ADVENTURES IX LOUISIANA. 205 



amongst us all, pointed to the corner of the wood, 

 yonder where it joins the brushwood thicket. I 

 made a sign to Asa, and we all looked and saw there 

 was something creeping and moving through the un- 

 derwood. Presently we distinguished two Acadians 

 heading a score of Spaniards, and endeavouring, 

 under cover of the bushes, to steal across the open 

 ground to the east side of the forest. 



" ' The Acadians for you, Nathan and Righteous, 

 the Spaniards for us,' said Asa. The next moment 

 two Acadians and four Spaniards lay bleeding in the 

 brushwood. But the bullets were scarce out of our 

 rifles when a third Acadian, whom we had not seen, 

 started up. 'Now's the time,' shouted he, 'before 

 they have loaded again. Follow me ! we will have 

 their blockhouse yet.' And he sprang across, fol- 

 lowed by the Spaniards. We gnashed our teeth 

 with rage at not having seen the Acadian. 



" There were still three of these fellows alive, who 

 had now taken command of the Spaniards. Al- 

 though we had shot a score of our enemies, those 

 who remained were more than ten to one of us, and 

 we were even worse off than at first, for then they 

 were all together, and now we had them on each side 

 of us. But we did not let ourselves be discouraged, 

 although we could not help feeling that the odds 

 against us were fearfully great. 



" We now had to keep a sharp look-out ; for if one 

 of us showed himself at a loophole, a dozen bullets 



