The poor lad almost cried when I told him of all we had done that night, so great was his sorrow because of not being with us; but I consoled him as best I might by predicting that he would soon be able to do his full share of the work, and promising he should go out with a party whenever there was a likelihood of striking the enemy hard. The talking caused a feeling of drowsiness to creep over me, and, lying down by his side with the idea of taking a short nap, I fell into a sleep from which I did not awaken until after sunrise next morning. “Why didn’t you arouse me?” I asked reproachfully of Elias, and he replied, with a smile: “I would have done so when Master Bartlett and his party came back; but Esther Hinchman threatened me with all kinds of dreadful punishments if I so much as moved, and because she seems to be in authority over us who are wounded, it didn’t seem wise to disobey her.” Going out-of-doors quickly, I found Master Bartlett lying on the ground near the door of the blockhouse, and he did not wait for me to question him concerning what had been done. “I brought all the lads back, and with never a scratch on one of them,” he said, in a tone of triumph, as I appeared. “Did you find the savages?” “Ay, that we did, a dozen or more, and before we were done they had a taste of what our people suffered when they were used as targets while striving to swim across. I can’t say just how much we accomplished, but am satisfied that a full half of the squad won’t make any more trouble for us. In addition to that, we’ve got two more prisoners to feed, and they have lost another canoe.” “It will be necessary for them to set about boat-building, if they count on staying here very much longer,” I said, with a laugh. “It seems to me, unless John Butler brought twice as many canoes as his army needed, we must have gathered in the better part of their outfit.” “Another night like that just past, and we’ll have seen the last of those who have wrought so much harm to us of the valley. With our two prisoners we got a couple more muskets, and I’m thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to search along this shore. We must have killed some of the brutes, who are lying there with their weapons.” It surprised me that I had not hit upon such a plan myself, and as soon as might be I sent out Giles March, with three comrades, to search for whatsoever might be of service to us. The party came back before noon, bringing five muskets and eight hatchets, as well as a goodly store of ammunition, therefore could we count that the number of Minute Boys ready for duty had been increased by seven, counting the guns taken from the prisoners. Now were we in good truth a power in the valley, and straightway I set about racking my brains for something in the way of one grand blow, other than risking a regular battle, which would convince the enemy that it was unsafe for him to remain any longer.