Ned heard the Indian move behind him, and knew in a moment that he would see the wounded man shot down. Something in the American's proud eyes gave him an inspiration, and he cried, "Are you Eli Goode? I am Ned Edgar, and I know your sister. For Bee Goode's sake, surrender now." The American's face changed, as quickly as Bee's often did. He lowered his sword, exclaiming, "Bee wrote of you in England." The Indian glided away, and Eli sank fainting to the ground again. Ned cut his coat away, bandaging the wound with a skill he had learnt from Dr. Brown. He did not knew that for a few minutes he and Eli had been alone in the thicket, but that they were then surrounded by the advancing Americans. For an instant Ned was covered by a dozen rifles, which were raised as quickly as his occupation was discovered. He stood up very dismayed, but the foremost American was speaking. "Reckon you took the captain prisoner, and now we have taken you, so an exchange will be all right. Better chase yourself out of this, stranger." Ned snatched up his rifle and ran. He was soon back to the woods, where his friends had retreated. It was now ten o'clock, and the battle was lost. Fort Toronto's fortifications had been ruined, and her guns silenced by the enemy's fire. Her garrison had left and fallen back on Western Battery, where the scattered men from Humber Bay joined them. As Ned came in he saw the American flag rise over the ruins of their first fort. Just then he did not love his enemies at all. He saw Sir John sitting on his horse as composed in that hour of defeat and danger as if he had been on parade. Ned watched him giving orders to the waiting men 'round him, with a great respect for British discipline. Then Edgar hurried by, his stern face softening as he saw his son. He went to Sir John who sent him on to burn the ships on the stocks, and wrote another order for Vere to take to the captain of the "Gloucester", that she must be blown up. Then after speaking to the men who were spiking the guns of Western Battery, he rode off towards Half-moon Fort where Sheaffe was waiting. Ned and his companions followed, plodding along like the weary defeated men they were. Outside Western Battery, Pike and the advancing Americans had halted, summoning the silent fort. But they got no answer, the regulars were just leaving, Vere riding by their captain. Ned saw flames bursting from the new ships, and immediately after was thrown to the ground by an explosion that shook the earth beneath him. The powder magazine of Western Battery had blown up--an awful volcano of flame and smoke, the debris of a fort, and the high-hurled broken bodies of three hundred men. Americans, including General Pike, and English were killed alike, and the explosion itself was a mystery. Certainly neither army could have been intentionally responsible for it, entailing as it did, the lives of so many men on each side.