But for Pierre Laurens I believe we would have abandoned the prisoners, and, taking Uncle Rasmus with us, fled down to the bank of the river immediately in the rear of the captured redoubt, where several of the villagers were gathered in abject terror, thinking only to shield themselves from the iron hail which came into and across the encampment with the fury of a summer tempest.
It was not possible for us to go an hundred yards in either direction from the cabin without coming upon wounded or dead, and so accustomed did we become within a very short time to such horrible scenes that they ceased to terrify us, save when, as happened more than once, a soldier was shot down within a stone's throw of our hiding place. Even then it was to us nothing so very terrible, save that it served to point out the peril in which we were placed.
We had long since ceased to depend upon the citizens of York for food; but went boldly up to the quartermaster's department when rations were being served, and only once were we turned away empty-handed.
I would not have it understood that during the siege we were living on the fat of the land; we had sufficient with which to partially allay our hunger, and took good care that the prisoners should not suffer from lack of food, even though we ourselves might be forced to fast.
Once during these times of excitement a bomb struck that portion of the cabin which had already been shattered, and on the instant the dry timbers were in a flame. Fortunately, however, we had a full bucket of water in the house, and by aid of this, with what could hurriedly be brought from the well near at hand, we succeeded in extinguishing the fire before it gained headway.
"If that had happened in the night, then had we all been burned to death," Saul said thoughtfully, and Pierre laughed him to scorn as he replied:
"If so be we lads haven't sense enough to go out of doors when the heat inside becomes too great, then of a verity do we deserve to be burnt alive. No danger which may come to us from our people can cause me to grumble, for it is all in the way of teaching the king's soldiers a lesson, and my life counts for nothing."
I believe we had all come to cheapen the value of a human life by this time, having seen so many of the red-coated soldiers shot down. Until we were come to this village of York I had shuddered at the very thought of shedding blood; but now so hardened was I become to such scenes that I gave no heed to those who fell within view of the cabin, nor did I hold my own life as of great importance even to myself.
He who has followed thus far my attempt to tell the story of what certain lads who called themselves Minute Boys of York Town did during this time of the siege, must strive to picture for himself our goings-in and comings-out while we were thus tied to old Mary's cabin. They must see in their minds' eye Pierre and I foraging, or mentally be with us when we divided our scanty store of food, giving to the helpless ones in the loft more than we took ourselves, for I cannot set all this down so that another may see it clearly, without using so many words that the most patient reader would turn aside from the pages wearied.
Therefore it is that I shall come directly to that evening so near the end of the siege when my Lord Cornwallis attempted to turn tail, leaving the sick and wounded behind him as he strove to gain a shelter in New York.