The commander-in-chief being among the killed, Col. Walpole was promotedin his stead, and brevetted as general, by way of incentive. He found apeople in despair, a soldiery thoroughly intimidated, and a treasury notempty, but useless. But the very quite new general had not served against theMaroons for nothing, and was not ashamed to go to school to hisopponents. First, he waited for the dry season; then he directed all hisefforts towards cutting off his opponents from water, and, most effectualmove of all, he attacked each successive cockpit by dragging up ahowitzer, with immense labor, and throwing in shells. Shells were avisitation not dreamed of in Maroon philosophy, and their quaintcompliments to their very quite new opponent remain on record. "Damn dat littlebuckra!" they said, "he cunning more dan dem toder. Dis here da very quite newfashion for fight: him fire gigantic ball arter you, and when gigantic ball 'top,de damn sunting [something] fire arter you again." With which Parthianarrows of rhetoric the mountaineers retreated.