“Just at dusk I, with one or two others of our company, went to a barn about half a mile away to get some straw, for the ground was drenched with the rain. It was quite dark in the building, and while I was fumbling around on the floor some one called from the top of the mow, asking who we were. I told him, and he asked if there had not been a battle nearby; said he and his mates had heard the firing, and crept in there to save their lives. They had heard us when we discharged our muskets in order to reload them, and believed the barn to be entirely surrounded by the enemy. We never let on that the Britishers hadn’t been there; but, gathering up some sheaves of wheat, went back to the regiment. From the number of voices I heard, it is safe to say there were not less than a dozen skulking in the barn, and if they didn’t succeed in mustering up any more courage, it’s likely they’ll stay there till the red-coats gather ’em in, as should be done to those who show the white feather so handily. “When I got back to where our regiment was stationed, I found the men under arms ready to march away, so I dropped the wheat sheaves which had cost so much in the way of time, picked up my musket, and fell into line. We were ordered not to speak, or even to cough, while on the march. All orders were given in whispers, being repeated from officer to officer down the line, and we were started off in the direction of the ferry, wondering much as to the meaning of it all. Hardly was our regiment in motion, when your lieutenant came up and ordered me to fall out in order to make a short cut for the shore here, to warn you that much work would be called for this night.” The soldier ceased speaking as if his story had come to an end, and I, who had failed to hear whatsoever of a real battle, asked impatiently: “Hasn’t there been a fight here on the island?” “Bless you, yes,” he replied. “Our people have been fighting here, there and everywhere; but I reckon you’ll find, if our commanders allow that a big battle has been fought, that it was cut up in little pieces, same’s I’ve been telling about.” “I can’t see that it makes any particular difference to this ’ere organization whether it has been a pitched battle, or a lot of skirmishes,” Abel Grant said as if giving words to his thoughts. “The upshot of it all is that the Americans are whipped, an’ are now retreatin’.” “Who said they were whipped?” Sam asked angrily. “This ’ere soldier has told us much the same thing, an’ ’less we’re dummies, we don’t need to be told that troops are retreatin’ when they move softly away in obedience to whispered orders. Besides, the lieutenant has said the same when he tells about hard work for this night. I’m only the admiral of the fleet; but if I was in command of the land forces, I’d be makin’ ready to get back inter runnin’ a ferry.”