As the guides approached Delancey's quarters, the soldier on guard hailed them, the true countersign was given by the captive royalist, and they continued moving forward, but while passing the sentinel, Abraham Dyckman rushed upon, disarmed and threw him to the ground, and at the same time prevented an alarm by holding his prisoner by the throat, and charging him at the peril of his life to keep quiet. Cush-ing then drew his party around the house in the utmost silence, while Cornelius Oakley, followed by the other guides and by Lieutenant Blake, advanced up to the building. The leader of the storming party then rolled a horse-block under one of the windows, and mounting it, placed his fingers between the shutters which he pried open in the upper part, so far as to ascertain that the soldiers of the post were all asleep except four, who were sitting around a table in the center of the room, engaged in playing cards.
It was then arranged in a few whispered words, between the foremost assailants, that Cor-nelius Oakley, who wore a large and heavy horseman's cap, should force an entrance by jerking open the shutters and precipitating himself through the glass window. Before mak-ing the final attempt, he sought another view of the room, for the purpose of ascertaining the precise spot where the inmates had deposited their firearms. This time, however, when he pried open the shutters, which were old, they made a creaking sound, and Dyckman said, "Take care, if you make so much noise you'll startle the refugees." "It's too late now," answered Oakley. "They are running for their arms.-- Quick, follow me." Getting the fingers of both hands, fully between the shutters and pulling with his utmost force, he fortunately drew them open and instantly threw himself head foremost upon the glass window, carrying the lower sash in with him, and descending at full length upon the floor, followed by Dyckman and Blake, both of whom fell upon him.