"I have shown the white feather more than once since we have been in this town of York, and now am I determined to prove whether I be a coward or no!" I cried shrilly, hardly knowing what I said, for the imminence of the danger had stirred me into a fever, and once more in my life did I see a reddish hue before my eyes, while my one desire was to kill those who counted on speedily overcoming us. "You are needed below, Pierre, where some execution may be done, and I shall take my stand here."
Even while speaking could I hear sounds from the rear of the cabin as if the soldiers were piling up timbers, or something of that sort, to make their way to the roof, and although it was borne in upon me clearly that within a few seconds most like I would be struggling hand to hand with men who had been trained in the art of warfare, yet I set it down as true that never did there come into my heart the slightest idea of wavering or of fear. Yet that may not be put to my credit, for, as I said before, the fever of battle had seized upon me, and I burned to see the first red-coated scoundrel show himself at the aperture in the roof that I might send a bullet into his worthless carcass.
Suddenly, and so far as I could judge, before those in the rear had been able to gain a position on the roof, fire was opened upon us from the front, and on the instant it was returned by our lads with such spirit that at once dense clouds of smoke from burning powder came up through the scuttle, parching my throat, and rendering it difficult for me to keep my eyes free from the blinding tears of irritation which filled them.
I was yet saying to myself that the Britishers had not succeeded in gaining a foothold upon the roof, when suddenly I saw the muzzle of a musket through the crevices of the logs, where as yet the timbers remained intact, and immediately came the report of a weapon as a bullet whistled past my cheek, cutting the lightest furrow in the skin, and causing the blood to flow as if I had been grievously wounded.
I had yet sufficient of sense remaining to understand that by staying longer in the loft, if they were counting on shooting at me through the crevices of the logs, I would sacrifice my life without being able to make any reprisals, and, stopping only long enough to fire in the direction where I had seen the musket, I dropped to the floor below, explaining hurriedly to Pierre why I had seemingly retreated.
"It is all over with us," the dear lad said, and would have examined the wound on my face. "No less than a dozen more men have come from the redoubt, and we can only sell our lives as dearly as possible."
Then it was the fever of battle so far left me that there was room in my heart for fear, and while taking my stand by the side of the other lads, believing firmly that within the next few minutes I should be dead or wounded unto death, I contrived to hold command over my knees so no one might see I had again grown cowardly.
Then it was, when all of us were, as you might say, resigned to death, that we suddenly heard the parley sounded by drums all along the lines, and straightway those red-coats who were facing us, counting to hound us to death, wheeled about, making for the redoubt, while we stood looking at each other in bewilderment, until Pierre shouted at the full strength of his lungs:
"A parley! A parley! My Lord Cornwallis has sounded the parley, which means that he is ready to surrender! He who came to drive us from off the soil of Virginia is now wanting to make terms with the rebels!"
It was indeed as the lad had said. From the moment the drums were heard all fighting ceased, and where had been such a tumult and a roaring as drowned all other sounds, silence fell.