“Jonathan Ogden. His arm should be attended to at once, for we can ill afford to lose our leader at the very time when the Minute Boys are showing what it is possible for them to do.” She spoke never a word, but would have led me away at once had not Master Bartlett stopped us to ask: “Think you that those whose canoes we captured are yet on this side of the river?” “They must be. I question if the scoundrels at the fort have had time or the inclination to go after them, for we made matters right lively.” “And I’m thinking that we should keep up the work,” Master Bartlett replied. “There’s no chance they will get their wits together sufficiently to make an attack this night, and if you say the word, Stephen Morley and I will take four or five of the lads who did not go with you, and see whether we can’t add to the work you’ve done, before the sun rises.” It made me a bit jealous to think of a party setting off while I remained behind; but I could not reasonably make any objection to his proposition, and even as I entered the blockhouse with Esther that my wound might be dressed, the old man went out through the small gate. “I’ll answer for his lessening the number of those brutes before we see him again, and now if ever is the time to keep after them, for once they have a chance to gather their wits, we’ll have our work cut out for us,” Giles March said, as he went to the spring, and I followed Esther into the building, almost content to be disabled since she was to play the part of nurse. Had I done as Esther Hinchman begged me, I would have remained inside the blockhouse all night, counting myself an invalid who stood in great need of repose; but it would have required more than one small wound to keep me there among the women and children while the Minute Boys were giving good proof of what they could do when half an opportunity presented itself. When, an hour later, I came into the open air, Giles March and Daniel Hinchman were keeping watch, although all the platforms were occupied by the women who acted as sentinels. Forty Fort was yet burning fiercely, the flames rising so high in the air that they must have been seen twenty miles away, and I said to my comrades: “The red curs didn’t make any effort to put out the fire.” “I reckon that was our fault,” Daniel replied, with a hearty laugh. “We made such a disturbance around there that, by the time they had a chance to do anything except hunt us, the flames must have got under good headway. It is likely all the lodges had been set up inside the stockade, and I’m hoping they didn’t have a chance to save them.” There was really nothing I could do in the enclosure, while so many of the women were on guard, and after a few moments I went to see Elias Shendle, who, so Esther had told me, was mending very fast.