"
The shock had brought him back to his duty as a leader of his
little company, and with the funeral bell of all his life's
happiness tolling in his agonized heart he turned afresh to
directing the fire upon the block-house.
About this time a runner came from Clark with an order to cease
firing and let a returning party of British scouts under Captain
Lamothe re-enter the fort unharmed. A strange order it seemed to
both officers and men; but it was implicitly obeyed. Clark's
genius here made another fine strategic flash. He knew that unless
he let the scouts go back into the stockade they would escape by
running away, and might possibly organize an army of Indians with
which to succor Hamilton. But if they were permitted to go inside
they could be captured with the rest of the garrison; hence his
order.
A few minutes passed in dead silence; then Captain Lamothe and his
party marched close by where Beverley's squad was lying concealed.
It was a difficult task to restrain the creoles, for some of them
hated Lamothe. Oncle Jazon squirmed like a snake while they filed
past all unaware that an enemy lurked so near. When they reached
the fort, ladders were put down for them and they began to clamber
over the wall, crowding and pushing one another in wild haste.
Oncle Jazon could hold in no longer.
"Ya! ya! ya I" he yelled.
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