. ▁' My ▁enemy ,' ▁observed ▁Francisco , ▁' was ▁brave , ▁and ▁though ▁sever ely ▁wounded , ▁drew ▁a ▁p istol , ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁moment ▁that ▁he ▁pulled ▁the ▁trigger , ▁I ▁cut ▁his ▁hand ▁nearly ▁off . ▁The ▁bullet ▁gra zed ▁my ▁side . ▁Ben ▁V --- . ▁( the ▁man ▁of ▁the ▁house ) ▁very ▁un gener ously ▁brought ▁out ▁a ▁mus ket , ▁and ▁gave ▁it ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁soldiers , ▁and ▁told ▁him ▁to ▁make ▁use ▁of ▁that . ▁He ▁mounted ▁the ▁only ▁horse ▁they ▁could ▁get , ▁and ▁presented ▁it ▁at ▁my ▁breast . ▁It ▁missed ▁fire . ▁I ▁r ushed ▁on ▁the ▁m uzz le ▁of ▁the ▁gun . ▁A ▁short ▁struggle ▁en su ed . ▁I ▁dis ar med ▁and ▁wounded ▁him . ▁Tar leton ' s ▁tro op ▁of ▁four ▁hundred ▁men ▁were ▁in ▁sight . ▁All ▁was ▁hur ry ▁and ▁confusion , ▁which ▁I ▁increased ▁by ▁repeatedly ▁hal lo o ing , ▁as ▁loud ▁as ▁I ▁could , ▁" Come ▁on , ▁my ▁brave ▁boys ; ▁now ' s ▁your ▁time ; ▁we ▁will ▁soon ▁dispatch ▁these ▁few , ▁and ▁then ▁attack ▁the ▁main ▁body !" ▁The ▁wounded ▁man ▁fle w ▁to ▁the ▁tro op ; ▁the ▁others ▁were ▁pan ic ▁struck , ▁and ▁fled . ▁I ▁seized ▁V --- , ▁and ▁would ▁have ▁dispatch ed ▁him , ▁but ▁the ▁poor ▁w retch ▁begg ed ▁for ▁his ▁life ; ▁lie ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁an ▁object ▁of ▁my ▁cont