The horse of one of the French officers was about the same time either killed or disabled, upon which the rider dismounted, and with great coolness took off and secured upon his shoulders the saddle, bridle and holsters, and waded back to the shore. Having driven the refugees to the Island, the vanguard stopped for a short time behind the mansion of Colonel Lewis Morris, near the Ferry, where most of the guides and officers dismounted. Here they found a refugee from the upper part of the county, named John Montross, who answered their inquires with readiness and civility, and not being in uniform, passed for one of the neighboring farmers. Montross was observed to

THE WESTCHESTER GUIDES 79 be much struck by the beauty of a large black horse belong-ing to one of the French officers, who had left him in charge of a servant. Addressing himself to the groom, the refugee asked the animal's age and pedigree, examined his points, got the reins in his hand, and at length, while still engaged in conversation, vaulted into the saddle, and urging the courser to his utmost speed by kicking his flanks, was in a few min-utes afterward in the act of fording Harlem River. The cap-ture and escape would have been nearly simultaneous, but for a very unusual circumstance. When they came to where the water was deep, the horse refused to swim. While the enter-prising robber was floundering in the creek, in fruitless efforts to impel his gallant looking prize within the British lines, the alarm was given to the allied horsemen, and eight or ten dragoons and guides rode into the river and discharged their pistols and carbines at the refugee. Montross now dis-mounted, but not to relinquish his prize. Holding on to the bridle and placing the horse between himself and his ene-mies, he ducked under water whenever they were about to fire.