Chapter XXIV. 

"March--march--march! Making sounds as they tread, Ho-ho! how they step, Going down to the dead." 

Coxe. 

The time Maud consumed in her meditations over the box and its contents, had been employed by the captain in preparations for his enterprise. Joyce, young Blodget, Jamie and Mike, led by their commander in person, were to compose the whole force on the occasion; and every man had been busy in getting his arms, ammunition and provisions ready, for the last half-hour. When captain Willoughby, therefore, had taken leave of his family, he found the party in a condition to move. 

The first great desideratum was to quit the Hut unseen. Joel and his followers were still at work, in distant fields; but they all carefully avoided that side of the Knoll which would have brought them within reach of the musket, and this left all behind the cliff unobserved, unless Indians were in the woods in that direction. As Mike had so recently passed in by that route, however, the probability was the whole party still remained in the neighbourhood of the mills, where all accounts agreed in saying they mainly kept. It was the intention of the captain, therefore, to sally by the rivulet and the rear of the house, and to gain the woods under cover of the bushes on the banks of the former, as had already been done by so many since the inroad. 

The great difficulty was to quit the house, and reach the bed of the stream, unseen. This step, however, was a good deal facilitated by means of Joel's sally-port, the overseer having taken, himself, all the precautions against detection of which the case well admitted. Nevertheless, there was the distance between the palisades and the base of the rocks, some forty or fifty yards, which was entirely uncovered, and had to be passed under the notice of any wandering eyes that might happen to be turned in that quarter. After much reflection, the captain and serjeant came to the conclusion to adopt the following mode of proceeding. 
Who was still working?
Where at?
The entire area?
Where didn't they go?
Why?
Where did the lead want to get to?
In what way?
Who spent time thinking about what was in a package?
How many people were going on patrol?
And they were?
How long had they been preparing?
What were they getting prepared?
Who was leaving his relatives?
Was everyone ready to go then?
Was it easy to be sneaky?
What amount of space was open?
What was to either side of the space?
Did they decide to risk it?
How many people decided?
And they were?
Joel and his followers
Joel and his followers were still at work
in distant fields
Joel and his followers were still at work, in distant fields
no
but they all carefully avoided that side of the Knoll
the side of the Knoll
but they all carefully avoided that side of the Knoll
it would have brought them within reach of the musket
which would have brought them within reach of the musket
the woods
and to gain the woods
under cover of the bushes
to gain the woods under cover of the bushes
Maud
The time Maud consumed in her meditations over the box and its contents
Five
Joyce, young Blodget, Jamie and Mike, led by their commander in person, were to compose the whole force
Joyce, young Blodget, Jamie, Mike and their commander
Joyce, young Blodget, Jamie and Mike, led by their commander in person, were to compose the whole force on the occasion
the last half-hour
provisions ready, for the last half-hour
arms, ammunition and provisions ready
busy in getting his arms, ammunition and provisions ready
captain Willoughby
When captain Willoughby, therefore, had taken leave of his family
yes
he found the party in a condition to move
no
The great difficulty was to quit the house, and reach the bed of the stream, unseen
forty or fifty yards
 some forty or fifty yards, which was entirely uncovered
the palisades and the base of the rocks
between the palisades and the base of the rocks
yes
the captain and serjeant came to the conclusion to adopt the following mode of proceeding
two
the captain and serjeant came to the conclusion
the captain and serjeant
the captain and serjeant came to the conclusion