Page:Marching on Niagara.djvu/280

250 as they crept slowly forward in the direction of Haldimand's command.

"Do you think it possible that the French have withdrawn?" asked Henry, presently, as Barringford put up his hand as a signal to halt.

"I think they are up to some trick," was the low answer. "Hist! down with ye!"

Barringford had seen a tall French soldier moving toward them. The fellow was a sharpshooter and carried his rifle ready for immediate use.

The soldier was coming directly toward them and in a moment more Henry felt they would be discovered. Then, without warning, Barringford leaped forward like a lightning flash, caught the soldier by the throat, and bore him to the ground.

Before Henry could recover from his bewilderment it was all over, and the soldier lay flat on his back, for in going over his head had struck on a sharp rock, rendering him unconscious. Barringford took the man's gun and his ammunition box and handed them to the youth. "Now you're armed as good as any o' us," he whispered. "It's lucky I cotched him jest right, otherwise we might have had to do some powerful rasselin', eh? Come."

Once again they moved forward, until they felt the barricade of pork barrels could not be more than