Then I remembered what Morgan had said, and understood that the fighting for the possession of this town of York had already begun on the sea; that the British fleet had come down to drive away the vessels under command of Count De Grasse. Once more I grew timorous with understanding that if the Englishmen should be victorious in this naval battle which I doubted not was close at hand, then would it be possible for them to land troops on the river of York or of James at their pleasure, until our forces at Williamsburg were outnumbered ten or twenty to one.
The same thought was evidently in Pierre's mind, and he also must have been fearing that the English sailors might prove superior to the French seamen, for he said in a whisper, drawing me closely to him by clutching tightly at my arm:
"My Lord Cornwallis must be mighty uneasy just about this time, for unless the British fleet can drive away the French vessels, then is he left to the mercy of our people who are coming down from the North to join General Lafayette."
"Ay; but if so be the English succeed, then is General Lafayette's force at their mercy."
"Ay, lad, and it may be a toss-up. At all events, I have it in mind that whatsoever is going on at sea just now decides the fate of this portion of the king's troops. Even though the Frenchmen do no more than hold their own, and prevent the Britishers from driving them out of Chesapeake Bay, then must the day speedily come when my Lord Cornwallis will be crying for quarter."
"With all the fortifications that have been thrown up around this town of York, it strikes me he may hold out many a long hour before being forced to show the white flag," I said bitterly, and the little French lad added cheerily:
"You forget that your people, under the command of my countryman, can work as well if not better with pick and shovel, than have those red-coated servants of the king, and I make no doubt but that there will be as strong lines of entrenchments opposing my Lord Cornwallis, as he has thrown up for his protection."
"And in the meantime we shall be between the two, or what is the same thing, exposed to the fire of our own people, and taking our chances of a stray ball from the redoubt here near the point," I said as my heart shriveled once more under the influence of fear.