I had never before advanced against an enemy on foot, and the fact of being without a horse gave me a sense of uneasiness. Certain it is that my courage did not fail me, even though I was growing timorous. My hand was trembling with excitement, and my mouth parched and dry as if I had been many hours without water. Gabriel had just taken my hand in his as if realizing that I was giving no heed to what he said, when a single shot rang out, sounding in my ear as loud as a cannon, and it was as if the very air was aquiver with the reverberation when Gabriel cried: “Now, lads, shoulder to shoulder, and remember that so long as we can keep on our feet to discharge a weapon, so much more of aid are we giving to those who depend upon us!” For the instant I saw nothing, had difficulty in moving my feet, and then the pressure of Gabriel’s shoulder on one side and Archie’s on the other brought me to my senses, causing me to realize that if I failed ever so slightly in the task which was before us then was shame come upon all the Minute Boys of South Carolina. But the enemy must have been on the alert--must have had some inkling that an attack was intended, for the report of the musket, which was our signal, seemed to be theirs also. Before we had taken twenty paces a mass of men began to pour out of the blockhouse like bees from a hive, and I heard one, most like an officer, cry sharply: “Halt! Make ready!” Before he could speak another word Gabriel cried: “Fire, lads! Fire, and then drop to the ground!” We got in our volley, and were lying at full length reloading our weapons, when the British bullets whistled over our backs. Gabriel and I both succeeded in recharging our muskets and rising on one knee, before the redcoats were upon us with bayonets. It needed not the word of command to induce me to fire again, for in another instant that bristling line of steel would have been stopped only by our bodies. I fired, as did a dozen or more of my comrades, and that we took good aim even in the excitement could be told by the fact that the redcoats halted, and wavered for an instant as if on the verge of a panic. I dare venture to say that if there had been another squad of twenty immediately at our backs we might have driven those soldiers of the king’s into their blockhouse again, thereby gaining just so much more time for our regiment, which, as we could hear by the report of the firing, had already begun the attack. Again the Britishers came at us, and by this time the remainder of our party succeeded in getting their muskets ready. Once more the enemy faltered, and we strove all in vain to reload before they could come upon us. Then they closed in, and we struck aside their bayonets with the butts of our muskets, until it became a hand-to-hand struggle, each trying to preserve his own life and take that of his adversary.