when you hear that, you must come up full tilt, because it will
be a signal to you that the enemy has surrendered. Then it
will be your business to run into the house and bring out the
muskets, as quick as a rat runs through a kitchen; and when
you have done that, why, all's done. But if you should hear
any popping of firearms—that is, more than one shot, which
I may chance to let off—do you take that for a bad sign, and
get away as fast as you can heel it. You comprehend."
"Oh! yes," replied the lad, "and I'll do what you want, and more too, maybe, Mr. Robinson."
"Captain Robinson,—remember, Andy, you must call me captain, in the hearing of these Scotsmen."
"I'll not forget that neither," answered Andrew.
By the time that these instructions were fully impressed upon the boy, our adventurous forlorn hope, as it may fitly be called, had arrived at the place which Horseshoe Robinson had designated for the commencement of active operations. They had a clear view of the old field, and it afforded them a strong assurance that the enemy was exactly where they wished him to be, when they discovered smoke arising from the chimney of the hovel. Andrew was soon posted behind a tree, and Robinson only tarried a moment to make the boy repeat the signals agreed on, in order to ascertain that he had them correctly in his memory. Being satisfied from this experiment that the intelligence of his young companion might be depended upon, he galloped across the intervening space, and, in a few seconds, abruptly reined up his steed in the very doorway of the hut. The party within was gathered around a fire at the further end, and, in the corner near the door, were four muskets thrown together against the wall. To spring from his saddle and thrust himself one pace within the door was a movement which the sergeant executed in an instant, shouting at the same time:—
"Halt! File off right and left to both sides of the house,
