Appletons’ Town and Country Library No. 216 THE SUN OF SARATOGA A ROMANCE OF BURGOYNE’S SURRENDER THE SUN OF SARATOGA A Romance of Burgoyne’s Surrender BY JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER [Illustration: Logo] NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1897 COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.--ON WATCH 1 II.--A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW 16 III.--A SHOT FROM THE WINDOW 29 IV.--OUT OF THE HOUSE 49 V.--MY SUPERIOR OFFICER 62 VI.--BELT’S GHOST 77 VII.--IN BURGOYNE’S CAMP 91 VIII.--A NIGHT UNDER FIRE 108 IX.--MY GUIDE 118 X.--THE SUN OF SARATOGA 132 XI.--THE NIGHT AFTER 143 XII.--WE RIDE SOUTHWARD 155 XIII.--WE MEET THE FLEET 169 XIV.--THE PURSUIT OF CHUDLEIGH 186 XV.--THE TAKING OF CHUDLEIGH 199 XVI.--THE RETURN WITH CHUDLEIGH 219 XVII.--MY THANKS 232 XVIII.--THE BATTLE OF THE GUNS 246 XIX.--THE MAN FROM CLINTON 259 XX.--NOT A DROP TO DRINK 274 XXI.--THE MESSENGER 295 XXII.--CAPITULATIONS 310 THE SUN OF SARATOGA. CHAPTER I. ON WATCH. “You will watch this hollow and the hill yonder,” said the general, “and see that not a soul passes either to the north or to the south. Don’t forget that the fate of all the colonies may depend upon your vigilance.” Then he left me. I felt much discomfort. I submit that it is not cheering to have the fate of thirteen large colonies and some two or three million people, men, women, and children, depend upon one’s own humble self. I like importance, but not when it brings such an excess of care. I looked to Sergeant Whitestone for cheer. “We are not the only men on watch to cut off their messengers,” he said. “We have our bit of ground here to guard, and others have theirs.” Then he sat down on the turf and smoked his pipe with provoking calm, as if the troubles of other people were sufficient to take our own away. I decided to stop thinking about failure and address myself to my task. Leaving the sergeant and the four men who constituted my small army, I took a look about me. The hollow was but a few hundred yards across, sparse-set with trees and bushes. It should not be difficult to guard it by day, but by night it would be a different matter. On the hill I could see the walls and roof of the Van Auken house. That, too, fell within my territory, and for reasons sufficient to me I was sorry of it.