girl.


XXVII
A CHECK TO THE ENEMY

There followed a weary hour of waiting, while first
the carts, then the artillery, and finally the few
hundred ill-clad, weary men filed off on the post-road.
Before the rear-guard had begun its march,
British regiments could be discerned across the river, and presently
a battery came trotting down to the opposite shore, and
a moment later the guns were in position to protect a crossing.
This accomplished, a squadron of light dragoons rode into the
water and struck boldly across, a number of boats setting out
at the same moment, each laden with redcoats. While they
were yet in mid-stream the Continental bugles sounded the retreat,
and the last American regiment marched across the green
and disappeared from view.

Owing to the fact that the coach had not been parked with
the waggons, but had been brought to the tavern door, the baggage-train
had moved off without it,--a circumstance, needless
to say, which did not sadden the squire. It so happened that
the vehicle had stopped immediately under the composite portrait
sign-board of the inn; and no sooner was the last American
regiment lost to view than the publican appeared, equipped
with a paint-pot and brush, and, muttering an apology to the
owner of the coach, now seated beside his wife and daughter
on the box, he climbed upon the roof and, by a few crude