"See, Tom, see," cried the delighted trooper, "how Cap-
tain Lawton makes that Hessian's leather cap fly ; and now
the Major has killed the officer's horse — zounds, why didn't
he kill the Dutchman, and save the horse.'"'

A few pistols were discharged at the flying Cow-Boys,
and a spent bullet broke a pane of glass within a few feet
of Caesar. Imitating the posture of the great tempter of our
race, the black sought the protection of the inside of the
building, and immediately ascended to the parlor.
The lawn in front of thejLocusts was hidden from the
view of the road by a close lirte of shrubbery, and the horses
of the two dragoons had been left, linked together, under
its shelter to await the movements of their masters.
At this moment two Cow-Boys, who had been cut off from
a retreat to their own party, rode furiously through the gate,
with an intention of escaping to the open wood in the rear
of the cottage.
The victorious Americans pressed the retreating Germans
until they had driven them under the protection of the fire
of the infantry; and feeling themselves, in the privacy of
the lawn, relieved from any immediate danger, the predatory
warriors yielded to a temptation that few of the corps were
ever known to resist — opportunity and horseflesh. With a
hardihood and presence of mind that could only exist from
long practice in similar scenes, they made toward their in-
tended prizes by an almost spontaneous movement. They
were busily engaged in separating the fastenings of the
horses, when the trooper on the piazza discharged his pis-
tols, and rushed, sword in hand, to the rescue.
