The tops being placed inwards, as the loose earth was thrown upon them, became as so many ties to the work, which was carried up with a dispatch scarcely conceivable." The quiet that for three days had reigned in the hostile armies, was put an end to on the night of the 4th, by a busy hum which proceeded from the enemy's camp, and increased with the advance of daylight, when the rumbling of artillery-carriages and baggage-wagons, plainly indicated some great movement on the part of the British commander. The morn-ing of the 5th of November at last came, but revealed nothing to the sight, for a dense fog hid every object from view and rendered the noisy demonstrations of Sir William Howe's army more mysterious than ever. Reconnoitring parties sent out from the left of the American lines by Generals George Clinton and Scott, after a while, ascertained that the enemy had withdrawn their advance guards and broken up their nearest encampment. Apprehensive of an attack, Washing-ton placed all his men under arms. It was supposed by many that the British army was moving in a westerly direction, but conjectures were various, and for some hours all was sus-pense and anxiety. At length about two o'clock in the after-noon the fog cleared away, when it was found that the royal forces were retiring toward the North River, by the Dobbs Ferry road; their retreater being covered by strong detach-ments, which were drawn up on Chatterton Hill and the ad-jacent heights. Colonel Malcolm immediately sent fifty men from his regiment, to take possession of the Court House, and ordered a company of rangers under his command, to reconnoitre toward the east and south. None of Washington's officers probably felt so much re-lieved by the withdrawal of the enemy as the worthy and patriotic Malcolm, who for eight days had maintained a perilous position on Merritt's Hill, within musket shot of one of the British advanced posts, and a mile distant from the American lines.