Then the guns were still, and fear died out for a-while. That night there was a fresh scare. Guns boomed and clouds of smoke were seen near the ships-of-war down the bay. Men on the look-out told that a ship-of-the-line had come in from sea, and each man-of-war gave her a round of guns as she passed by. At her fore-top mast-head she bore the flag of St. George. No need to tell more. "Lord Howe is come! Lord Howe is come!" was the cry that went from mouth to mouth, and the word soon flew through the town, and all felt that the hour of doom was close at hand. Lord Howe sought peace, and not blood-shed, and hoped, by the terms he would make, to bring not a few hearts back to their King. But he came too late. The Kings troops did not think much of the rank that was borne by our men, who, they felt, had no right to put on the airs they did, and call them-selves grand names. In a few days Lord Howe sent one of his men on shore with a flag of truce, to seek speech with Wash-ing-ton. The man's name was Brown. His boat was met half-way by a barge which had on board one of our troops, named Reed, to whom Brown said he had a note for _Mis-ter_ Wash-ing-ton. Reed said that he knew no man of that name. Brown held out to him the note he had in his hand, which bore on its face: _George Wash-ing-ton, Esq._ Reed said that he could not take the note. He knew what was due to his chief. So there was naught for Brown to do but to take to his oars. He had not gone far when he came back to ask "What style should be used to please Gen--(here he caught him-self and said) _Mis-ter_ Wash-ing-ton." Reed told him that Wash-ing-ton's rank was well known, and Lord Howe could be at no loss as to the right style. In a day or two an aide-de-camp came with a flag from Lord Howe, and asked if Col-o-nel Pat-ter-son might have speech with _Gen-er-al_ Wash-ing-ton. Reed, who met the aide was prompt to grant this and pledged him-self that no harm should come to him who came in the King's name. So the next day Pat-ter-son came, and when he stood face to face with Wash-ing-ton, bowed and said "_Your Ex-cel-len-cy_." Wash-ing-ton met him with much form and state. He was not a vain man, but was proud of the rank he held, and thought that no man--were he a king--had a right to look down on A-mer-i-ca, or show the least slight to her Com-mand-er-in-chief. When he came to hear the terms on which Lord Howe sought to make peace, he found they were not such as he could take, so the war went on. CHAPTER X. IN AND NEAR NEW YORK. The red-coats had a camp on Stat-en Isl-and, and for the next month or so ships-of-war came that far up the bay, and brought with them a large force of troops. North-east of them was the long stretch of land known as Long Isl-and, where they could land their troops with ease, and make their way to New York.