In a twinkling they were with us, and as we stood there among the dead and wounded of the enemy, we listened to the stories told in fragments of how they had succeeded in getting away, when humanity should have prompted us first to minister to the needs of those whom we had crippled. Gabriel’s story seemed pitifully weak as compared with what we had imagined it might be. Creeping down the stairs in the darkness, he had made his way past the rooms filled with British officers, who had feasted so deeply as to give no heed to anything going on around them, and, having departed from the building by the rear door, he walked boldly toward the road, seeing only two men on guard, who gave no heed to him, most like because he had come from the house, therefore they believed he was one of their number. Then he had to travel no more than two miles before coming to the general’s halting-place by the side of the road, where he awaited some report from us. The rest we already knew. Archie’s story was not unlike that of our leader’s. As he laughingly said, the most difficult portion of his task was to escape from us, for once he was on the stairs the way was as clear as it had been for Gabriel, and when the lads had come to an end of their tales I understood that but for my timorousness we might all have gotten away without hindrance. “Ay, so you might, lad,” Gabriel said when I had given words to my thoughts; “but in case of having done so, you would not have been here to pour in a fire upon the enemy’s rear, and, therefore, might the battle have been prolonged until it would have been our need to retreat.” There was no little gratification in the thought that even though I had shown myself more timorous than one in command of a company of Minute Boys should be, such failure to display courage, if so be you choose to call it, had been an advantage rather than otherwise. While we lads were thus conversing, Master Sinclair had taken charge of his dwelling once more. The negroes were sent to call up the women from the swamp, and soon it was the same hospitable mansion I had known in the past, for its inmates were busied in ministering to the wants of the wounded enemy as much as to the needs of welcome friends. We lads did a fair share of the nursing, and were yet at work on the gruesome task when the day had come. Verily had our victory been of moment, as we could see now. Nearly all the horses belonging to the British troopers yet remained stabled where they were first left, and of stores we had as much as they brought with them, which was by no means inconsiderable. The only thing to mar our triumph at that moment was the fact that the pursuers were not yet returned, and who could say that the redcoats had not turned upon them, making prisoners of every gallant patriot?