I question if thirty seconds had been spent in freeing John, and then, darting back into the bushes once more, I came up behind the other lad,--Oscar Stephenson,--just as another report from the rear told that an Indian had incautiously shown himself. Oscar was free, and, as I made ready to go back where Giles and Daniel were waiting, I saw the lad straighten up, as if trying his muscles. An instant later the two were flying like startled deer; but their movements were the signal for the Indians to rush forward, and in a twinkling the whole savage horde was at my heels. Crack! crack! rang out the muskets of my comrades, and, guided by that sound, I reached them as speedily as my legs could carry me, snatching the musket which Daniel held toward me, and starting hotfoot for the stockade. Rapid as had been my movements, the rescued lads ran even more swiftly, for they had been looking death in the face an hour or more, and were able to accomplish that which at any other time would have been impossible. Daniel was just behind me, not two paces distant, and close at his heels came Giles, who, when we had run half-way to the stockade, said, hoarsely: “It were better we stopped here for one more shot than to cross the clearing while there are so many behind us.” It was good advice, and, wheeling about, I charged my musket with trembling hands, for what with the excitement and the exertion, I was quivering like an aspen leaf. Then we waited for a target. Beyond the glowing fire as we were, it was difficult to distinguish the enemy. I was on the point of proposing that we move on rather than lose valuable time, when hardly ten paces distant I saw a black form amid the foliage, and then another and another, until we could count five sneaking up, probably seeing us even more plainly than we saw them. Fortunately all of our weapons were loaded, and, prodding my comrades to call their attention to that which I saw, we took steady aim and fired. A howl of pain followed the report, as one of the figures turned and went halting back toward the fire, while two dropped, and the others stood as if suddenly turned into statues. “Verily have we dealt a blow to the Mohawks of which we should be proud, even though we never reach the stockade again,” I said exultingly, and there was in my heart a fervent thanksgiving that I had been allowed to slay so many of those who would make of our valley a shambles. “It will be better if we get to the stockade alive,” Giles said, grimly, and then we ran more slowly, because of trying to load our weapons as we moved. I am making a long story of what should be told in few words, and, therefore, will cease trying to glorify myself and my comrades for our work of the night, to say that twice before coming out into the cleared space in front of the stockade we loaded and fired at skulking figures amid the trees, wasting no shot, and then was come that most dangerous portion of the work.