As we clutched bridle and stirrup and popped upward into out saddles, it seemed that the red-coats must cut us off, but we spurred out of the meadow into the Meeting House road, and Boyd cried furiously in my ear:

“See what this damned Sheldon has done for us now! God! What disgrace is ours!”

I saw Colonel Sheldon presently, pale as death, and heard him exclaim:

“Oh, Christ! I shall be broke for this! I shall be broke!”

I made out to say to Boyd:

“The enemy are coming in hundreds, sir, and we have scarce four score men mounted by the Meeting House.”

“They’ll never stand, either,” he panted. “But if they do we’ll