The Captain quickly alighted, helped Lulu out, and Max sprang after them.
The lad had already opened the gate, and lifted his hat with a bow and smile. "Good-morning!" he said.
Captain Raymond returned the salutation, adding, "I would like very much to show my children those parts of your house here connected with Revolutionary memories, if—"
"Oh, yes, sir; yes!" returned the boy, pleasantly. "I'll take you in and about; it's quite the thing for visitors to Saratoga to come over here on that errand."
He led the way into the house as he spoke, the Captain, Max, and Lulu following.
They passed through a hall, and on into the parlour, without meeting any one.
"This," said the lad, "is the northeast room, where Surgeon Jones was killed by a cannon-ball; perhaps you may remember about it, sir. The doctors were at work on him, cutting off a wounded leg, when a ball came in at that northeast corner and took off his other leg in its way diagonally across the room. They gave up trying to save him, then, and left him to die in yon corner," pointing to it as he spoke.
"Poor fellow!" sighed Lulu. "I can't help feeling sorry for him, though he was an enemy to my country."
"No, Miss, it was a pity, and does make one feel sorry; for I suppose he really had no choice but to obey the orders of his king," returned the lad. "Well, the ball passed on, broke through the plank partition of the hall, and buried itself in the ground outside. They say eleven cannon-balls passed through the house in just a little while. For my part, I'd rather have been in a battle than keeping quiet here to be shot at."
"I certainly would," said the Captain.