What do you say, Jake?"
Jake at once assented, and when they approached the enemy he left his
comrades and carried their plan into execution. He was away six
hours, and returned saying that the enemy were 5000 strong, with
eight pieces of artillery.
"We must hurry back," Peter said. "Them are big odds agin' us. Ef all
our troops was regulars, I don't say as they might not hold the
place; but I don't put much count on the Germans, and the colonists
aint seen no fighting. However, Colonel Maitland seems a first-rate
officer. He has been real sharp in putting the place into a state of
defense, and I reckon ef the Yankees thinks as they're going to eat
us up without trouble they'll be mistaken."
Jake reported that the enemy were on the point of marching forward,
and the scouts hurried back to give Colonel Maitland news of their
coming.
It was late in the afternoon when they reached the post.
"At what time do you think they will arrive here?" the colonel asked,
when Jake had made his report. "Dey be pretty close by dark, for
sure," Jake replied.
"But I don't think, sir," Peter added, "they'll attack before
morning. They wouldn't be likely to try it in the dark, not knowing
the nature of the place."
The commander was of the same opinion, but to prevent the possibility
of surprise he placed pickets at some distance round the fort, the
scouts being, of course, of the party.
The night passed quietly, but at seven in the morning Peter, Harold,
and Jake, who were at some distance in advance of the others, saw the
enemy approaching.
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