When his station was ascertained, several of the guard crept along the ground, throttled and threw him down, before he had time to fire. But though taken and secured, the Indian proved refractory. Young and active, he kicked and struggled so violently, that one of the officers found it necessary to dispatch him with a sword thrust. Success seemed now as if about to crown the daring essay, and the destruction of the old partisan's regi-ment appeared inevitable, but fortune, who so often had be-

Chapter I

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF WHITEPLAINS 23

friended him in danger, stepped forward once more to his assistance. Late at night, Rogers carefully walked the round of all his sentinels. When he reached the southwestern borders of his position, it seems to have occurred to him, that an attack might come from that quarter; where but little precaution against surprise had been taken, because it was not supposed probable that an enemy would venture to approach from the direction of the British camp. At any rate, he ordered Cap-tain Eagles, with about sixty men, to take post as an outguard between Heathcote Hill and the place where the farthest sentinel was stationed, near the lane. Having made this change in position, Rogers retired to his quarters, at the schoolhouse. It happened, unfortunately, that the bivouac of Eagles and his company was exactly in Major Green's line of march, who stumbled in the dark upon the sleeping guard. The Amer-icans called out for an instant surrender. Some of the rangers rose to submit and some to resist. Hughson of Dutchess County, one of their lieutenants, cried out, "Fire away boys, Fire ! never give up to the rebels," and fell dead a few mo-ments afterward, fighting to the last. At this instant Colonel Haslet came up with the main body of his detachment, and completely surrounded the ranger guard, but Green's Virgin-ians were by this time mixed up with the enemy, and all was darkness and uncertainty.