ingress. And taking up his rifle from the hands of those below, and ordering two of them to follow, and the other, who would have no means of getting up, to act in concert with Jones, he now swung himself down upon the ground. In another moment, Selden and the man he had selected, having been equally successful, they all three stood undiscovered on the ground, in the narrow space between the wall and the back side of the house.

"Well, Selden," said Warrington, with a humorous look; in what manner shall we proceed with this formidable garrison by storm or parley?"

"The latter, certainly, unless the storm is to be a storm of kisses," replied the other, in the same spirit; "but seriously, lest the appearance of all of us at once occasion unnecessary alarm, I propose that one of us go forward alone, for this purpose."

"Yours shall be the chance, then, of displaying your bravery, gallantry, or diplomacy, as the case may require, in treating with the fair commander."

"Thank'ee, Captain."

"But have a caution, sir

remember that other things some

times inflict wounds besides leaden bullets!"

'O, borrow no trouble on my account, on either score," gaily responded Selden, as he disappeared round the corner of the house, on his delicate mission.

The merry boast of the last speaker, however, had, but for his good fortune, been a vain one: For the next moment after he passed out of the sight of his friends, the stunning report of a musket saluted their ears, while a bullet whistled by them and buried itself in the wall of the enclosure, a few feet from where they stood. Instantly springing forward toward the scene of action, they found Selden standing in mute surprise, but unhurt, a few yards in front of the house, and as many rods from the mad girl, who, in the suddenness of the alarm and trepidation that seized her, as she accidentally turned round and unexpectedly beheld an enemy within the enclosure and approaching her, had just committed the half involuntary, half frenzied act of discharging at him a well-loaded musket, whose fatal contents he had but narrowly escaped. For a moment there was a dead pause, during which neither of the parties stirred from their respective positions, being nearly invisible to each other in the smoke which was rising in eddying whirls between them. Soon, however, the light and airy form of the warrior damsel became visible to her astonished besiegers. There, pale, agitated, and almost frantic with conflicting emotions, she still stood, as if

chained to the spot, holding with convulsive grasp the yet smoking musket, and apparently scarcely less frightened at what she had done than for her own personal safety.

After gazing an instant with increasing consternation and alarm, as she beheld the now treble number of the enemy, she suddenly threw down her gun, and made a desperate push to unbar the gate.

"Nay, nay! lady," exclaimed Warrington, leaping forward to her side, and placing his hands firmly upon the bars; "this we cannot suffer now, though we intend you no harm," he continued in a gentler tone: but you had better retire - this is no place

for one of your sex. house?"

Mr. Selden, will you conduct her into the

"Touch me not!" half shrieked the baffled and maddened girl, shrinking from the touch of Selden, who now approached, and offered to lead her to the house; "touch me not, villain — monster!"

"Be calm calm your fears, dear lady!" said Selden, in a soothing and respectful tone, "will you hear me? Will you look me in the face? There! do I appear like a villain? Now hear me: although we may try to restore these possessions to their former, and, as we believe, rightful owners, yet, in doing this, we would not willingly injure a single man of the defenders - much less a female. Be prevailed on, then, to retire, and I pledge myself, on the honor of a gentleman, that no hair of your head shall be injured."

During this address, the kind and tender manner of which seemed to strike unexpectedly on her ears, she turned, and looking full upon the manly and handsome face of Selden, a change passed over her agitated countenance. Her overtasked nerves gave way, and her assumed nature melting away into its original softness, like a storm of March dissolving into the tears of April, she burst into a fit of hysteric weeping, and now suffered herself to be conducted unresistingly into the house.

By this time Donald and his men, who, on hearing the report of the musket just fired, as they were making a stand behind the last log-heap of their line of defence, hastily discharged a parting round at the enemy, and fled for the works, had reached the enclosure; and the former was now vociferating the watchword, and rattling away at the gate for admittance. Meanwhile, Jones with his detachment, being apprised that his friends were in possession of the works by a handkerchief which the latter had, as a preconcerted signal, hung on a corner picket, rushed on after

the retreating Scotchmen on their way to the gate, intending to follow them so closely that they could have no time to reload their guns before they should be compelled to surrender.

Looking round and seeing his foes close upon him, McIntosh redoubled his clamor to get in.

"O, why dinna ye open the gaet?" exclaimed the impatient and distressed Highlander, still ignorant that any others were within than those he left there; "thae feckfu' deevils are hard at our heels. Och! oigh! Jessy, Jessy Reed! is it my ain Colonel's dochter that wad be doylt at sic a time? An' Zilpah, is your mistress dead, or ye a' fear't an' fasht thegither, that ye nae ken the coming o' us?"

"Your ladies are all safe in the house, my honest friend, cried out Warrington in reply, "but your quarters are now in possession of other hands. You had better surrender, sir, as it will be of little use to contend against those who are now too strong for you, both within and without.”

The astonishment and dismay of the simple-minded Scotchman at the discovery that his foes had obtained a lodgment within his strong hold, was unbounded; for, having perceived nothing wrong about his works at the time his attention was arrested by the report of the musket within them, and soon after seeing the man left outside by Warrington running out into the field, he supposedTM the gun was fired by the bold and wayward girl who had volunteered for the service, only to apprise him that some one was round the outside of the works. And he and his men, having given a merry hurra! for the braw lassie who frightened away the skulking tramper, had come on and reached the gate in the confident expectation that in another moment they should be safely ensconced within their works, and beyond the reach of all pursuers.

"Gude guide us!" he ejaculated, looking hurriedly around him, while his countenance exhibited the very picture of perplexity and distress; "Gude guide us! gor't by the rake-hells wi'in an' wi'out! O what wad I do! what wad I do!"

"I'll jest tell you what to do, you queer old divil!" sung out Jones, catching the last part of these exclamations, as he brought his men to a halt within two rods of the Scotchmen, who now, mechanically facing about, and presenting their fixed bayonets to their opponents, stood glumly awaiting the commands of their leader. "I will tell you what to do," he repeated, "you must knuckle to, old fellow. What's the particular use in your standing out against these six loaded rifles, to say nothing of the Cap

tain and his folks inside, if they should take a notion to wake you up a little? so I take it the cunningest thing you can do jest now is, for you all to throw down your guns and surrender.”

"Hoot awa' mon!" exclaimed McIntosh, aroused by this fresh summons to surrender; "an' I rede ye 'll find wese fight and defend til the last drap o' our bluide! Attention there!" he continued, hastily turning to his men, "prime an' load!"

Warrington now sternly repeated his demand for an immediate surrender; but the obstinate Highlander, knowing no way of obeying the military instruction of his Colonel, "to fight and defend," but to fight on at whatever odds, or whatever the consequences to him and his men, deigned no other answer to this repetition of the summons than by urging his men to despatch in loading their pieces.

"What is to be done, Captain?" coolly said Jones, calling to his superior, and at the same time giving a nod to his men, at which they all promptly cocked their rifles and brought them to their shoulders; "speak tolerable quick, if you've any orders, for they are about loaded, and we some rather give than take under all the circumstances." knock up

"Neither!" shouted Warrington, "do neither their guns! disarm them! grapple with them, and if too many *for you, we 'll soon be among you."

“A sudden, furious rush was now made by the Green Mountain Boys on their astonished antagonists, who, not dreaming of this mode of attack, and being busily intent on loading their guns, were taken by complete surprise, and to a great disadvantage to themselves. And before they had recovered from their astonishment sufficiently to put themselves in a posture of defence, most of their guns were wrenched from their hands, their bodies seized round the waist, and some of them thrown to the ground; while grappling man with man, all were instantly involved helter skelter, in the tremendous scuffle that now ensued. And although the Green Mountain Boys were now in the exercise of their favorite athletics, and notwithstanding their great strength and suppleness of limb, they soon found that the entire subjection of these brawny and resolute Highlanders was no very easy task. Though thrown to the ground, they had to be held there; though knocked down, they again rose to the fight, and though beaten, they yielded not. And the victory had, perhaps, been even doubtful, had not Warrington now thrown open the gate, and come, with a fresh force, to the rescue. Then, indeed, it was not till they saw their leader lying bound and helpless on the ground,

that the pugnacious Scotchmen could be brought to say that they yielded themselves prisoners.

"I have na yielded yet, ye hogshoutherin rap scallions! roa. ed Donald, scornfully, as he lay on the ground with scarcely a minber of his body, except his tongue, at liberty; "I hae na yielded, an' as muckle victory as ye think to mak it, ye sal never say th Donald McIntosh ca'd himsel prisoner wi'out first settling the conditions o' the surrender."

"What conditions would you have, brave Scot," asked Warrington, with great show of respect, as soon as he could be heard amidst the shouts of laughter that followed this ludicrous declaration of the vanquished leader.

“What conditions? Why to be allowed to march out wi' a' the honors o' war, an' a safe passport for thae women an' a' the gear, an' property," 1-plied McIntosh, somewhat soothed by the respectful manner of the other.

"And will you quietly yield up the place and depart, if we will allow you these conditions?" rejoined Warrington, evidently disposed to humor the fallen warrior in his laughable demand.

"We wael bide thae terms of surrender," replied the other, “an' ye hae the word o' Donald McIntosh til the bargain."

"We will let the man have his way for the bravery he has shown," said Warrington, turning to his men. "Take away their ammunition, but restore them their guns, and unbind their leader. Now Captain McIntosh, arise- parade your men, and conduct the surrender in such manner as suits your pleasure."

Deeply impressed with a sense of what he deemed the honor of his profession required in surrendering so important a military post of the king, as he considered this, McIntosh arose, formed his men, marched into the enclosure, halted, faced about, sent a corporal to bring out the ladies and place them in the rear, marched out again, grounded arms, and, with an air of great formality and consequence, pronounced himself and followers prisoners of war, to depart on parole, to serve no more on this coast during the war.

Warrington, from his knowledge of the national character of his prisoners, entertaining no doubts of their fidelity in strictly observing all the stipulations of their leader, now cordially invited them to remain at the post through the night. And the invitation being as cordially accepted, both parties, within an hour, were commingling in the greatest amity and good feeling, the Green Mountain Boys secretly elated with their success in reducing this