202 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



tacked, and the blood that is shed will lie at the 

 door of the aggressors.' 



" The Spaniards now saw plainly that they would 

 have to take the stockade before they could get at us, 

 and the officers seemed consulting together. 



" ' Halt ! ' cried Asa, suddenly. 



" ' Messieurs les Ainericains/ said the captain, look- 

 ing up at our loopholes. 



" ' What's your pleasure ? ' demanded Asa. 



" Upon this the captain stuck a dirty pocket-hand- 

 kerchief upon the point of his sword, and laughing 

 with his officers, moved some twenty paces forward, 

 followed by the troops. Thereupon Asa again 

 shouted to him to halt. 



" ' This is not according to the customs of war,' 

 said he. ' The .flag of truce may advance, but if it 

 is accompanied, we fire.' 



" It was evident that the Spaniards never dreamed 

 of our attempting to resist them ; for there they 

 stood in line before us, and if we had fired, every 

 shot must have told. The Acadians, who kept them- 

 selves all this time snug behind the cotton - trees, 

 called more than once to the captain to withdraw his 

 men into the wood ; but he only shook his head con- 

 temptuously. When, however, he heard Asa threaten 

 to fire, he looked puzzled, and as if he thought it 

 just possible we might do as we said. He ordered 

 his men to halt, and called out to us not to fire till 

 he had explained what they came for. 



