With Perry on Lake Erie

by James Otis

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Now known as the city of Erie.

CHAPTER II.
SNUG QUARTERS.

It is true that when the enemy came into view from amid the whirling snow, Alec’s first thought, as he has since told me, was much the same as mine—that we had brought disaster upon our country.

It is nothing of credit that at the time we gave no heed to the peril which menaced; but I here set it down as some slight plea in our favor, that once the mischief had been done we gave no heed to what might come out of it to us.

The snow was falling in such volume, and being whirled so rapidly by the rising wind, that it was impossible to see very far in either direction, and whether we had been surrounded by a regiment of soldiers, or only a squad of a dozen or more, it was impossible to say.

I knew, however, it had been reported that the Britishers were gathering at Port Rowan, and this fact it was which caused our people to believe a descent upon Presque Isle was contemplated.

Now I knew beyond reasonable doubt that these men had come from the first-named place, and a great hope sprang up in my mind that they might have ventured out for the same purpose as had Alec and I—that our capture was the result of an accident.

All these thoughts ran through my mind during the first two or three seconds after the enemy appeared, and before a single word had been spoken on either side.

The party, fully armed and in uniform, wore storm coats, therefore it was impossible, save by his bearing, to distinguish an officer from a private; but Alec and I quickly understood, or believed we did because of not being immediately questioned, that the men were waiting the arrival of a superior.

It was as if a party of dumb people had come together in this fleecy downpour which whirled and danced until one’s eyes ached from the ceaseless swirling.

Alec looked meaningly at me, and I understood what he would have said. There was in his glance a warning against our holding converse lest we might betray something of importance to the enemy; but had the lad known me better he would not have thought such a caution necessary.

A boy who has lived on the frontier during such troublous times as I had known, is not garrulous in the presence of strangers, and when those strangers are known to be enemies, he would be little less than an idiot who should open his mouth unnecessarily.

Well, we two remained in the centre of this silent group while one might have counted thirty, and then the circle was broken to admit a figure, muffled, like the others, to the eyes in a coat of fur, but approaching with such an air of authority that we knew at once he must be in command.

Now it was I noted the fact that none of the Britishers wore skates, and there came into my mind like a flash the knowledge that we must be close ashore, else these men would not thus have ventured out upon the ice.

I also noted, for one who lives much in the forests is quick to observe every trifling detail in a scene, that the officer asked no questions of his men as to where we had been found, or how they chanced to come upon us; therefore I understood that our approach had been known before we were thus made prisoners, and the remainder was easy to guess.

While I had supposed we were half a dozen miles from the Canadian shore, we must have been within view of those on the foreland, and this squad had come out for no other reason than to capture us, a fact which took much of the burden from my mind, for I had feared we were met by the advance guard of a force sent to attack Presque Isle.

“Where do you come from?” the officer asked, in that insolent tone which was usually employed by those holding his Majesty’s commission when addressing one from the American border.

There was nothing to be gained by concealing the truth, and I answered the Britisher fairly, save that there was no good reason why I should explain our purpose in being abroad.

“Why have you come on this side of the lake?” he asked, and I replied, yet holding to the truth, but not telling all.

“We were skating, and had ventured so far from home when the snow began to fall, that it seemed safer to continue on than turn back.”

“The question I would have answered is, why did you venture to come so near this side at the beginning? You were well over before the snow began to fall.”

“Of that we were ignorant, sir,” Alec replied, speaking as if in fear; and I observed that his tone gave satisfaction to the valiant Britisher, who was pleased at being able to frighten two lads. “We must have skated faster than we fancied, and I do assure you, sir, that neither of us had any idea how near we were to an enemy.”

Up to this point it appeared as if we were like to come off from the adventure in safety, and I was beginning to believe no more harm would accrue to us than that of being sent back through the storm at risk of losing our way, when one of the men whispered to the officer, after which the latter asked sharply of me:—

“Are you the son of that Daniel Dobbins who has trafficked on the lake?”

It was evident that this soldier, whose face I could not see because of the coat-collar which covered it, had recognized me, and I replied with all the boldness it was possible to assume:—

“I am, sir, and therefore you may know of a certainty from whence we come.”

It would have been better had I been less talkative, for now both Alec and I understood that the Britisher’s suspicions were aroused.

“Where is your father?” he asked sharply.

I would have given much had I been able to reply promptly; but with his question there came into my mind the thought that I might unwittingly betray an important secret, and for the instant speech was well-nigh impossible. Then, after that unfortunate hesitation, I said:—

“I do not know, sir.”

“Is he not at home?”

“I am unable to say, sir.”

“Why? Was he not at home when you left?”

Now it was necessary I should explain that Alec and I had been these past three days at the blockhouse, and this statement seemed at variance with the one first made.

The Britisher looked at us searchingly for a moment, and then said, much as though speaking to himself:—

“It is evident you lads have something to conceal. I was inclined to believe the story first told; but now it seems wiser to doubt it. Take off your skates,” he added harshly, and we had no choice but to obey.

When we were thus made helpless, so far as escape was concerned, the officer gave some order in a low tone to one of the men, after which he wheeled about, walking in the direction where I believed lay the shore, and was soon lost to view amid the falling snow.

“Forgive me,” Alec whispered as he pressed my hand, and I understood full well all that was in his mind.

We two were not inclined for conversation; but even though we had been, it was best to remain silent lest yet more suspicions be aroused, and contenting ourselves with a single glance which meant, for my part, that there was no thought of resentment toward my comrade for having led us into these straits, we obeyed the order of our captors to march in advance.

It was not easy to walk on the ice now thickly covered with dry snow, and our progress was by no means rapid; yet in less than fifteen minutes we were arrived at the shore, and I wondered why it was we had failed to note the fact of being so near the enemy’s lines before the storm began.

We pushed on, forced to do so by those in the rear, straight over the outermost end of the Point, where was a well-defined path showing that it had been frequently travelled, until arriving on the opposite side. Then could be seen a dozen or more log huts, lately constructed, as might be told from the chips and branches which covered the snow in every direction.

Now we knew what I would have given much to have told my father. The reports that a force of Britishers were meditating an attack upon Presque Isle were not without ample foundation, for here beyond a peradventure were the quarters of those soldiers who were to be employed in the manœuvre.

As nearly as I could judge from a hurried glance around, there were quarters for fully two hundred men, and I believed that number had already assembled here.

Many soldiers came out of the huts when we arrived, and because no surprise was exhibited by any of them, we again understood that our approach was observed some time before the capture.

If there had been any hope in our minds that we would be treated mildly because of our youth, it was speedily dispelled.

The soldier in charge of the squad which conducted us, and I judged that he might be a sergeant or a corporal, seized us roughly by the arms, literally thrusting us into a small pen—I can give no other name to that place used as a prison—which was built at one end of the hut nearest the shore.

The door of logs was closed and barred behind us.

It was a regular coffin into which we had been introduced, and save for the light that filtered through the chinks of the logs, we would have been in darkness. Our prison measured, perhaps, five feet square, and we had the choice of standing in a bent position, or of throwing ourselves upon the frozen ground carpeted with snow.

“Snug quarters these!” Alec cried with an unsuccessful attempt at cheeriness. “I have always heard it said that his Majesty had no love for those who call themselves Americans, but never before knew he would vent his displeasure upon boys.”

Fearing lest he might say that which would betray somewhat of our purpose in coming out on the lake, I added gloomily:—

“If my mother could know where we are thus imprisoned it would seem less hard; but she is like to be anxious concerning us when night falls, and we have not returned.”

Then the dear lad, catching quickly at my reason for thus speaking, added:—

“It cannot be the English soldiers will deem it a crime that we were skating on the lake, and our release must soon come.”

After that we fell silent, not daring to speak lest we reveal what should be kept a secret, and having at heart that fear of the future which quenched all desire for conversation.

As the moments passed and we were forced to remain inactive, crouching in the snow, exposed to the wind which came through every tiny crevice, our limbs became chilled, and I said to myself that we were like to freeze in these snug quarters where exercise was impossible save as one might swing his arms to and fro.

That gloom which I had assumed when we were first thrust into the pen now took possession of me in earnest, and again did I reproach myself with having allowed the headstrong Alec to go on when I knew we were in danger.

Then came that which caused us for the time to forget our private troubles.

A group of soldiers inside the hut which joined our prison, were talking so loudly that we could hear a goodly portion of the conversation, and Alec seized me by the hand to attract my attention when one of the men said impatiently:—

“There is no good reason why we are forced to halt here waiting for the remainder of the regiment. I venture to say that the Yankee settlement can be captured with threescore of men.”

There was no need any one should tell us of what settlement they were speaking. If I had not suspected before, it would have been plain to me now, that this detachment had encamped here to make ready for an attack upon Presque Isle.

After a moment’s silence another voice asked:—

“Does any one know when we are like to move?” and to this, reply was made by the man who had first spoken, so I judged:—

“When we number four hundred, I have heard it said.”

“And how long are we to wait for the remainder of the detachment? Three days seem like a month, when one is tied up here, half frozen.”

“There is no reason why the attack could not have been made two days ago,” the first speaker replied. “I am told that those who should join us were halted at Port Ryers, but it is possible they may be here at any moment.”

“There is nothing to delay us an hour after they come.”

Then the men began speculating upon the possible defence which might be made by our people at Presque Isle, Alec and I listening intently for that which would give us further hint as to the proposed movement.

It appeared to be the belief of the men that our settlement would offer but little resistance, and I was surprised to know how well informed they were concerning the condition of affairs.

I question if my father could have told them more regarding the vessels on the stocks, or the length of time which might be required to finish them. It was evident beyond a question that in Presque Isle some one who had been trusted with all the details—perhaps one in authority—was playing the traitor.

During fully an hour these men talked of that which they counted to do, treating the matter as if the capture of Presque Isle was but a trifling task; and we—Alec and I—grew alternately hot and cold, as we realized what valuable information it would be possible to give were we at liberty.

Not until nightfall was any attention paid us, and then the door of the pen was opened, that a soldier might thrust in two small squares of corn-bread.

“The snow will serve instead of water,” he said, with a leer; and then we were alone once more.

Until this time neither of us had spoken; each was so intent upon forming some plan of escape that he had no desire to talk of aught else.

When the scanty rations had been left us, and it was understood, from what the soldier said, that we were to remain there until morning, I could keep silent no longer.

“We will get out of this at any hazard!” I whispered to Alec. “It is certain an attack will soon be made upon the settlement for the purpose of destroying the half-finished vessels, and information must be carried even at the expense of our lives.”

“I grant you that, Dicky Dobbins, and am willing to venture on any chance, however small; but first you shall tell me in what way we may set about carrying the information.”

The question I could not answer, and he knew it full well even as he spoke.

The one thing in our favor, as it seemed to me, was the fact that the Britishers had not taken away the skates. When we removed them, according to orders, I was not minded to leave behind what had cost me two dollars in lawful money and twelve muskrat pelts, therefore slung them over my shoulder.

Now if we could but escape from this pen, with five minutes, or even half that time, the start, there was no question in my mind but we might get off scot-free.

How to get out? That was the question I could not answer, and thus far Alec seemed to be equally in the dark.

The men in the hut adjoining our prison no longer talked sufficiently loud for us to hear, or when they did, there were so many speaking at the same time that we could not make out clearly the subject of the conversation.

The snow was still falling; but the air was rapidly growing colder, and I had little question that the storm would soon cease, for the temperature must have been several degrees below zero.

To remain in this place, every corner of which was searched out by the wind, would have been to freeze, and we ran to and fro as best we might, thrashing our arms together with such a noise that some one in the hut cried with a laugh:—

“The Yankee cubs won’t be idle this night, that I’ll venture to say;” and another, who may have had boys of his own at home, added:—

“It is barbarous to leave them there without so much as a blanket. If the shed was filled with snow, into which they might burrow, it would not be so bad.”

“A bit of chill won’t do them any harm, and in case they get home again it will serve to show the braggarts there what awaits them if they persist in believing it possible to prevent Britain from ruling the sea, or the land either, for that matter.”

“We may make as much noise as pleases us, and those fellows will think only that we are trying to keep warm,” Alec whispered.

“Well!” I replied, not understanding for the moment what he meant. “How much of satisfaction will you find in making a noise?”

“This much,” the lad replied; and from that moment I understood that, despite the lack of years, he was my superior in such knowledge as became one who would be a soldier: “Instead of walking idly to and fro, what prevents us from spending our strength in trying to dislodge some of these logs?”

There was nothing to prevent it, as I admitted to myself; but how might we set about it?

Work of any kind would be welcome, yet it was necessary young Perry show me how it might be begun.

And that he did, after looking about for a moment, feeling of the joints in each corner where the timbers were simply laid one upon another, and only slightly dovetailed together.

“The uppermost one should be pushed aside easiest,” he said at length, “for no more than the weight of the roof rests upon it.”

“Yet you must have something as a lever with which to work.”

“I will use my shoulder, if it so be you can hold me on your back.”

“That I will do, and for so long a time as you wish,” I replied, with but little faith that he might succeed in his purpose.

It was true nothing save the weight of the roof rested upon these uppermost logs; but this was formed of green saplings, which, when taken as a whole, would prove a burden far too heavy for both of us, even though we could come at it handily, so I said to myself.

However, there was no harm in trying; and so much good would come of it that even in the failure we should be gaining needed exercise to keep us warm.

Crouching as one does who plays at leap-frog, I rested my hands upon the logs forming the outer side of the pen, to hold myself steady, and Alec stood upon my back.

In this position he was forced to bend nearly double, and I saw at once that could I hold him up when he straightened his body, something must perforce give way.

“Are you ready?” he asked in a whisper, and I, mentally bracing myself for the effort, replied:—

“Do your best; but quickly, lest I fail to hold this position.”

Alec Perry is a slightly built lad, and to look at him one would say his strength was hardly more than that of a woman, yet I soon found that it was far in excess of what his frame indicated.

For an instant it seemed as if the weight of a ton was pressing upon my bent back, and then I heard a dull, muffled sound, as if some heavy body had fallen into the snow on the outside.

The strain upon me was lessened wonderfully, and my heart leaped with joy and gratitude as the dear boy whispered excitedly:—

“We have thrown off the top log, Dicky Dobbins, and unless there be a sentinel outside who has heard the timber fall, we shall be free from this pen as soon as you are minded to make the venture.”

He leaped down from my back, and, grasping both his hands to show my gratitude for his gallant and wondrous effort, for it was wondrous in view of his slight body, I replied:—

“We’ll count thirty, Alec, and if by that time no alarm is given, it is for us to make good an escape, taking the chances of losing our way in the driving snow upon the ice, rather than remain here; for now has come the time when we may save Presque Isle from falling into the hands of the enemy.”

CHAPTER III.
THE ESCAPE.

How it may have been with Alec Perry while we stood inside that pen, listening eagerly, and yet fearing lest we might hear something, I know not. As for myself, it was as if the blood in my veins was at boiling point, and I could hardly breathe because of the sense of suffocation which had come upon me.

At first I began to count as rapidly as it was possible to speak the figures in my thoughts, and then came the knowledge that by hastening the time ever so little I might be destroying our chances for escape.

In case the fall of the timber had been heard, and one of the soldiers came out to learn the cause of the noise, it was possible he would fail to observe what had been done, for the snow was so light that the log must be concealed from view in its frosty bed.

I say again, it was possible, even probable, that one or more of the Britishers might come out and yet fail to detect what we had done; but if Alec and I should begin the attempt a few moments too soon, all would be lost. Better waste half the night than try to gain sixty seconds of time, and in the doing cut ourselves off from all hope of gaining liberty.

Similar thoughts must have been in my comrade’s mind; for when I had counted up to thirty, and then waited ten seconds to give fair measure, he clutched my arm as if advising that we remain yet a little longer.

And so we did, standing there hand in hand, looking toward the narrow aperture through which lay home and freedom.

While we thus hesitated there came into my mind the fear that after we gained the outside some of the more kindly hearted Britishers would enter the prison-pen in order to bring us coverings, lest we freeze to death; and I literally shivered with dread, fearing so much of charity might be bestowed upon us.

Then, when we had waited fully two minutes, I could restrain my impatience and my nervousness no longer.

Surely the very beating of my heart would betray us unless flight was begun at once.

I dared not so much as whisper, so great was the fear of discovery upon me, and pressing Alec’s hand yet more vigorously, I pointed to the aperture.

He, understanding the gesture, motioned for me to go ahead; but that I would not do, and rather than play so cowardly a part as to seek my own safety first, I ventured upon speech:—

“You shall lead the way, Alec, lad,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite every effort to render it steady; “and if it so be that when you have gained the outside the Britishers enter here, I beseech you to strain every muscle in the attempt to escape, regardless of what they may be doing to me.”

“I will never leave a comrade alone in danger,” he said stoutly; and for a moment it seemed as if we should come to a quarrel then and there, while halting ’twixt liberty and imprisonment.

“You must leave me, should the flight be discovered before I am out of here,” I said earnestly, gripping his arm so hard that twenty-four hours later I saw the imprints of my fingers upon the flesh where the blood had settled. “It is neither your life nor mine that is to be considered now, but the safety of Presque Isle; and I charge you, dear lad, make your way to the settlement without loss of time, once you are free. I pledge myself to do the same, leaving you wherever it may be that we are halted by the enemy, in order to save the village and the vessels, upon which so much of our country’s safety depends.”

Now he understood what I would have him bear well in mind, and whispered:—

“One or the other of us must live to reach the village; but I pray earnestly, Dicky, that if either falls, it be me.”

This sort of a conversation was not calculated to make a timorous fellow overly bold, and I realized at once that an end must be put to it, else we might become so faint-hearted as to retreat even before the advance was begun.

Therefore, clasping him by the legs, I lifted him straight up until his head and shoulders were through the aperture; and then, pushing at his feet, I literally forced him out of the pen.

Instantly this was done I reproached myself for having been so hasty, fearing lest he, like the log, might fall, failing to find support on the sides of the hut, and thus an alarm be given.

Alec Perry was not a lad to be guilty of a blunder, even though his comrade did his best toward forcing him into one; and in some way, I know not how, he contrived to drop from the top of the timbers as lightly as a cat.

Listening intently, I began to clamber up the wall, gripping my fingers into the crevices between the logs until the blood came from under my nails, and when I was nearly at the top, the thought flashed upon me that we had left our skates behind.

They lay in one corner of the pen, and so great was our excitement, when the way of escape had been opened, that neither of us so much as thought of them.

Without skates we might as well remain where we were, for it would not be possible to walk across the lake in eight-and-forty hours.

I lowered myself down, losing the advantage I had gained at the expense of so much suffering, and thrust a pair of skates into each coat-pocket, after which the painful task of scrambling up the side of the pen was begun again.

It seemed to me of a verity that a full hour had been spent before I looked down from the top of the wall to see Alec making an effort to clamber back.

The time had dragged heavily with him also, and fearing lest some mishap had befallen me, he was returning, forgetful of the promises made to push forward at all hazards.

I heard plainly the sigh of relief which escaped his lips when he saw me, and in another instant I was lowering myself down on the outside.

Free, so far as concerned the walls of the pen!

Now the storm was little less than a blessing to us, for the wind, howling and shrieking as it dashed the frosty particles against the walls of the huts, must have drowned any sound which we made while floundering through the snow.

A start of five minutes was all I had asked for, and this we surely would gain, unless it so chanced that a sentinel was stationed on the shore, in which case we stood every chance of being recaptured.

“It is necessary to go forward slowly, and by a devious way,” Alec whispered. “It seems most likely some of the men are on guard, and it would be a sad blow to our hopes if we ran across them now.”

“We must take the chances,” I said, bolder grown since we were free from the pen. “To leave this path would be to flounder about in the snow or the bushes, where we must necessarily make so much noise that any sentinel, however dull, could not fail to hear us. There is no other course than to push ahead and trust to chances, Alec, lad. Besides, the danger in advance is less than that behind, and if we come upon a soldier near-by the edge of the ice, surely the two of us ought to be more than a match for him, half stupefied by the cold as any man must be who has remained long outside on this night.”

There was no need for him to make answer. He stood ready to do whatsoever was needed, and I venture to say, however great the perils which menaced, he would not have flinched from braving them.

We went forward swiftly, yet making no noise that could be avoided, and when finally we were arrived at the shore of the lake no living thing could be seen.

“We are free, Dicky, lad! Free!” Alec cried, speaking so loudly that I covered his mouth with my hand, lest in his joyous excitement he work us the greatest mischief which could come upon two lads in our situation.

It can well be imagined that not a second was lost in fastening on our skates, and when we stood erect, shod with those thin plates of steel which would enable us to glide over the surface of the ice with the speed of a race-horse, it was with difficulty that I could repress a shout of triumph.

We two, who had never before known by experience the horrors of war and its usages,—we who had through carelessness allowed ourselves to be made prisoners,—were escaped without a scratch within a few hours of capture, and by escaping would be able to prevent Presque Isle from being taken by surprise.

When I bent my body in striking out on that long, swinging stride which had served me time and time before, I thought with exultation that that which had seemed the direst calamity that could come upon two lads, was, in fact, a blessing in disguise, as are many of the troubles which for the time bear us down in sorrow. Save for Alec Perry’s foolhardiness in continuing on toward the Canadian shore, we would never have known of that gathering of soldiery at the North Foreland, and the people of Presque Isle, lulled into a sense of security, might have fallen easy victims to the first assault of the redcoats.

“It has been a good day’s work, Alec, boy!” I said, when we were a mile or more from the shore, and escape was absolutely certain unless we lost our lives in the whirl of snow, for no man in that camp could overtake me on skates. “A good day’s work, because we have scouted to a purpose, even though it was done ignorantly!”

The dear lad’s mind went farther afield than mine, as I understood when he added quietly, yet with a certain ring of satisfaction in his tone:—

“So that we reach the village, Dicky, we have made a name for ourselves which shall be spoken in years to come, long after we are dead, for we will be known as the boys who saved Presque Isle and the beginnings of the American navy. It is what Oliver has been praying might be his good fortune, to come into some adventure which would give him an opportunity of making a name that should live in history; and God grant he succeed, for my brother is a hero, Dicky Dobbins, and some day he will prove it to those of the king’s forces who come against him.”

Fortunately at this moment I remembered that there must be an end to this self-glorification, and a speedy one, else were we likely to come to grief.

I had heard the bravest men in Presque Isle say that the one thing they feared the most was to be overtaken by a snow-storm while on that vast field of ice which imprisoned the waters of Lake Erie; for few there be who can walk or skate in a straight line amid the falling, whirling particles of snow.

We had come two miles, perhaps, from the shore by this time, and I caught Alec’s arm, that he might take the better heed to my words, as I explained the dangers which were before us, begging that he put from his mind all else save the aim of moving forward as nearly in a straight line as might be.

“You shall go ahead, lad, keeping in advance so far as I am able to see you, and perhaps by this means it will be possible for me to know when you turn to the right or the left, as it is said one is ever inclined to do under such circumstances.”

Perhaps if it had not been for our having foolishly run into the arms of the Britishers, Alec would have insisted that I was making a great cry when no danger threatened, because he seemed to think it a simple matter to go ahead in a straight line without anything to guide his movements; but now that the knowledge of his foolhardiness was sharp upon him he obeyed readily; and thus we set out on our thirty-mile journey in the darkness, our faces stung until they burned by the icy particles which were flung against them on the wings of the east wind.

Here again did that which seemed to be a danger and a discomfort prove a blessing. But for the wind we should have had nothing to give us the slightest idea of the direction in which Presque Isle lay. As it was, I could not say to a certainty that these furious blasts came from the east, because the direction might have changed since we were made prisoners; but I knew beyond a peradventure it had not swung around either to the north or the south, and, therefore, if our left cheeks were stung by the driving snow more bitterly than our right, we must be advancing somewhere near on the desired course.

During the first half-hour Alec went straight forward, and then, growing weary, perhaps, he would swerve to one side or the other, insisting, when I checked him, that it was I, rather than himself, who mistook the direction.

I am making this story of our escape from the North Foreland overly long, for it may be that what then seemed, and seems now, to me most thrilling, will be dry reading to others. Therefore it is best I come to a halt in this play of words, although it would be possible to fill page after page with what we thought, and said, and did during that long, painful night’s journey; for, although we had set out, as nearly as we could judge, at about eight o’clock in the evening, the sun was two hours high in the heavens before we were come to Presque Isle, so nearly exhausted that Alec fell upon the shore, unable to move hand or foot, when we were arrived in front of my home.

Despite all our efforts we went so far astray as to strike the American shore near Indian Bend, full eighteen miles above the village, and arriving there during the hours of darkness, I was not able to say positively where we were; therefore it became necessary to wait until daylight.

This halt, while it refreshed us in a certain degree, allowed our limbs to stiffen until, when we arose to our feet again, it seemed almost impossible to advance one foot before the other.

But we were arrived at last, and could give the information which it was so necessary our people should have; therefore was the work done well, even though death had come upon us after the story was told.

Strange as it may seem, we found it difficult to repeat that which we had learned. Every man was so engrossed with the work in hand that it appeared like a waste of time to listen to two lads who had been pleasuring on the Point, as was supposed; and we, fatigued beyond power of further movement, could not run from one to another insisting upon being heard.

But for the fact that Noah Brown chanced to pass near by where I was trying to induce one of the shipwrights to listen to me, it might have been a full hour before we gained the ear of any in authority.

Once I began to speak, however, and he realized from whence we had escaped, it can be fancied that no further entreaties on our part were necessary.

It was he who pleaded with us to tell more, and when the story of the adventure had been repeated twice over, an alarm was given which aroused every man, woman and child in Presque Isle.

What was done toward defending the place during the first four and twenty hours of excitement I know not, because, when our work had been accomplished, Alec Perry and myself were given the needed opportunity to sleep, and until the morning after our arrival we realized nothing of what was passing around us.

It is now well known that the Britishers did not make an attack upon the village; but—and here I must go ahead of my story for a moment—we learned five months later, from a prisoner, that the expected reënforcements arrived twelve hours after our escape, and save for the fact that we had succeeded in giving them the slip, the assault would have been made without delay. The commandant decided, however, that the news which we carried regarding the assembling of the forces at that point would be sufficient to give an alarm, and concluded, with good cause, that it was no longer possible to take Presque Isle by surprise.

There was no lack of scouts on the lake from the day of our return until the ice broke up, and in the meanwhile my father had come back from Buffalo with a twelve-pound cannon, four chests of small arms, and a limited supply of ammunition.

It was a scanty store toward fitting out the vessels which were nearing completion; but it served to put us all in better spirits, because, with these much needed munitions, we could the better defend the bay.

Lest it should seem that I am vainglorious, the words which my father spoke to Alec and myself when he learned what we two had done shall not be set down here; but this much is necessary in order that what follows may be understood. He agreed, in the name of Captain Perry, that we lads should be allowed to enlist on whatsoever vessel pleased us; and promised also, in the name of Alec’s brother, that a full report of our adventure be sent to the Government at Washington.

We still continued, so long as it was possible, to skate back and forth on the lake within half a dozen miles of the American shore, and perhaps I need not say that never again did Alec make any attempt at venturing farther across than seemed absolutely necessary.

When not thus employed we watched eagerly the building of the ships, and had much discussion between ourselves as to which one we should volunteer to serve on. For my part I was wholly at a loss to decide, until Alec settled the question by saying:—

“Where my brother is, there must be the hottest fighting, for I assure you he will seek out the enemy whether they be disposed to give battle or not; and when he returns from Pittsburg we shall know on which craft we are to sail.”

Captain Perry came back on the 10th day of April. The ice was out of the lake, and the forces in the blockhouse at the entrance of Presque Isle Bay were redoubled, for now we had every reason to expect the British fleet.

Two weeks after his return the three gunboats were launched, and I dare venture to say not one person in Presque Isle, old or young, missed the spectacle.

It was a gala day in the village, and when we saw the little craft swinging at their cables just off the landing-place, there came to every one, I believe, to myself I know, an additional sense of security, although these vessels were as yet uncompleted, and without guns or ammunition.

The two brigs would be ready for leaving the ways in three weeks, it was said, and Alec and I looked forward to that day with the keenest interest, for Captain Perry had told us that upon one of these he should sail, while at the same time he ratified the promise made by my father.

We promised ourselves that nothing should prevent us from seeing these two craft, which both of us felt certain would make the bravest showing against the Britishers, leap into the water, and yet we failed of being present.

This is how it was:—

One week before the day set for the launching a message came from Commodore Chauncey, who was then at Buffalo, ordering Captain Perry to join him in a certain secret enterprise against the enemy.

Now Alec’s brother was not minded to take two lads with him, and would have kept the matter secret, but that it came to us quite by accident.

Emboldened by the service already rendered, we decided that it was our right to accompany the expedition.

I need not repeat the arguments which we used to persuade the captain to receive us as volunteers. He objected to our proposition; first, because it was not expected he should bring any force with him, and secondly, because he must journey from Presque Isle to Buffalo in an open four-oared boat, which, in itself, was like to be a perilous undertaking at that season of the year.

Alec had a persuasive tongue, fortunately, as I then thought, and the result of our pleadings was that on the evening of the 23d of May, the day before the brigs were to be launched, we two lads embarked in what was hardly more than a skiff, manned by four oarsmen, with Captain Perry, exulting in the thought that now were we bearing men’s parts in the war against the enemies of our country.

CHAPTER IV.
THE ATTACK.

What might be the enterprise in which we were embarked on this 23d day of May, in the year 1813, neither Alec nor I could so much as guess, and we were not troubled because of our ignorance.

So that it was an attack upon the enemy, and a venture in which was somewhat of danger, we gave no heed.

As a matter of course we speculated upon it among ourselves, and, knowing that Captain Perry proposed to set out alone, we believed it was something in the nature of a reconnoissance, which in itself would have been comparatively trifling but for the fact that Alec’s brother was making it, and he, we understood full well, would lead us as near to the Britishers as might be agreeable.

As I have said, it was evening when we set out from Presque Isle, embarking at the old French Fort, and before having sailed a distance of ten miles the boat was headed in for the shore.

To my mind there was good reason for this manœuvre. The wind was blowing from the north and east a full half-gale, and it was such weather as appeared too heavy for our small boat.

Immediately after we had rounded the point on which was located the blockhouse, and were come out into the lake, I believed the captain would decide that it was dangerous in the extreme to make any attempt at continuing the journey, and my relief was great when the bow of the craft grated upon the sand.

“If this is to be the end of our travels we need not have wasted so much breath in asking permission to join the party,” Alec whispered to me, laughingly, but ere I could reply my father stepped out from the bushes, pushed off the boat as he leaped into it without speaking, and the voyage was resumed before we had fully come to a halt.

Now it was we understood that some plan of operations had been decided upon beforehand, else would Captain Perry and my father have held converse with each other; but, instead, they sat in the stern-sheets intent, so far as we could see, only upon the progress which we might make by aid of oars.

Noting the expression on each man’s face I grew more serious in mind, understanding full well that they had in view something of a grave nature, otherwise words would have passed between them, whereas both held silent; while our boatmen fought against the angry waves of the lake as if some great reward awaited them in event of a successful ending of the voyage.

This much Alec saw as well as did I, for he whispered, after we had pushed out on the angry waters again, forcing our way against wind and wave half a mile or more, during which time no person in the boat had so much as spoken:—

“Where think you, Richard Dobbins, is to be the end of this adventure?” And I answered him, having in mind our captivity at Port Rowan:—

“It is like that we will head, so soon as the wind permits, for some point on the Canadian shore. Perhaps neither your brother nor my father firmly believes all we told them regarding the gathering of Britishers, and are now come to make a reconnoissance, since the ice is broken up and it is possible for troops to cross the lake.”

It would have been as well had we held our peace, for neither Alec nor I guessed at the meaning of this voyage, as was shown when the night grew older.

Instead of proceeding toward the Canadian shore, as would have been easier under all the circumstances, we hugged the land so far as was possible, steadily advancing within what might well be called the American boundaries, straight on toward Buffalo, and were it not for the fact of what followed after we were on the banks of the Niagara River, I would write much concerning the dangers of that night voyage, when not only once, but twenty times, were we in great peril of being overset by the angry waves.

However, because of what followed, this venture, which at the time seemed in the highest degree hazardous, came to appear as nothing, and must be passed over with but few words.

Therefore let me set it down that during every moment of all the long night we two lads believed our lives were near to being ended.

Every wave which buffeted our slight craft sent the water in over rail or stern, and brought her down so low that the water broke over us until we were forced to bail with all our might, else had we been swamped.

In such manner did the night pass, and when morning broke we were at Buffalo, neither Alec nor I understanding what purpose could have brought us there.

We had a fairly good idea, however, when, with such horses as could most readily be procured, we four—meaning Captain Perry, my father, Alec, and I—set out by land, riding during that day and part of the next night until we were come to Lewiston, when we made a halt.

Then a council was held, in which we had no part, but I heard Captain Perry say to my father at the close of it:—

“You will ride back to Schlosser, and there make ready boats in which to transport laborers who will hasten the work upon our squadron at Presque Isle, if it so be we are successful in the venture.”

Whereupon my father asked:—

“But if it so be that you fail in the enterprise?”

“To my mind there is no such possibility. Fort George must be taken within four and twenty hours after our arrival, and from that point we will detach as many men as are needed for the movement which we contemplate upon the lake.”

Thus it was that Alec and I gained an inkling of the whole scheme.

Fort George, on the Canadian shore, just south of Newark, was to be attacked by our forces, most likely under command of Commodore Chauncey, and we lads, who burned to distinguish ourselves, would be given the opportunity within a few hours.

My father turned back agreeably to the commands he had received, and we three continued on until we arrived at the shore of Lake Ontario, near-by Fort Niagara, off which was lying the American fleet, consisting of such vessels as the Madison, Oneida, Lady of the Lake, Ontario, and five or six others whose names shall appear as this narrative progresses.

It was a hearty reception with which we met when, having come to the shore, signals were made to our vessels in the offing, and a boat put out from the Madison, which for the time was flying Commodore Chauncey’s flag.

Leaving our horses in the care of friendly-disposed people near at hand, we embarked in the commodore’s barge, and on stepping aboard the Madison, Commodore Chauncey said, taking Captain Perry warmly by the hand:—

“No person on earth could be more welcome at this time than yourself.”

It was as if these words had been spoken to us two lads personally, and immediately Alec and I were puffed up with pride, sharing for the moment all the honor which was given to the captain.

It was not with any idea of spinning out a yarn regarding the capture of Fort George that I first set myself down to this task, but rather to tell how Captain Oliver Perry won renown for himself on the waters of Lake Erie, and also to describe the slight share which we two lads had in the gaining of his glory.

Therefore it is that all which was done here nearabout Lake Ontario shall be given in the fewest words possible to a fair understanding. So far as we two lads are concerned, it may well be passed over briefly, for although our intentions were good, and we had fancied the moment was come when we could play the part of men, Alec Perry and I were little more than spectators during this, the first of warfare I had ever witnessed.

But even to so skeleton-like a tale as this must be, some words of description are necessary, in order that what share Captain Perry had in the victory may thoroughly be understood.

The commander of the American forces was General Henry Dearborn, and of the American squadron, as I have before said, Commodore Isaac Chauncey.

Of our land force, fit for duty, there were said to be over four thousand, including the troops under command of Major-General Lewis in Fort Niagara. Our people had, in addition to the fort I have just named, what was known as the Salt Battery, opposite Fort George, and two other batteries between it and Fort Niagara.

General Dearborn was so sick at this time as to be unable to take any active part in the operations; but his chief of staff, Colonel Winfield Scott, represented him ably, and during an interview between the commodore and the general in command, it was decided that Captain Oliver Perry should have full charge of the task of landing the troops when the attack was begun.

Further preparations on our side consisted of building a large number of small boats at Five-Mile Meadow, and orders were sent for them to be brought around to Four-Mile Creek on the evening of the 26th of May, when an interview between our commanders was held. These skiffs were to be used, as a matter of course, in the landing of the troops.

So much for the American forces; now for the British.

There were nearabout the fort which Commodore Chauncey and General Dearborn counted on taking, English regulars to the number of eighteen hundred, under command of Brigadier-General John Vincent. In addition, there were three hundred and fifty militia and fifty Indians under Colonel Harvey.

It was said by our spies that the enemy’s force extended on the right from Fort George to Brown’s Point, and on the left to Four-Mile Creek and the Canadian side of the river; while in the rear of the fortifications a number of companies were stationed to support each other when required.

Besides Fort George, the Britishers had several smaller works along the shore of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. One twenty-four pound gun was set up about half a mile from Newark, and their principal battery was at the mouth of Two-Mile Creek.

All this Alec and I learned while we remained on board the Madison, awaiting some word from Captain Perry, who was in consultation with the leaders of the American forces.

The sailors, knowing my father full well by reputation, for he was said to be one of the most skilful navigators upon the lakes, were more than ready to talk with me; but before the summer was come to an end it was Alec Perry to whom they gave their confidences, rather than to the son of Daniel Dobbins.

It was only natural we two lads should believe, having come thus far, that we would be allowed to share in the battle which all knew must follow, because, in such strong position as was the enemy, he would not allow his fortifications to be taken from him without a spirited resistance; but we were soon made to understand that however valuable we believed our services might prove, they were not to be accepted.

When, on the evening of the 26th, the final arrangements were made for an attack upon the British fort, and the leaders of the expedition had come on board the Madison, General Dearborn accompanying them despite his illness, Alec’s brother explained to us, in a tone which admitted of no discussion, what part we were to take in the action of the morrow.

“You will stay quietly aboard the Madison, and under no circumstances make any attempt at accompanying the troops when they land. I have allowed you lads to remain with me thus far; but with the promise to Captain Dobbins that you should have no further share in the attack, than that of spectators.”

A bitter disappointment it was, indeed, to see our people prepared for a battle which we firmly believed would result in a victory for the Americans, and yet remain idly by while glory, and perhaps fame, was to be won.

Because Alec stood silent when his brother had thus spoken, I understood that it would be useless to make any effort at persuading the captain into recalling the command given, and swallowed my disappointment as best I might.

Therefore it is that I am all the more willing to pass over the capture of Fort George with the fewest possible words.

Late in the afternoon the boats, which I have said had been built at Five-Mile Meadow, were pulled around to Four-Mile Creek, and this work brought on a general fire between the forts and batteries in the immediate vicinity; but, save for the destruction of several houses along the river bank, no injury was inflicted on either side.

From sunset until midnight the heavy artillery and a portion of the troops were embarked on the Madison, the Oneida, and the Lady of the Lake, while the remainder of the force, including the horses, were taken on board the newly constructed boats.

It can well be supposed that no heed was given to sleep after the work of embarkation had been concluded; all awaited the signal for the advance, knowing it must speedily come.

It was near to daybreak when our squadron got under way, and Alec and I stood on the after part of the Madison vainly trying to see, in the darkness and the fog, what was being done.

We could hear on every hand the murmur of voices, the creaking of oars in rowlocks, the neighing of horses, and the flapping of sails; but could see nothing.

It gave one a most singular sensation to be shut in by the dense, gray vapor, and yet to know from the various noises that on all sides were men making ready to take the lives of others, or to sacrifice their own.

The officers of the expedition, and among them as a matter of course was Captain Perry, remained by themselves, as was proper, and we two lads would have given much just then could we have had speech with Alec’s brother, in order that he might explain certain movements which to us were mystifying.

Then, suddenly, as it were, the heavy mist lifted and the sun shone out clear and warm, lighting up the waters which were covered here, there, and everywhere, seemingly as far as the eye could reach, with vessels and small boats, all laden with men and implements of warfare.

It was a sight such as few lads could ever have the privilege of witnessing, and for a time I believed there was nothing so grand or so noble as war.

With the rising of the fog the wind freshened, and the vessels of the fleet advanced according to the programme mapped out.

The schooners Julia and Growler took up position at the mouth of the river, engaging the battery near the lighthouse where it was intended to land a portion of the troops. A short distance away toward the north, the Ontario came about to command the same position.

The Governor Tompkins and the Conquest were moored near Two-Mile Creek in front of a small battery where the remainder of our men were to be set ashore. Coming up with these two schooners were the Hamilton, the Asp, and the Scourge, and before they were all in such position as had been previously agreed upon, the batteries on both sides of the river opened fire.

The first notes of the battle were being sounded.

Now had come the time for Alec’s brother to display that courage which afterward won for him so great a name, and we two lads gave more heed to his movements than to all else beside.

The Governor Tompkins and the Conquest immediately opened fire on the battery they were ordered to silence, and the wind, which was momentarily increasing in force, swept away the smoke until we from the deck of the Madison could see all that took place.

It seemed to me as if no more than five minutes elapsed before the Britishers fled from their earth-works, and Captain Perry had leaped overboard from the foremost of the fleet of boats, wading to the shore, with the men close behind him like a party of school-boys at play.

Colonel Scott was not far in the rear of Alec’s brother, and these two brave men led the way up the embankment, despite the rapid musketry firing which was poured upon them from Britishers concealed in the thicket hard by.

“CAPTAIN PERRY HAD LEAPED OVERBOARD FROM THE FOREMOST OF THE FLEET OF BOATS.”

Even to Alec and I, who were ignorant regarding what is called the “art” of warfare, it seemed as if the schooners were not discharging their guns as rapidly as possible, while the Britishers ashore were pouring a hot fire into our men.

Without being really conscious of the fact, we set up a shout of exultation when we saw Captain Perry push off in a boat alone, regardless of the bullets which were falling into the water in every direction, and row toward the nearest schooner.

In less than three minutes from the time he stepped on board the vessel we knew for what purpose he had gone. The schooner’s guns were served much more rapidly than before, and then it was that the captain went ashore again to take his full share in the conflict which was raging, for now indeed was the battle on.

Because of the smoke, we two lads could not see plainly all that was done; but General Dearborn, with a glass at his eyes, followed the action closely, and by the words which fell from his lips at frequent intervals we understood that our men were more than holding their own.

It is said that the battle lasted only about twenty minutes; but I could equally well have believed it was half that time, or even so long as three hours, so wrought up by excitement was I.

However, we knew full well when the shouts from the shore, and the rapid forward movements of our men, told that the victory had been won,—that Fort George was ours,—and even though we two lads had had no share in the fighting, we raised our voices as loudly in triumph as did those whose brave deeds had vanquished the foe.

As we afterward learned, our loss in the battle was about forty killed and an hundred wounded; while of the British fifty-one were killed and eight hundred and twelve regulars and militiamen either wounded, missing, or made prisoners.

Alec and I, still forced to remain aboard the Madison because of the orders given by Captain Perry, knew little of what was being done until far into the night, when we heard that the British commander, General Vincent, was in full retreat; that all the enemy’s fortifications on the Niagara River were abandoned because of the victory just won.

It was near to daybreak next morning when Captain Perry came on board the flag-ship and told us that we were to set out on the return to Presque Isle without

And so we did, beginning the journey within half an hour after sunrise, despite the fact that Alec’s brother had not slept for eight and forty hours, making all speed down the river as if our army had been defeated, and we were fleeing in wild disorder before a victorious enemy.

We understood full well, however, why our return must be made with such great speed.

There were at the Black Rock Navy-Yard, above Buffalo, five vessels which had been prepared for warlike service, and peradventure we could arrive there before the British destroyed the place, these craft might be ladened with such material as we at Presque Isle stood most in need.

Even now, after so long a time has passed, it seems to me that I might profitably fill many pages with an account of our journey down the river, the halt at Black Rock Navy-Yard, the loading of those vessels built by Henry Eckford, and of the passage back to Presque Isle when, with a force of two hundred soldiers, as many sailors as could be hired, and all the oxen to be found in the vicinity, these craft, so sadly needed by our people, were towed, or tracked, along the shore of the lake.

There was much of interest which befell us on the way during this long and tedious journey, for we did not get the vessels loaded and into Buffalo until the 6th of June, nor sail from there until the 13th, when Captain Perry lay in his berth on board the Caledonia sick with what appeared to be a fever, and it seemed to Alec and I as if, because of this illness, all which had been accomplished was set at naught, so far as concerned the getting under way of the fleet that had been begun by my father.

CHAPTER V.
THE BRITISH FLEET.

As I have said, our little fleet sailed from Buffalo on the 13th of June, and on board the Caledonia Captain Perry lay sick with a fever.

Perhaps Alec and I were the only two who placed such great dependence upon the leader of this expedition. It may be that others, better informed concerning such matters, held to it that there were many who could fill the place to which Oliver Perry had been appointed; but in my mind his death meant the direst disaster—his sickness the deferring of all our hopes.

As a matter of course Alec and I were also embarked on the Caledonia, for we two played the part of nurses to the fever-stricken captain, and although as ignorant in matters of sickness as we were in the art of warfare, I dare venture to say the invalid never suffered for anything whatsoever that it was within our power to give him.

I was distressed in mind because of Captain Perry’s illness so as to give no heed to the fact that we were making our way toward Presque Isle at imminent danger of being captured by the enemy, although even the dullest member of the party could have said beyond a peradventure that the British had vessels in plenty on Lake Erie, and would most likely be on the lookout for those who were returning from the successful attack upon Fort George.

One thing that both of us lads were alive to, however, was the slow progress our fleet was making.

The breeze was hardly more than strong enough to ruffle the surface of the waters, and during the first four-and-twenty hours we advanced only that number of miles, Captain Perry meanwhile eating his heart out with impatience because of the dull sailing, thereby giving us quite as severe a task as we could perform in keeping him below according to Dr. Parson’s orders.

When we were thus come twenty-four miles in as many hours, and the little fleet of vessels and boats lay becalmed upon the mirror-like lake, a canoe, in which were two men, put out from the American shore, one of the boatmen paddling vigorously, while the other waved a small flag in such manner as gave us to understand that they were either fleeing from pursuit, or bringing important intelligence.

Becalmed as the Caledonia was, we could do no less than await the coming of these strangers, even had we been otherwise disposed; and when they were finally arrived on board we had ample food for reflection and fear.

The British squadron, under command of Captain Finnis, was even at that time searching for us, so the newcomers reported; within eight-and-forty hours they had passed over this same course, and in such force as boded ill for us should we chance to come upon them.

The squadron consisted, so we were told, of the ship Queen Charlotte, carrying seventeen guns; the schooner Lady Prevost, with thirteen guns; the brig Hunter, having ten guns; the schooner Little Belt, mounting three guns, and the Chippewa, of one gun.

Our little fleet consisted of the brig Caledonia, mounting two small guns (the same craft which had been captured on the ninth of October under the guns of Fort Erie by the expedition in command of Lieutenant Elliott); the schooner Somers, which carried one long twenty-four-pounder; the schooner Ariel, with one long eighteen-pounder; the schooner Ohio, with one long twenty-four-pounder, and the sloop Contractor,[2] with one long eighteen-pounder, to say nothing of the small boats.

Taking all our armament into account, we could add to such a number of guns as I have mentioned, perhaps two hundred muskets, therefore it behooved us to keep out of the way if possible.

When those who brought the disagreeable intelligence came on board the Caledonia, Captain Perry was lying in his berth; Dr. Parsons had just given him a most bitter potion, and Alec and I stood by with fans, for the heat in the close cabin was almost unbearable.

I watched the young captain closely, expecting to see some show of fear when he learned in what force the enemy had mustered; but it was as if that which to nearly every one was most unwelcome intelligence, only served to animate him.

Despite the doctor’s angry protest and Alec’s pleading, the captain leaped to his feet, and of a verity I believe that the information brought by the strangers did more toward breaking up the fever which had held him captive, than any of the drugs Dr. Parsons administered.

From that moment it was as if he had never been ill, and without delay every precaution was made for defence, much as though he counted on forcing a battle with the enemy should we come within range, instead of running away, as would have been the proper manœuvre.

Such weapons as we had were distributed among those on the small boats as well as the vessels, and from that time until we were come safely within the sheltering arms of Presque Isle bay each man remained on the alert, even the most cowardly excited to bravery by the bold spirit which our young captain displayed.

I might go on at great length, describing how the entire force was divided into two watches so that the Britishers might not take us by surprise; telling of this or that alarm which caused us to believe a battle to be near at hand, and sent the blood bounding within my veins until I trembled with fear lest the fever of excitement should be that of cowardice; but where there is so much to be related, such incidents as then seemed of importance, but were afterward shown to be trifling, have no place in the tale that has for one of its characters such a man as Captain Perry.

We entered Presque Isle bay on the 19th of June at three o’clock in the afternoon, and the Caledonia, which was hove to outside until every other craft crossed the bar, had no sooner gained the shelter of the land than the British squadron arrived in sight.

Now, indeed, did Alec and I witness the preparations for a battle. The small boats were immediately ordered inshore with the tidings, and from the easternmost battery to the blockhouse farthest west on the mainland, the note of alarm was sounded.

Our little fleet was drawn up at the entrance of the bay; the gunboats and brigs, although not yet completed, were moored near at hand, but inside our line of battle, that they might be used as floating batteries for militiamen, and when the sun went down I question if there was an American within sight or sound of these preparations who did not believe the British would make an attack before morning.

And yet all of us were happily disappointed, for while we nerved ourselves for the struggle which it seemed certain must come, the most sanguine among us—and I believe I am warranted in putting among them Captain Perry himself—could not have believed we might come out victorious in a struggle with such a squadron as was under command of Captain Finnis.

However, we gave the Britishers every opportunity, determined to make as brave a fight as might be, and knowing full well that when we were beaten it would not be because we lacked in pluck.

This much I set down as information—not in the spirit of boasting, and in no wise to praise myself, for throughout it all I felt timorous when Alec was most brave, and near to being cowardly when Captain Oliver was panting to meet the enemy. It is regarding the inhabitants of Presque Isle, who stood ready to defend the town, that I speak when writing of stout-heartedness, and not of myself.

Well, the king’s squadron cruised off and on the entrance of the bay from nearabout three o’clock in the afternoon until the next morning at ten, and then, instead of standing boldly in when, after a few hard knocks, they might have gotten the best of our little force and destroyed what was the beginning of a navy, they turned about, beating as plain a retreat as if we had gone out to drive them away.

Alec was disappointed, because he believed his brother had lost an opportunity of distinguishing himself, while I rejoiced, knowing that for the time being at least we avoided an encounter which could have had but one ending.

War, when one looks at it from a distance, may appear very fine; but I assure whoever shall chance to read these lines that it wears a different aspect when one is forced to take a part in it. There is more glory seen from afar than at short range, and so much regarding fighting I can say from my own experience.

The unfinished gunboats and brigs were sent back to the shipyards when it was known beyond peradventure that the enemy had turned tail, and the Caledonia, and two or three others which had been brought down from Black Rock Navy-Yard, remained on guard at the entrance of the bay.

The brave Captain Finnis, with a force fully three times as large as ours, had decided that it might be neither healthy nor agreeable for him to stir up so much of the American eagle as was represented by our little force at Presque Isle.

Then the Caledonia also came inside, being moored just opposite the town, and for the first time since we had set out with Captain Perry did I have an opportunity of speaking with my mother.

She, good soul, was as pleased at seeing me as I at being with her, and during fully two hours I realized as never did a boy before how much of comfort there is to be found at home.

Alec shared in my pleasure to a certain degree, and I believe he hoped, as did I, that we might remain many days ashore, for our expedition to Fort George had not brought us overly much of happiness, and surely none of glory.

Then, when it seemed that my sense of enjoyment was keenest, when the pleasure of being at home was at its height, the second mate of the schooner Ariel presented himself at the door of my father’s house, and after stiffly saluting my mother, who had answered his summons, said:—

“Captain Dobbins’ compliments, and he asks that you will send to him immediately the two young gentlemen. They have been detailed for special service.”

Saluting again, the sailor returned to the shore, and I can answer that two of the three in the house at that time were made heavy hearted because of his message.

Whatever Alec may have thought, I know not; he professed to be well pleased at the idea of active service, for it could readily be understood that such was the meaning, for us, of the summons.

My mother, dear soul, struggling hard to prevent any sign of disappointment from displaying itself on her face, bustled around as if her feelings might be kept in check by employment. She made up a package of provisions, knowing that however great was the grief in our hearts the time must come when such as she could provide would be most acceptable; and I, not minded that Alec might see any show of weakness in me, refrained from the loving embrace which no lad should be ashamed to bestow upon his mother.

Then I led the way out of the house with no more than a wave of my hand in token of adieu, and ten minutes later we were standing on the Ariel’s deck.

I had noticed a trim-looking craft, which I took for a pleasure boat, lying alongside when we came aboard; but gave no other heed to it at the moment, save as I said to myself that we had visitors from along the lake front, who, perchance, had brought such information as led to the summons sent Alec and I.

“Captain Perry is in his cabin on the Caledonia, and the doctor’s orders are that he be not disturbed, because the fever is showing itself once more,” my father said gravely, and I knew from the expression on his face, as well as his manner of speaking, that he had something of a serious import to impart. “It is reported that the British are concentrating at Long Point, and I would have you two lads make the attempt at discovering if such be true. The work can more safely be done by boys than men. The small craft which lays alongside is provisioned for a short cruise, and in her you should be able to reconnoitre the Canadian shore without much risk of being captured.”

It was not for me to question the command, even though given by my father, and yet so great was the surprise which came with his words that I lost sight entirely of what might be military duty.

“Is our fleet to remain idle here in the bay?” I asked, and the same question was written on Alec’s face, although he had more good sense than to put it into words.

“Even though all the vessels were ready we could not sail without men. The soldiers who came up with us from Buffalo as a guard have been ordered back, and, as you well know, we have no more of a force at present than is sufficient to handle one of the brigs.”

“Then of what avail was it to build a fleet here at Presque Isle?” I asked stupidly.

“We have had reason to expect reënforcements long before this; but at present the only move that can be made is to acquaint ourselves with what the enemy may be doing. Go on board the small boat, and, without running heedlessly into danger, gain all the information that may be possible, returning here only when you have news of importance to impart.”

It was easy to see that the subject was a sore one with him, and I needed not much experience in such matters to understand that a man like my father would feel most bitterly the necessity of remaining idle while the enemy was within striking distance.

As he felt, so probably did Captain Perry, and Alec and I came to know later how these two brave men chafed, being held prisoners within the harbor, as it were, when a few miles away was an opportunity, not only to win renown for themselves, but to strike a blow in aid of their country.

I understood only a portion of this at the time; but that little was enough to prevent me from saying anything more, and obeying Alec’s gestures I turned about to go over the rail into the small boat.

My father stopped me with a touch on the shoulder, and as I turned, he said, looking affectionately into my eyes:—

“Be careful, Richard. Go so far as an American should, regarding not your own life when there is need that it should be sacrificed; but having a heed to your steps when nothing can be accomplished by venturing.”

Then he wheeled about as if not minded to see us depart, and Alec and I went over the Ariel’s rail into as trim a pleasure boat as I had ever seen.

She was perhaps eighteen feet long, with a sort of cuddy aft where one might be sheltered in case of a storm, and rigged in sloop fashion, carrying a single jib and mainsail.

There was a light breeze from the south, and when we, having cast off the painter, hoisted the canvas, the little craft slipped away from the schooner’s side as if under the influence of a full gale of wind.

Not until we were well out into the lake did either of us lads make any comment upon this mission with which we had been intrusted, and perhaps we held silent the longer because it had come to us so suddenly that we were embarked in the enterprise before fully realizing it had been begun.

After we were two or three miles from the shore my thoughts went back to that winter afternoon when, having come on much the same course across the ice, we ran into the enemy’s hands, and all the details of that disagreeable venture came into my mind. The unpleasant memories must have shown themselves in my face, for Alec, who was sitting well forward while I minded the helm, said banteringly:—

“Now that you are put in command of a vessel, the weight of responsibility seems to bow you down.”

“It does indeed,” I replied, surprising him by turning that which he counted should be a jest into a serious remark. “Not that I think my responsibility any greater than yours; but to my mind we are set out on a venture wherein is far more of danger than we have yet encountered.”

“And you draw a long mouth because we may, perchance, run our heads into some peril?” he asked reproachfully.

“It is not that which troubles me so greatly, Alec Perry, as you should know full well by this time, having been comrades with me these three months. My gloomy thoughts are not brought about by fear of what may come to us; but because of the condition of affairs, as has just been represented to us.”

“And are you but this moment come to realize that we have built vessels, and yet have no force to man them? Has it just dawned upon you that the British can enter Presque Isle with but little opposition?”

“I had believed sailors would be sent as soon as needed,” I replied, looking at him in surprise, for there was a certain bitterness in his tone which gave me to understand he had been turning the unpleasant thought in his mind for many a day. “How long is it since you have had an understanding of the situation?”

“When we lay at the Black Rock Navy-Yard I half surprised, half forced Oliver into a confession that he was sorely disappointed because no heed had been given his request for men.”

“And said nothing to me?”

“I promised him I would hold my peace until the fact should be apparent to all.”

“Why such secrecy?”

“He feared any word from himself or me might be misconstrued, and that the people would think we gave ourselves up to complaint, instead of trying to make the best of what was a sorry affair. Now, since your father has spoken, there is no reason why I should longer hold my peace.”

Then the lad repeated all his brother had said to him, and I, who should from my own observation have understood long since the true situation, now for the first time got an inkling of the defenceless position in which was Presque Isle.

I learned that Captain Perry had been ordered again and again by the officials at Washington to make some demonstration against the enemy, although it was well known that he had no more than sufficient force to man one of the brigs.

I had previously believed many of our recruits were in the hospital, but until now was not aware a full fifth of them were unfit for duty, and that even though it was possible the Caledonia alone might deal some disastrous blow to the British, she could not be sent out in proper trim.

Should Captain Finnis visit the bay with his cruising squadron on this day, he would encounter but little opposition, and the town, as well as our nearly completed fleet, would be at his mercy.

We talked long regarding the situation, Alec and I, wondering why the officials at Washington should neglect us so entirely—why Captain Perry had been sent up from Newport to take charge of a force which had no existence; but could hit upon nothing by way of a solution to what seemed like a mystery.

It was a sorry beginning to a voyage full of dangers, as ours must necessarily be, and at the time it seemed that by declaring war against the Britishers the people of the United States had compassed their own destruction.

So despondent had we two lads become by this time that little heed was given to anything around, although liberty and perhaps life itself depended upon our vigilance. It was as if we were sailing the boat only for our own pleasure, regardless of where the wind might bear us, and we failed to keep even an ordinary lookout.

Therefore it was that both Alec and I were startled—almost frightened—when suddenly there came as if from out of the water, the cry:—

“Boat ahoy!”

For an instant I stared at Alec stupidly, and then, realizing how careless we had been, I sprang to my feet, looking wildly about.

The cry was repeated, and by bending outboard ever so slightly I saw just ahead of us, where we must have run her down had we held the course two or three minutes longer, a small boat, better known to us in Presque Isle by the name of bateau—a craft half canoe, half skiff, such as the Canadians use on swiftly running water—and in her, but making no effort to paddle out of the way, was a lad of about my own age, who waved his arms frantically to attract our attention.

I pulled the tiller up so that we might pass him on the starboard side, and as our boat swung off I understood why he had remained idle until we were near to running him down.

In the bateau was not so much as a paddle. The lad was powerless to direct her movements, and I stared at him stupidly in amazement, wondering how it chanced that he should thus be drifting so far from land at the mercy of wind and wave.