With the lantern in my left hand, I thrust forward the barrel of my musket full in the face of the miller. Page 72.
The man was armed in much the same fashion as was I; but he had little stomach for fighting, as could be seen when he dropped the weapon immediately I spoke, and when it fell clattering to the floor below, Jim Freeman came into view from behind a pile of bags.
"Can you look after the miller, Jim?" I cried, and the lad replied as he came bounding up the stairs:
"Ay, let him go, an' I'll blow the whole top of his head off if he dares to look crosswise!"
I knew Jim's musket must be empty, since he had not had time to recharge it after firing that which served as an alarm; but I took the chances of the fact being discovered, and turned with the lantern held high above my head to view the scene.
Near at hand Darius was kneeling on the British officer's chest, industriously engaged in strapping the latter's arms to his body with the prisoner's waist-belt.
In the distance Jerry and Josiah knelt beside a form which was stretched out frightfully limp, as if life had departed; but I observed that they were securing the man's hands and feet with portions of his trousers.
Beyond them a short distance was a second Britisher, tied tightly with what appeared to be strips torn from his own clothing, and midway between them and Darius, was a third body, evidently that of the man who had attacked me; but he remained motionless, and, having heard the blow which struck him down, I could well understand why he did not give any very violent signs of life.
It did not appear that I was needed elsewhere, therefore I turned my attention to the miller, who was standing like a statue, not daring to lift a finger lest Jim should "blow off the top of his head."