It was this remark which showed Pierre Laurens the single ray of light remaining for us, and, ceasing his task of building the fire, he sprang excitedly to his feet as he cried joyously:
"Uncle 'Rasmus is right! Cornwallis has begun to retreat and sent a portion of his troops to the other shore. Now he's weaker than before, and if we can hold our own in this cabin four and twenty hours, then is there good reason to believe the Americans will have possession of York Town. If we made a blunder in freeing the prisoners, it was not so great as that which my Lord Cornwallis has made because of not first looking at the signs of the weather before he began to move his forces. When day breaks our people must see what has been done, and seeing, will strive to take every advantage. We will hold this fort, and it must be that some power beyond that of earth paved the way for our safety, else had we not been provided with weapons and ammunition. Through the death of the red-coats who were shirking their duty, we may hold quite a force of the enemy for a considerable time."
"How long can you hold your own in this miserable hovel with two of three hundred Britishers surrounding it?" Saul cried, and Pierre added yet more cheerily:
"Do you believe for an instant, Saul Ogden, that while matters are so bad with him, General Cornwallis will call off three or four hundred soldiers to obey the behest of such as Abel Hunt? Even though he may believe all that scoundrel can tell him, he has other fish to fry than that of capturing three boys and a negro. I tell you, lads, we are not beaten yet, for within four and twenty hours there will be a wondrous change come over this village of York, and even though the Britishers may not have been taken, our forces, seeing the advantage that can be gained, will advance their earthworks; when there's a chance we shall be able to get word to them."
This caused me to have what, for the instant, I believed to be a brilliant thought, and straightway I cried out:
"Why is not now the time when we might have speech with our people? While the tempest rages as it does, I dare venture to say it will be possible to cross the British lines—"
"Less possible than if the moon was shining. The red-coats will be in their works and along the intrenchments to screen themselves from the storm, instead of moving around, and therefore you have no chance of making your way across. It would be death to attempt it."
"And it is very near like death to stay here?"
"In this cabin we may die fighting, as Minute Boys should, which to my mind is far better than being killed like rats in a ditch, as would be the fate of him who attempted now to cross the lines. The red-coats in yonder fortifications are not fools. Every man jack of them understands that this attempted retreat is a failure, and must of a necessity be yet more keenly on the alert, therefore I say, you had best have tried to get across the lines this morning, in the light of day, than just now when Cornwallis's troops are smarting under what is very much like signal defeat."
I was silenced if not convinced by what Pierre had said, yet did not resign myself to the inevitable as a lad of Virginia should have done.