who grinned as they tugged;

"and when the cr'atur squails, see

to it that ye do not squail yerselves."

At that moment the head and shoulders of a man appeared at the window. Mike let go the rope, seized a chair, and was about to knock the intruder on the head, but the captain arrested the blow.

It's one of the vagabond Injins that has undermined the hog and come up in its stead," roared Mike.

"It's my son," answered the captain, mildly; see that you are silent and secret."

CHAPTER XIII.

And glory long has made the sages smile;

'Tis something, nothing, words, illusion, wind-
`Depending more upon the historian's style
Than on the name a person leaves behind.
Troy owes to Homer what whist owes to Hoyle.
The present century was growing blind

To the great Marlborough's skill in giving knocks,

Until his late 'Life' by Archdeacou Coxe."-BYRON,

MAJOR WILLOUGHBY's feet were scarcely on the library floor when he was clasped in his mother's arms. From these he soon passed into Beulah's; nor did his father hesitate about giving him an embrace nearly as warm. As for Maud, she stood by weeping in

sympathy and in silence.

"And you too, old man," said Robert Willoughby, dashing the tears from his eyes, and turning to the elder black, holding out a hand, "this is not the first time, by many, old Pliny, that you have had me between heaven and earth. Your son was my old playfellow, and we must shake hands also. As for O'Hearn, steel is not truer, and we are friends for life."

The negroes were delighted to see their young master; for, in that day, the slaves exulted in the honour, appearance, importance, and dignity of their owners, far more than their liberated descendants do now in their own. The major had been their friend when a boy and he was, at present, their pride and glory. In their view of the matter, the English army did not contain his equal in looks, courage, military skill, or experience; and it was treason per se to fight against a cause that he upheld. The captain had laughingly related to his wife a conversation to this effect he had not long before overheard between the two Plinys.

"Well, Miss Beuly do a pretty well," observed the elder; "but den he all 'e better, if he no get 'Merican 'mission. What you call raal colonel, eh? Have 'e paper from 'e king, like Masser Bob, and wear a regimental like a head of a turkey cock, so! Dat bein an up and down officer."

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'P'rhaps Miss Beuly bring a colonel round, and take off a blue coat, and put on a scarlet," answered the younger.

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Nebber!-never see dat, Plin, in a rebbleushun. Dis got to be a rebbleushun; and when dat begin in 'arnest, gib up all idee of 'mendment. Rebbleushuns look all one way-nebber see two side, any more dan coloured man see two side in a red-skin."

As we have not been able to trace the thought to antiquity, this expression may have been the original of the celebrated axiom of Napoleon, which tells us that "revolutions never go backwards." At all events such was the notion of Pliny Willoughby, sen., as the namesake of the great Roman styled himself; and it was greatly admired by Pliny Willoughby, jun., to say nothing of the opinions of Big Smash and Little Smash, both of whom were listeners to the discourse.

"Well, I wish a Colonel Beekman," to this name the fellow gave the true Doric sound of Bakeman, "I wish a Colonel Beekman only corprul in king's troops, for Miss Beuly's sake. Better be sarjun dere den briggerdeer-ginral in 'Merikan company, dat I know."

دو

"What a briggerdeer mean, Plin?" inquired Little Smash, with interest. "Who he keep company wid, and what he do? Tell a body, do; so many officer in 'e army, one nebber know all he

name.

''Mericans can't hab 'em. Too poor for dat. Briggerdeer great gentleum, and wear a red coat. Ole time, see 'em in hundreds, come to visit Masser and Missus, and play with Masser Bob. Oh! no rebbleushun in dem days, but ebberybody know he own business, and do it, too."

This will serve to show the political sentiments of the Plinys, and may also indicate the bias that the Smashes were likely to imbibe in such company. As a matter of course, the major was gladly welcomed by these devoted admirers; and when Maud again whis pered to them the necessity of secrecy, each shut his mouth, no trifling operation in itself, as if it were to be henceforth hermetically sealed.

The assistants were now dismissed, and the major was left alone with his family. Again and again Mrs. Willoughby embraced her son, nor had her new ties at all lessened Beulah's interest in her brother. Even the captain kissed his boy anew, while Mr. Woods shook hands once more with his old pupil, and blessed him. Maud alone was passive in this scene of feeling and joy.

"Now, Bob, let us to business," said the captain, as soon as tranquillity was a little restored. "You have not made this difficult and perilous journey without an object; and as we are somewhat critically situated ourselves, the sooner we know what it is, the less will be the danger of its not producing its proper effect."

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"Heaven send, dear sir, that it fail not in its effect, indeed," answered the son. But is not this movement in the valley pressing, and have I not come opportunely to take a part in the defence of the house?"

"That will be seen a few hours later, perhaps. Everything is quiet now, and will probably so remain until near morning, or Indian tactics have undergone a change. The fellows have lighted camp-fires on their rocks, and seem disposed to rest for the present, at least. Nor do I know that they are bent on war at all. We have no Indians near us who would be likely to dig up the hatchet; and these fellows profess peace by a messenger they have sent me.' "Are they not in their war-paint, sir? I remember to have seen

warriors when a boy, and my glass has given these men the appearance of being on what they call 'a war-path.'

"Some of them are certainly in that guise, though he who came to the Knoll was not He pretended that they were a party travelling towards the Hudson, in order to learn the true causes of the difficulties between their Great English and their Great American Fathers. He asked for meal and meat to feed his young men with. This was the whole purport of his errand."

"And your answer, sir; is it peace or war between you?"

"Peace in professions, but I much fear war in reality. Still one cannot know. An old frontier garrison-man like myself, is not apt to put much reliance on Indian faith. We are now, God be praised! all within the stockade; and having plenty of arms and ammunition are not likely to be easily stormed. A siege is out of the question; we are too well provisioned to dread that."

"But you leave the mills, the growing grain, the barns, even the cabins of your workmen, altogether at the mercy of these wretches." "That cannot well be avoided unless we go out and drive them off in open battle. For the last they are too strong, to say nothing of the odds of risking fathers of families against mere vagabonds, as I suspect these savages to be. I have told them to help themselves to meal, or grain, of which they will find plenty in the mill. Pork can be got in the houses, and they have made way with a deer already that I had expected the pleasure of dissecting myself. The cattle roam the woods at this season, and are tolerably safe; but they can burn the barns and other buildings should they see fit. In this respect we are at their mercy. If they ask for rum of cider, that may bring matters to a head; for refusing may exasperate them; and granting either in any quantity will certainly cause them all to get intoxicated."

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Why would that not be good policy, Willoughby?" exclaimed the chaplain. "If fairly disguised once, our people might steal out upon them, and take away all their arms. Drunken men sleep very profoundly.”

It would be a canonical mode of warfare, perhaps, Woods,' returned the captain, smiling, but not exactly a military. I think it safer that they should continue sober, for, as yet, they manifest no great intentions of hostility. But of this we can speak hereafter. Why are you here, my son, and in this guise?"

"The motive may as well be told now as at another time," answered the major, giving his mother and sisters chairs, while the others imitated their example in being seated. "Sir William Howe has permitted me to come out to see you-I might almost say ordered me out; for matters have now reached a pass when we think every loyal gentleman in America must feel disposed to take sides with the Crown."

A general movement among his auditors told the major the extent of the interest they felt in what was expected to follow. He paused an instant to survey the dark-looking group that was clustering around him, for no lights were in the room on account of the open windows, and he spoke in a low voice from motives of prudence; then he proceeded :

"I should infer from the little that passed between Maud and myself," he said, "that you are ignorant of the two most important events that have yet occurred in this unhappy conflict?"

"We learn little here," answered the father. "I have heard that my Lord Howe, and his brother Sir William, have been named commissioners by his Majesty to heal all the differences. I knew them both when young men, and their elder brother before them. Black Dick, as we used to call the admiral, is a discreet, wellmeaning man; though I fear both of them owe their appointments more to their affinity to the sovereign than to the qualities that might best fit them to deal with the Americans."

Little is known of the affinity of which you speak,* and less said in the army," returned the major; "but I fear there is no hope of the object of the commissions being effected. The American Congress has declared the colonies altogether independent of England; and so far as this country is concerned the war is carried on as between nation and nation. All allegiance, even in name, is openly cast aside."

"You astonish me, Bob! I did not think it could ever come to this!"

"I thought your native attachments would hardly endure as strong a measure as this has got to be," answered the major, not a little satisfied with the strength of feeling manifested by his father. "Yet has this been done, sir, and done in a way that it will not be easy to recall. Those who now resist us, resist for the sake of throwing off all connexion with England."

"Has France any agency in this, Bob? I own it startles me, and has a French look."

"It has driven many of the most respectable of our enemies into our arms, sir. We have never considered you a direct enemy, though unhappily inclining too much against us; but this will determine Sir Hugh,' said the commander-in-chief in our closing interview. I suppose you know, my dear father, that all your old friends, knowing what has happened, insist on calling you Sir Hugh. I assure you I never open my lips on the subject, and yet Lord Howe drank to the health of Sir Hugh Willoughby, openly at his own table, the last time I had the honour to dine with him."

"Then the next time he favours you with an invitation, Bob, be kind enough to thank him. I want no empty baronetcy, nor do I ever think of returning to England to live. Were all I had on earth drummed together, it would barely make out a respectable competency for a private gentleman in that extravagant state of

* The mother of the three Lords Howe, so well known in American history,—viz., George, killed before Ticonderoga, in the war of '56; Richard, the celebrated admiral, and the hero of the 1st June; and Sir William, for several years commander-in-chief in this country, and the fifth and last viscount, was a Mademoiselle Kilmansegge, who was supposed to be a natural daughter of George I. This would make these three officers and George II. first-cousins; and George III. their great-nephew à la mode de Bretagne. Walpole, and various other English writers, speak openly, not only of the connexion but of the family resemblance. Indeed, most of the gossiping writers of that age seem to allow that Lord Howe was a grandson of the first English sovereign of the House of Brunswick.

Society; and what is a mere name to one in such circumstances?
I wish it were transferable, my dear boy, in the old Scotch mode,
and you should be Sir Bob before you slept."
he not have the title, since neither you nor I care for it?" asked
"But, Willoughby, it may be useful to Robert, and why should

"So he may, my dear; though he must wait for an event that I fancy you are not very impatient to witness-my death. When I am gone, let him be Sir Robert, in welcome. But, Bob-for plain, honest Bob must you remain till then, unless, indeed, you tidings for us? We have heard nothing since the arrival of the earn your spurs in this unhappy war-have you any military

Island. The rebels"the major spoke a little more confidently "We are in New York, after routing Washington on Long than had been his wont-"The rebels have retreated into the high country, near the borders of Connecticut, where they have inveterate nests of the disaffected in their rear."

And has all this been done without bloodshed? Washington had stuff in him in the old French business."

"His stuff is not doubted, sir; but his men make miserable work of it. Really I am sometimes ashamed of having been born in the country. These Yankees fight like wrangling women rather than soldiers."

"How's this! You spoke honestly of the affair at Lexington, and wrote us a frank account of the murderous work at Bunker Hill. Have their natures changed with the change of season?"

"To own the truth, sir, they did wonders on the Hill, and not badly in the other affair; but all their spirit seems gone. I am quite ashamed of them. Perhaps this declaration of independence, as it is called, has damped their ardour.'

"No, my son-the change, if change there is, depends on a general and natural law. Nothing but discipline and long training can carry men with credit through a campaign in the open field. Fathers and husbands, and brothers and lovers, make formidable enemies, in sight of their own chimney-tops; but the most flogging regiments, we used to say, were the best fighting regiments for a long pull. But, have a care, Bob; you are now of a rank that may well get you a separate command, and do not despise your enemy. I know these Yankees well-you are one yourself, though only half-blooded; but I know them well, and have often seen them tried. They are very apt to be badly commanded, heaven cursing them for their sins, in this form more than any other-but get them fairly at work, and the guards will have as much as they can wish to get along with. Woods will swear to that.'

Objecting to the mode of corroboration, my dear sir, I can support its substance. Inclined as I am to uphold Cæsar, and to do honour to the Lord's anointed, I will not deny my countrymen's courage; though I think, Willoughby, now I recali old times, it was rather the fashion of our officers to treat it somewhat disrespectfully."

"It was, indeed," answered the captain, thoughtfully, "and a