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the wall, and they themselves won’t be able to see a thing in the darkness. You’re to stay here—promise me.”
    â€œI promise.”
    The five men entered the pool of light. They spread out so that all could be seen. Their weapons were on their backs.
    â€œAre you men with the militia of Major Hall?” asked the voice.
    â€œNo, we were sent from Fort Schlosser with word to Major Hall to bring his militia to that area. It was he whoasked us to bring this message farther to this depot before returning to our posts,” Merritt explained.
    â€œAnd why didn’t he send his own men?” asked the voice. “They’re mostly faces we are familiar with.”
    â€œHe wanted his squads to go as a whole. Besides he felt after our march to Lewiston we weren’t good for much except delivering messages!”
    There was a long pause. Mr. McCann was right, this wasn’t going well. Inside the walls they were deciding what to do next while the five men stood outside, completely exposed in the light.
    â€œKeep your word, remain here,” Mr. McCann whispered. He drew himself up from his belly and got to his knees. The men within my sight had done the same. They were getting ready to charge the walls of the blockhouse.
    â€œBegging your pardon, sir!” cried out a voice—FitzGibbon’s! “We’re tired and hungry we is, and we was hoping for a place to lay down our heads and a nip to drink, but if you’re fearful we can leave the orders here and go our way!”
    There was no answer.
    â€œWe’ll just leave the orders and be gone!” Merritt said. He bent down and went to place the envelope on the grass.
    â€œThat won’t be necessary!” called out the voice from the blockhouse. “Come forward and be admitted!”
    The five men proceeded out of the bright light and toward the gate. I let out a deep sigh. They had bluffed their way into the blockhouse. Once they were admitted, they’d block the gate and our men would rush in, overwhelming the soldiers within. They’d done it—just as I knew they—
    The darkness was split by the explosion of a gunshot, and then a second, and third, and a volley of muskets! In shock I looked first at Mr. McCann and then at the gate to the blockhouse. More shots rang out and a man fell to the ground!

CHAPTER SIX
    â€œ F OR KING and Country!” Mr. McCann shouted. He rose to his feet, along with men on all sides, and charged out of the forest and into the clearing surrounding the blockhouse. Each man screamed as he ran forward, and their roar was punctuated by the explosion of musket fire. The smell and smoke of the shot filled the air.
    The rush of excitement caused me to leap to my feet as well, and I had to fight the urge to run forward with the men. Instead I followed to the edge, to the very last tree, and stopped—I needed to see, but I also needed to keep my word. Spread out before me, at the front and both sides of the blockhouse that I could see, men had closed the open ground from the meadow and were at the walls. The front gate was still open and I could make out redcoats and militia streaming through the gap and into the fortification. I wished I could be there, inside the gate, watching, seeing, knowing all that was happening instead of under cover inthe trees, hiding from the musket fire. Then the sound of the guns suddenly stopped. And the cries of the men ceased as well, leaving nothing but a complete and eerie silence. The smoke clung in the air. The smell was bitter and strong in my nose and mouth.
    I ventured out of the forest and into the clearing. The torch was still lying on the ground by the gate. Although its flame had died down, its light still illuminated the entrance and reached almost to where I stood. Half a dozen of our soldiers were standing at the gate, indicating that whatever had happened was done and that our side had been victorious. No one would object