With  this  intent  they  took  the  river
path  as  the  shortest,  hut  had  not  pro-
ceeded far  when  their  fears  were  confirm-
ed ;  for  in  a  little  embay ment  of  the  hank
they  perceived  a  party  of  twenty  blue
coats,  who,  with  their  arms  piled,  were  ly-
ing  around  as  if  waiting  for  the  hour  of
attack.  The  sight  .of  this  party  added
greatly  to  their  alarm,  for  they  now  per-
ceived that  the  Americans  had  divided
their  force — the  foot-tracks  first  seen  being
evidently  those  of  another  division.  As. the
corporal  and  his  few  men  continued,  from
the  low  and  thick  brushwood,  to  make
their  reconnaissance  of  the  enemy,  they
observed  with  delight  that  they  were  not
regulars,  but  a  militia  force.  With  this
one  animating  thought,  they  again,  with
noiseless  step,  regained  the  forest,  and  pro-
ceeded upon  their  way.  Scarcely,  however.
had  they  marched  a  mile,  when  the  sound
of  voices  and  loud  laughter  apprised  them
that  another  party  was  near,  which,  as  well
as  they  could  observe  in  the  increasing
gloom,  was  still  larger  than  the  former.
They  were  now  obliged  to  make  a  consid-
erable circuit,  and  advance  still  deeper  in-
to the  forest — their  anxiety  hourly  increas-
ing, lest  the  enemy  should  reach  the  Fort
before  themselves.  In  this  dilemma  it
was  resolved  that  the  party  should  separate
— the  corporal  determining  to  proceed
alone  by  the  river  bank,  while  the  others,
by  a  detour  of  some  miles,  should  endeavor
to  learn  the  force  of  the  Yankees,  and,  as
far  as  they  could,  their  mode  of  attack.
