twenty minutes of anxious suspense had succeeded the departure of the officer, when De Courcy again made his appearance at full speed.

“Hurrah! hurrah !” he shouted, as he approached a large group of his more immediate companions, who were canvassing the probable termination of this pacific demonstration on the part of the enemy—­“the Fort is our own,” (then turning to the second in command,) “Colonel St. Julian, it is the General’s desire that the men pile their arms on the ground they occupy, and refresh themselves with whatever their haver sacks contain.”

“How is this, De Courcy.”  “Surely the Americans do not capitulate”—­“Is it to be child’s play after all.”  “Dom it mon who would ha’ thoat it poossible? “were among the various remarks made to the young aid-de-camp, on his return from the delivery of the last order.

“Heaven only knows how, Granville,” said the vivacious officer, in reply to the first querist; “but certainly it is something very like it, for the General, accompanied by Stanley, has entered the town under the flag.  However before we discuss the subject further, I vote that we enter the farm house and discuss wherewith to satisfy our own appetites—­I saw a devilish pretty girl just now—­one who seemed to have no sort of objection to a handsome scarlet uniform whatever her predilection for a blue with red facings may formerly have been.  She looked so good naturedly on Stanley and myself, that we should have ogled her into a breakfast ere this, had not the General sworn he would not break his fast until he had planted the colours of England on yon fortress, or failed in the attempt.  Of course we, as young heroes, could not think of eating after that.  But come along-Nay Cranstoun, do not look as if you were afraid to budge an inch without an order in writing—­I have it in suggestion from Colonel St. Julian, that we go in and do the best we can.

“Hoot De Courcy, yer’ speerits are so floostersome one would be inclined to theenk ye were not at all soorry to see the white cloot flying on yonder hill—­”

“Bravo Cranstoun,” said Villiers somewhat maliciously; “hard hit there De Courcy, eh!”

“Not so hard hit either as he might have been had he ventured into yonder trenches,” said Middlemore.