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diff --git a/42429.txt b/42429.txt deleted file mode 100644 index baf17d2..0000000 --- a/42429.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8296 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Historic Events of Colonial Days, by Rupert S. Holland - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Historic Events of Colonial Days - -Author: Rupert S. Holland - -Release Date: March 29, 2013 [EBook #42429] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORIC EVENTS OF COLONIAL DAYS *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Bergquist, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -The Historic Series for Young People - -By RUPERT S. HOLLAND - - -+Historic Boyhoods+ -Stories of the Boyhoods of Famous Men. - -+Historic Girlhoods+ -Stories of the Girlhoods of Famous Women. - -+Historic Inventions+ -Stories of the Great Inventors. - -+Historic Poems and Ballads+ -The Heroic Poems of All Lands. - -+Historic Adventures+ -Stories of Our Nation's Heroes. - -+Historic Heroes of Chivalry+ -Stories of Brave Knights of Old. - -Each 12mo. Cloth, Illustrated, $1.50 net - - -"_Ideal Books for Young Americans_" - - -[Illustration: ANDROSS STARED AT GOVERNOR TREAT] - - - - -Historic Events of Colonial Days - -By RUPERT S. HOLLAND -_Author of "Historic Boyhoods," "Historic -Girlhoods," "Historic Inventions," etc._ - -[Illustration: Logo] - -PHILADELPHIA -GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY -PUBLISHERS - - -Copyright, 1916, by -GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY -_Published, October, 1916_ - -_All rights reserved_ -Printed in U. S. A. - - - - -Contents - - - I. A PURITAN HERO 9 - (_Rhode Island, 1630_) - - II. PETER STUYVESANT'S FLAG 21 - (_New York, 1661_) - - III. WHEN GOVERNOR ANDROSS CAME TO CONNECTICUT 55 - (_Connecticut, 1675_) - - IV. THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN NATHANIEL BACON - AND SIR WILLIAM BERKELEY 70 - (_Virginia, 1676_) - - V. AN OUTLAW CHIEF OF MARYLAND 105 - (_Maryland, 1684_) - - VI. IN THE DAYS OF WITCHES 139 - (_Massachusetts, 1692_) - - VII. THE ATTACK ON THE DELAWARE 174 - (_Pennsylvania, 1706_) - -VIII. THE PIRATES OF CHARLES TOWN HARBOR 206 - (_South Carolina, 1718_) - - IX. THE FOUNDER OF GEORGIA 245 - (_Georgia, 1732_) - - X. THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS AND THE YORKERS 287 - (_Vermont, 1774_) - - - - -Illustrations - - -Andross Stared at Governor Treat _Frontispiece_ - -Stuyvesant Bit His Lips as His Gunners Waited _Facing page_ 46 - -"I Yield as Your Prisoner" " " 116 - -Nick Turned to Lead the Way " " 210 - - - - -I - -A PURITAN HERO - -(_Rhode Island, 1630_) - - -The good ship _Lyon_ had been sixty-seven days outward bound from the -port of Bristol, in England, when she dropped anchor early in February, -1630, at Nantasket, near the entrance of Boston Harbor, in New England. -The ship had met with many winter storms, and passengers and crew were -glad to see the shores of Massachusetts. On the ninth of February the -_Lyon_ slipped through a field of drifting ice and came to anchor before -the little settlement of Boston. On board the ship was a young man who -was to play an exciting part in the story of the New World. - -Yet this young man, Roger Williams by name, seemed simple and quiet -enough, as he and his wife came ashore and were welcomed by Governor -John Winthrop. He was a young preacher, filled with a desire to carry -his teaching to the new lands across the Atlantic Ocean, and he had been -asked to be the minister of the First Church in Boston. As it turned -out, however, his ideas were not the ideas of the people of Boston, and -he soon found that the First Church was not the place for him. - -So after a short stay in Boston Roger Williams and his wife went to -Plymouth, which was then a colony separate from Massachusetts Bay. -William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth, and his neighbors made the -young preacher welcome, and there Roger Williams stayed for two years, -teaching and exhorting and prophesying, as ministers were said to do in -those days. There his daughter Mary was born. Roger Williams, however, -was given to argument and could be very obstinate at times, and -presently he fell out with his neighbors at Plymouth, and moved again, -this time to Salem. There he was given charge of the church, and there -he, like many other free-thinking men, fell under the displeasure of the -governor of Massachusetts Bay. For some things he taught he was summoned -before the General Court of the Bay, and the Court ordered him to leave -the colony. He did not go at once, and Governor Winthrop let him stay -until the following January, when rumors came to Boston that Roger -Williams was planning to lead twenty men of his own way of thinking to -the country about Narragansett Bay, and there establish a colony of his -own. John Winthrop objected seriously to any such performance. - -The governor sent Captain John Underhill in a sailboat to Salem, with -orders to seize Roger Williams and put him on board a ship that was -lying at Nantasket Roads, ready to sail for England. But when Captain -Underhill and his men marched up to the house of Williams they found -that the man they wanted had fled three days before. There was no -knowing which way he had gone, the wilderness stretched far and wide to -west and south, and so they gave up the search for him and reported to -Governor Winthrop that Roger Williams had disappeared. - -Five friends of Williams, knowing that he had been commanded to leave -Massachusetts Bay, had gone into the wilderness and built a camp for him -on the banks of a river which was called by the three names of the -Blackstone, for the first settler there, the Seekonk, and the Pawtucket. -There Williams joined them, and there they stayed during the winter and -planted their crops in the spring. Then a messenger from the governor of -Plymouth came, saying that their plantation was within the borders of -the Plymouth Colony, and asking in a friendly way that Roger Williams -and his friends should move to the other side of the river. - -The settlers did not like to lose the harvest of their new crops, but -neither did they want to make enemies at Plymouth, and so they launched -their canoe and paddled down the river in search of a new site. As they -went down the stream tradition says that a group of Indians, standing on -a great rock near the river's bank, recognized Roger Williams as a man -who had once befriended them. They cried their greetings to the white -men, and the latter landed and went up the rock and talked with the -Indians. Then, taking their canoe again, the white men went on down the -river to its mouth, rounded a promontory, and came into an estuary of -Narragansett Bay. Here they paddled north a short distance, until they -reached the point where the Woonasquatucket and the Moshassuck Rivers -joined, and there they landed, near a spring of sweet water. Here they -pitched their camp, founding what was to be known in time as the -Providence Plantations. - -The little colony of six men was soon joined by others, and presently a -government was formed, somewhat like those of Massachusetts Bay and -Plymouth. There were many Indians along the shores of Narragansett Bay, -and Roger Williams made it his concern to be on friendly terms with all -of them. When he had lived at Plymouth and at Salem he had met many -Indians and had been liked by them. Canonicus and his nephew -Miantonomoh, chiefs of the Narragansetts, ruled over all this new -region. When the six settlers reached their new plantation these chiefs -were at odds with a chief to the north named Ausamaquin. Williams set to -work to reconcile the hostile Indians, and while he did so he made such -friends of the Narragansett chiefs that they gave him a large tract of -land, stretching from the Pawtucket to the Pawtuxet Rivers. In his turn -Roger Williams sold the land to his company for thirty pounds. - -Here, as the little colony of Providence Plantations grew, Roger -Williams tended to the government of it and preached constantly to his -people. All was not smooth sailing, however, even here in the -wilderness. Men disagreed with the preacher, and he found it hard to -keep them from continually fighting with each other. When there was no -danger of trouble with the Indians, the settlers stirred up trouble for -themselves, and Roger Williams had his hands full trying to keep first -the white, and then the red, men in order. - -Every little while there would be some dispute, usually ending in -bloodshed, between Indians and white men. Two white traders, venturing -into the country between the two rivers now known as the Pawcatuck and -the Thames, were killed by chiefs of the Pequods, who were the strongest -tribe in all New England. News of this came to Plymouth, and was sent -from there by messenger to the governor of Massachusetts Bay. Not long -afterward a settler named John Oldham was killed by a party of Indians -as he was sailing his own boat off Block Island. The white men, putting -this and that together, decided that the Pequods were planning to kill -all the settlers that came into their country, and thought it likely -they were trying to get the Narragansett chiefs to join them in this. If -these two tribes joined forces it would go hard with the white men, and -so the people of Massachusetts Bay sent a message to Roger Williams, -urging him to see his friends the Narragansetts, and try to keep them -from joining with the Pequods. - -Williams was brave, and he had need to be when he made his visit to the -wigwam of the chief, Canonicus. He found men of the Pequods there, -trying to induce Canonicus and the other Narragansett sachems to join -them in war on the whites. He came as a friend, he showed no fear, and -he stayed for several days, sleeping among them at night, as if he had -no suspicion that the Pequods might want to kill him, alone and unarmed -among so many of them. And the Pequods did not touch him. He had learned -something of the Indian tongue while he lived at Plymouth and Salem, and -he talked with them and the Narragansetts, urging them to be friends -with the white men who had come to live among them. - -His visit to Canonicus was successful. The Narragansett chiefs renewed -their promises of friendship for Roger Williams' men and sent the Pequod -envoys away. The disappointed Pequods, however, told the Narragansetts -that the English were treacherous folk and warned them that they would -not always find these new settlers as friendly as Roger Williams had -said. And in part the Pequods were right, for there were white men who -were fully as treacherous as any Indians. - -Not long afterward four young men set out from Massachusetts Bay to go -to the Dutch settlement on Manhattan Island. Somewhere between Boston -and the Providence Plantations they sat down to rest and smoke. A -Narragansett Indian came in sight, and they called to him to stop and -smoke a pipe with them. The Indian accepted their invitation. The white -men saw that he was a trader and had a large stock of wampum, and also -cloth and beads with him, and so, as he sat with them, they suddenly -attacked him, and, robbing him, left him for dead. The Narragansett, -though very badly wounded, was able after a while to drag himself back -to the wigwams of his tribe. There he told his story before he died. -Some of the chiefs set out on the trail at once, and capturing three of -the whites, took them to the settlers at Aquidneck. They were tried for -the robbery and murder, found guilty, and executed, though some settlers -murmured against Englishmen being condemned for doing harm to Indians. -But wise men such as Governor Bradford and Roger Williams knew that they -must use the same justice toward Indians as toward white men if they -were ever to live in peace with their neighbors. - -So the Narragansetts kept peace with the newcomers who were building -their homes on the shores of the great bay that bore the name of the -Indian tribe, and Roger Williams turned his attention to the needs of -his people. He wanted a charter from the king of England for his new -colony, and to get it he had to go back to England. Instead of going to -Boston or Plymouth to take ship he traveled south to the Dutch seaport -of New Amsterdam. The Dutch were also having trouble with their Indian -neighbors, and Roger Williams was urged to try to pacify the red men. -Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay kept record of most of the -important things that were taking place in the English colonies, and -this is what he wrote: - -"1643. Mo. 4, 20.--There fell out hot wars between the Dutch and the -Indians thereabout. The occasion was this. An Indian being drunk had -slain an old Dutchman.... The Indians also of Long Island took part with -their neighbors upon the main, and as the Dutch took away their corn, so -they fell to burning the Dutch houses. But these, by the mediation of -Mr. Williams, who was there to go in a Dutch ship for England, were -pacified and peace reestablished between the Dutch and them." - -Roger Williams sailed from New Amsterdam in June or July, 1643, and on -the voyage he spent much time in writing a remarkable book, "A Key into -the Languages of America," as he called it. He reached England at a most -exciting time. Parliament had rebelled against King Charles the First, -the king had fled from London, the battle of Edge Hill had been fought -between the Cavaliers and the Roundheads, and the country was an armed -camp. Williams tried to get his charter from the Parliament, but matters -were so upset that such business took a long time. The people of London -were suffering for fuel, and he busied himself in plans to provide coal -and wood for them, and he went on with his writings, most of which were -religious arguments, such as many men of that period, among them -William Penn, were fond of writing. - -At last he was able to get his charter from Parliament, and set out on -his return journey. He had not sailed from Boston on his outward voyage -because of the order of exile from the colony of Massachusetts Bay that -still stood against him. But he asked permission of that colony to let -him return by way of Boston, and this was granted. He landed at the same -place where he had made his first landing in America; journeyed, -probably on foot, to the Blackstone River, and paddled his canoe to -Narragansett Bay. As he approached the Bay he was met by a fleet of -canoes manned by the chief settlers of his colony, who gave him a royal -welcome. In return for his services in obtaining the charter for the new -Providence Plantations the three settlements of Newport, Portsmouth and -Providence agreed to pay him one hundred pounds. - -Roger Williams' wife had joined him at the Providence Plantations, and -they now had a family of six children. He did not approve of a minister -being paid for his services, and so he, like many other preachers of the -Puritans, found other means to supply his family with bread and meat. He -had traded with the Indians for furs while he was at Salem, and since -then he had built a trading house on the west shore of Narragansett Bay, -at a place called Cawcawmsquissick by the Indians, about fifteen miles -south of Providence, and near where the town of Wickford now stands. -Ninigret, one of his powerful Indian friends, lived near by, and saw to -it that the best furs went to Roger Williams' house. It was a convenient -place for the hunters to bring their stores, and it was not far across -the bay to Newport, which was becoming the main shipping port of the -colony. To Newport he took his furs to sell them in the market or send -them by trading-vessel to England, and there he bought the stock of -cloth and beads, sugar and other supplies that he paid to the Indians. -He made at his trading-house at least one hundred pounds a year, the -equal of five hundred dollars in American money, and with a much greater -purchasing power in those days than now. - -Meantime the Narragansetts and the Mohegans had been at war with each -other, and the former tribe winning, had made an alliance with the -Mohegans, and threatened a joint attack on the English colonies. -Williams and two or three others went out to the Indian chiefs and again -made a treaty of peace with them, for there was no white man in New -England for whom all the Indians had such affection as they had for -Roger Williams. Time and again he saved his own colony, and the -neighboring ones of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth and Connecticut from -Indian attacks. His knowledge of the Indian tongues was of great -assistance to him, and his desire to be perfectly fair and frank with -them was even more valuable. - -Once more he went to England, for a Mr. Coddington of Newport had -obtained from Parliament a commission as governor for life of the -settlements at Aquidneck, which interfered with the charter already -granted to the Providence Plantations. There he succeeded in having the -claims of his colony adjusted, there he wrote more religious pamphlets -and preached and lectured, and there he met Oliver Cromwell, the Lord -Protector of England, and John Milton the poet, and told them about the -Indians of New England, their language and their customs and the -missionary work the colonists were doing among them. - -After he went back to Providence George Fox, the famous Quaker leader, -came to New England and preached to the people there. Roger Williams did -not agree with Fox in many of his teachings, and took the opposite side -at many public meetings. Whenever there was debate or argument over -religious matters Roger Williams wanted to have his share in it. He held -the same views as leader of the Providence Plantations that he had -voiced when he first came as minister to the First Church at Boston. - -In many ways Roger Williams was something like William Penn. He founded -a colony that was in time to become one of the original Thirteen States -of the American Union. He was a religious leader, and he was always fair -in his dealings with the Indians. Probably he was greatest as a friend -of the Indians, for his little colony was spared the frequent attacks -and massacres that made life so hard for many of the small English -settlements along the Atlantic coast. He came to the New World seeking -liberty and justice between all men, and these he taught to the settlers -who followed and built their homes around his log house on the shores of -the great bay named for the Narragansetts. - - - - -II - -PETER STUYVESANT'S FLAG - -(_New York, 1661_) - - -I - -The island of Manhattan, which is now tightly packed with the -office-buildings and houses of New York, was in 1661 the home of a small -number of families who had come across the Atlantic Ocean from the -Netherlands to settle this part of the new world for the Dutch West -India Company. There was a fort at the southern end of the island, -sometimes known as the Battery, and two roads led from it toward the -north. One of these roads followed the line of the street now called -Broadway, running north to a great open field, or common, and, skirting -that, leading on to the settlement of Harlaem. In time this road came to -be known as the Old Post Road to Boston. Another road ran to the east, -and in its neighborhood were the farms of many of the richer Dutch -settlers. Near where Third Avenue and Thirteenth Street now meet was the -bouwery, as the Dutchmen called a farm, of Peter Stuyvesant, the -governor of the colony of New Netherland. It was a large, prosperous -bouwery, with a good-sized house for the governor and his family. - -This Dutch governor, sturdy, impetuous, obstinate, had lost a leg while -leading an attack on the Portuguese island of Saint Martin, in 1644, and -now used a wooden stump, which caused him to be nicknamed "Wooden-Legged -Peter." He was a much better governor than the others who had been sent -out by the West India Company to rule New Netherland. He had plenty of -courage, but he had also a very determined will of his own, which often -made him seem a tyrant to the other settlers. - -Now there were two distinct classes of people in New Netherland: the -peasants who worked the land, and the landowners, called patroons, who -had bought vast tracts from the West India Company, and lived on them -like European nobles. It was the patroons who brought the peasants over, -paying for their passage, and the peasants worked for them until they -could repay the amount of their passage money, and then took up small -farms on their patroon's estate, paying the rental in crops, as tenants -did to the feudal lords of Europe. The great manors stretched north from -the little town of New Amsterdam at the point of Manhattan Island. Above -Peter Stuyvesant's bouwery was the manor of the Kip family, called Kip's -Bay. In the middle of the island lived the Patroon De Lancey. Opposite, -on Long Island, was the estate of the Laurences. And along the Hudson -were the homes of the powerful families of Van Courtland and of -Phillipse, of Van Rensselaer and of Schuyler. In spite of constant -danger from Indians and their great distance from Europe the patroons -lived in a certain magnificence, and grew in power down to the time of -the Revolution. Farming and fur-trading were the chief sources of profit -of the colony. There were a few storekeepers and mechanics, but they -lived close to the fort and stockade at the Battery. The trades that had -done so much to make the Netherlands in Europe rich played small part in -the life of this New Netherland. - -In the year 1661 the West India Company bought Staten Island from its -patroon owner, a man named Cornelius Melyn. A block-house was built -which was armed with two cannon and defended by ten soldiers, and -invited the people of Europe who were called Waldenses and the Huguenots -of France to settle on the island. Fourteen families soon came and took -up farms there south of the Narrows. The West India Company, however, -had broader views on religion than their governor, Peter Stuyvesant, -had. John Brown, an Englishman, moved from Boston to Flushing, on Long -Island, and, having by chance attended a Quaker meeting, invited the -Quakers to meet at his new house. Neighbors told the governor that John -Brown was using his farm as a meeting-place for Quakers, and Stuyvesant -had him arrested. The quiet, unoffending farmer was fined twenty-five -pounds and threatened with banishment, and when he failed to pay, was -imprisoned in New Amsterdam for three months. Then Governor Stuyvesant -issued an order banishing Farmer Brown. "John Brown," so ran the order, -"is to be transported from this province in the first ship ready to -sail, as an example to others." Soon afterward he was sent to Holland in -the _Gilded Fox_, but the officers of the West India Company received -him kindly, rebuked the haughty governor for his severity, and persuaded -John Brown to return to Flushing. When he did go back Stuyvesant showed -by his acts that he was ashamed of what he had done. For the governor, -in spite of his headstrong acts, had sense enough to know that his -little colony needed all the settlers it could find, no matter what -their religion, and that Quakers made as trustworthy settlers as any -other kind. - -Early in 1663 an earthquake shook New Netherland and the country round -it. Soon afterward the melting snows and very heavy rains caused a -tremendous freshet, which covered the meadow lands along the rivers, and -ruined all the crops. Then came an outbreak of smallpox, which spread -among the Dutchmen and the Indians like fire in a field of wheat. Over a -thousand of the Iroquois tribe died of the plague. Then, as if these -troubles were not sufficient for the colony, Peter Stuyvesant soon heard -that there was new danger of an Indian uprising against his people. - -There had been a truce between the red men and the white, but the former -could not forget that after their last attack on the Dutch fifteen of -their warriors had been sent as slaves to the island of Curacoa. There -were many Indians near the prosperous settlement of Esopus, up in the -Hudson country, and in the spring of 1663 settlers there sent word to -the governor that they needed more protection from their dark-skinned -neighbors. Stuyvesant replied that he would come himself soon and try to -settle any differences. The Indian chiefs heard of this reply of the -governor and in their turn sent him word that if he were coming to renew -their treaty of friendship they should expect him to come without arms, -and would then gladly meet in a council in the field outside the gate of -Esopus, and smoke the pipe of peace with him. - -This was a friendly message, and the settlers at Esopus who lived within -the palisades, as well as those at the little village of Wildwyck, which -had sprung up a short distance from the fort, decided they had been -wrong in suspecting the Indians of intending to harm them, and went on -with their farming as usual. Peter Stuyvesant, busy in New Amsterdam, -had not yet had a chance to go up to Esopus. On the seventh of June, as -on other days, Indians came into the village, chatted with the settlers, -and sold corn and other provisions they had grown. - -Then suddenly a war-whoop rang out inside the palisades, and was -instantly followed by a hundred more within and without the gates. -Indian blankets were thrown aside, and tomahawks and long knives -gleamed in the hands of the savages. The settlers were taken completely -by surprise. Each Indian had marked his man. Men, women, and children -were made prisoners or killed. Houses were plundered and set on fire, -and the flames, escaping to the farms, soon made havoc of the prosperous -village. - -The settlers fought, and for several hours the savage war-whoops were -answered by the fire of muskets. The chief officer of the village, -called the Schout, Roelof Swartwout by name, rallied a few men around -him, and by desperate fighting at last drove the Indians outside the -palisades and shut the gates against them. But the outer village was in -ashes, the fields were strewn with bodies, and houses smoked to the sky. -Within the palisades matters were not quite so bad, for a change of the -wind had saved part of the buildings from the flames. - -Twenty-one settlers had been killed, nine were badly wounded, and -forty-five, most of them women and children, had been taken captive. All -that night the Schout and his men stayed on guard at the gates, while in -the distance they heard the shouts of the triumphant red men. - -The news of what had happened at Esopus spread rapidly through the -Hudson country. In the villages the men hurried to strengthen their -palisades, farmers fled with their families to the shelter of the -nearest forts. The news came to Governor Stuyvesant on Manhattan Island, -and he instantly sent forty-two soldiers to Esopus, and offered rewards -to all who would enlist. Some friendly Indians from Long Island joined -his forces, scouts were sent through the woods to find the hostile -Indians' hiding-places. The Mohawks tried to make peace, and capturing -some of the Dutch prisoners, sent them back to the village. The Mohawks -also sent word that the Indians who had gone on the war-path felt they -were only taking a just revenge for the act of the Dutch in sending some -of their chiefs to Curacoa, that they would return their other prisoners -in exchange for rich presents, and were ready to make a new peace with -the settlers. - -But Peter Stuyvesant thought it needful to teach his Indian neighbors a -lesson. - -A white woman, Mrs. Van Imbrock, escaped from her captors, and finally -reached Esopus after many hardships. She brought word that the Indians, -some two hundred, had built a strong fort, and sent their prisoners -every night under guard to a distant place in the mountains, intending -to keep them as hostages. When he had heard her account, Stuyvesant sent -out a party of two hundred and ten men, under Captain Crygier, armed -with two small cannon, with which they hoped to make a breach in the -walls of the Indian fort, which were only bulletproof. - -This little army set out on the afternoon of July 26th. They made their -way through forests, over high hills, and across rivers. They bivouacked -for the night, and next morning marched on until they were about six -miles from the fort. Half the men were sent on to make a -surprise-attack, while the rest followed in reserve. - -Scouts had brought word to the fort of the approach of the Dutch, and -the Indians had gone into the mountains with their prisoners. So Captain -Crygier's men went into the fort and spent the night there, finding it -an unusually well-built and well-protected place. An Indian woman, not -knowing the white men were there, came back for some provisions, was -taken prisoner, and told the direction in which the chiefs had gone. -Next morning twenty-five men were left at the fort, and the others -followed the trail to a mountain, where the squaw said the Indians meant -to camp. There were no red men there, and the squaw told of another camp -yet farther on. - -The Dutch soldiers marched all day, but their hunt proved fruitless. -Finally Captain Crygier gave the order to return to the captured fort. -Here they burned the buildings, and carried off all the provisions. Then -they returned to Esopus, to await other news. - -Early in September word came that the Indians had built another fort, or -castle, as they called it, thirty-six miles to the southwest. Again -Captain Crygier set out with his men, and on the second day came in view -of the fort. It stood on a height, and was built of two rows of stout -palisades, fifteen feet high. Crygier divided his forces, and one-half -the men crept toward the fort. Then a squaw saw them, and by her cry -warned the Indians. Both parties of the Dutch rushed up the hill, -stormed the palisades, drove their enemies before them, and scattered -them in the fields. Behind the fort was a creek. The Indians waded and -swam it, and made a stand on the opposite bank. But the fire of the -Dutchmen was too much for them, and shortly they were flying wildly into -the wilderness. - -The Indian chief, Papoquanchen, and fourteen of his warriors were killed -in the battle, twenty-two white prisoners were rescued, and fourteen -Indians were captured. The fort was plundered of provisions, and the -Dutch found eighty guns, besides, as they reported, "bearskins, -deerskins, blankets, elk hides and peltries sufficient to load a -shallop." - -There was great joy at Esopus when the victorious little army returned. -Danger from that particular tribe of Indians seemed at an end, but to -make the matter certain a third expedition was sent out in the fall. -They scouted through the near-by country, but found only a few scattered -red men. Those that were left of the Esopus tribe after that last attack -on their fort had fled south and finally become part of the Minnisincks. - -Again peace reigned in the Dutch settlements; the farmers went back to -their fields, and the soldiers returned to the capital at New Amsterdam. - -To the north of the Dutch colony lay the English colonies of New -England, and the boundary between New Netherland and its neighbors had -never been fixed. Many Englishmen had settled along the Hudson and on -Long Island, and Governor Stuyvesant thought it was high time to reach -some agreement with the New England governors. So he went to Boston in -September, 1663; but scarcely had he left New Amsterdam when an English -agent, James Christie, arrived on Long Island, and told the people of -Gravesend, Flushing, Hempstead and Jamaica that they were no longer -under Dutch rule, but that their territory had been annexed to the -colony of Connecticut. - -Now many of the settlers at Gravesend were English, and most of the -magistrates and officers. When Christie read his announcement to the -people one of the few faithful Dutch magistrates, Sheriff Stillwell, -arrested him on a charge of treason. Then the other magistrates ordered -the arrest of Stillwell in turn, and the public feeling against the -latter was so strong that he had to send word secretly to New Amsterdam, -asking for help. A sergeant and eight soldiers were sent from New -Amsterdam, and they again arrested Christie and placed him under guard -in Sheriff Stillwell's house. - -Rumors came that the farmers meant to rescue Christie, so he was taken -at night to the fort on Manhattan Island. Sheriff Stillwell had to fly -from his own house to escape the neighbors, and hurried to New -Amsterdam, where he complained of the illegal acts of the Gravesend -settlers. Excitement ran high. People on Long Island demanded that -Christie be set free; but the Dutch council insisted on keeping him a -prisoner. The council sent an express messenger to Peter Stuyvesant in -Boston, asking him to settle the Long Island difficulties with the -English governor there. - -But the officers of New England would not agree to the sturdy Dutchman's -terms. And other English colonists went through the land that belonged -to the Dutch, rousing the farmers against the West India Company. -Richard Panton, armed with sword and pistol, threatened the men of -Flatbush and other villages near by with the pillage of their property -unless they would swear allegiance to the government at Hartford and -fight against the Dutch. Such was the news that greeted Stuyvesant when -he came back to his capital from Boston. He knew that there were not -enough of the Dutch to resist an attack from the English, who had come -swarming in great numbers recently into Massachusetts and Connecticut. -His only hope lay in argument, and so he sent four of his leading men to -Hartford to try to arrange a peaceful settlement. - -The four Dutchmen sailed from New Amsterdam, and after two days on the -water landed at Milford. There they took horses and rode to New Haven, -where they spent the night. Next day they went on to Hartford over the -rough roads of the wilderness. They were well received, and John -Winthrop, who was governor of Connecticut and a son of Governor -Winthrop of Massachusetts, admitted that some of the claims of the Dutch -were just. But the rest of the officers at Hartford stoutly insisted -that all that part of the Atlantic seacoast belonged to the king of -England, by right of first discovery and claim. "The opinion of the -governor," said these men, "is but the opinion of one man. The grant of -the king of England includes all the land south of the Boston line to -Virginia and to the Pacific Ocean. We do not know any New Netherland, -unless you can show a patent for it from the king of England." -Apparently the Dutch had no rights there at all; the whole tract between -Massachusetts and Virginia belonged to Connecticut. - -Still the Dutchmen tried to reach some sort of friendly agreement. They -proposed that what was known as Westchester, the land lying north of -Manhattan Island, should be considered part of Connecticut, but that the -towns on Long Island should remain under the government of New -Netherland. "We do not know of any province of New Netherland," the -Hartford officers replied. "There is a Dutch governor over a Dutch -plantation on the island of Manhattan. Long Island is included in our -patent, and we shall possess and maintain it." - -So the four Dutchmen had to return to Governor Stuyvesant with word that -the Connecticut men would yield none of their claims. - -The state of affairs was going from bad to worse. Stuyvesant called a -meeting of men from all the neighboring villages, and the meeting sent -a report to the Dutch government in Europe. - -The report had hardly been sent, however, when more startling events -took place in the colony. Two Englishmen, Anthony Waters and John Coe, -with a force of almost one hundred armed men, visited many of the -villages where there were English settlers, and told them they must no -longer pay taxes to the Dutch, as their country belonged to the king of -England. They put their own officers in place of the Dutch officers in -these villages, and then, marching to settlements where most of the -people were Dutch, they tried to make the people there take the oath of -allegiance to the English king. - -A month later a party of twenty Englishmen secretly sailed up the -Raritan River in a sloop, called the chiefs of some of the neighboring -Indian tribes together, and tried to buy a large tract of land from -them. They knew all the while that the Dutch West India Company had -bought that same land from the Indians some time before. - -As soon as he heard of this Peter Stuyvesant sent Crygier, with some -well-armed men, in a swift yacht, to thwart the English traders. He also -sent a friendly Indian to warn the chiefs against trying to sell land -they no longer owned. The Dutch yacht arrived in time to stop the -Indians from dealing with the English, and the latter, baffled there, -sailed their sloop down the bay to a place between Rensselaer's Hook -and Sandy Hook, where they met other Indians and tried to bargain with -them for land. The Dutch Crygier overtook them. - -"You are traitors!" he cried. "You are acting against the government to -which you have taken the oath of fidelity!" - -"This whole country," answered the men from the sloop, "has been given -to the English by His Majesty the King of England." - -Then the two parties separated, Crygier and his men sailing back to New -Amsterdam. - -While matters stood this way in the province of New Netherland an -Englishman, John Scott, petitioned King Charles the Second to grant him -the government of Long Island, which he said the Dutch settlers were -unjustly trying to take away from the king of England. Scott was given -authority to make a report to the English government on the state of -affairs in that part of the New World, and in order to do this he sailed -to America and went to New Haven, where he was warmly welcomed. The -colony of Connecticut gave him the powers of a magistrate throughout -Long Island, and he at once set to work to wrest the island from the -Dutch, whom he upbraided as "cruel and rapacious neighbors who were -enslaving the English settlers." - -Some of the villages on Long Island, however, and especially those where -there were many Quakers and Baptists, did not want to come under the -rule of the Puritans. Therefore six towns, Hempstead, Gravesend, -Flushing, Middlebury, Jamaica and Oyster Bay, formed a government of -their own, asking John Scott to act as their president, until the king -of England should establish a permanent government for them. Scott -swelled with pride in his new power. He gathered an armed force of one -hundred and seventy men, horse and foot, and marched out to compel the -neighboring Dutch towns to join his new colony. - -First he marched on Brooklyn. There he told the citizens that their land -belonged to the crown of England, and that he now claimed it for the -king. He had so many men with him that the Dutch saw it would be -impossible to arrest him, but one of them, the secretary, Van Ruyven, -suggested that he should cross the river to New Amsterdam and talk with -Peter Stuyvesant. Scott pompously answered, "Let Stuyvesant come here -with a hundred men; I will wait for him and run my sword through his -body!" And he scowled and marched up and down before the stolid Dutchman -like a fierce cock-o'-the-walk. - -The Dutchmen of Brooklyn, however, did not seem anxious to exchange the -rule of Governor Peter Stuyvesant for that of Captain John Scott. As he -was strutting up and down Captain Scott spied a boy who looked as if he -would like to use his fists on the Englishman. The boy happened to be a -son of Governor Stuyvesant's faithful officer Crygier. Captain Scott -walked up to the boy, and ordered him to take off his hat and salute the -flag of England. Young Crygier refused, and the quick-tempered captain -struck at him. One of the men standing by called out, "If you have blows -to give, you should strike men, not boys!" - -Four of Scott's men jumped at the man who had dared to speak so, and the -latter, picking up an axe, tried to defend himself, but soon found it -best to run. Scott ordered the people of Brooklyn to give the man up, -threatening to burn the town unless they did so. But the man was not -surrendered, and the captain did not dare to carry out his threat. - -Instead he marched to Flatbush, and unfurled his flag before the house -of the sheriff. Settlers gathered round to see what was happening, and -Captain Scott made them a speech. "This land," said he to the Dutchmen, -"which you now occupy, belongs to His Majesty, King Charles. He is the -right and lawful lord of all America, from Virginia to Boston. Under his -government you will enjoy more freedom than you ever before possessed. -Hereafter you shall pay no more taxes to the Dutch government, neither -shall you obey Peter Stuyvesant. He is no longer your governor, and you -are not to acknowledge his authority. If you refuse to submit to the -king of England, you know what to expect." - -But the men of Flatbush were no more ready to obey the haughty captain -than those of Brooklyn had been. One of the magistrates dared to tell -Scott that he ought to settle this dispute with Peter Stuyvesant. -"Stuyvesant is governor no longer," he retorted. "I will soon go to New -Amsterdam, with a hundred men, and proclaim the supremacy of His -Majesty, King Charles, beneath the very walls of the fort!" - -The Dutch would not obey him, but neither would they take up arms -against him. Such treatment angered the fire-eating captain more and -more. He marched his troop to New Utrecht, where the Dutch flag floated -over the block fort, armed with cannon. Meeting no resistance from the -peace-loving settlers Scott hauled down their flag and replaced it with -the flag of England. Then, using the Dutch cannon and Dutch powder he -fired a salute to announce his victory. All those who passed the fort -were ordered to take off their hats and bow before the new banner, and -those who refused were arrested by his men, and some were bound and -beaten. - -Peter Stuyvesant, in New Amsterdam, heard of these disturbances on Long -Island, and sent three of his leading men to meet Scott and try to make -some settlement with him. They met the captain at Jamaica, and after -much wrangling, at last reached what they thought might be an agreement. -But as they left Scott fired these words at their backs: "This whole -island belongs to the king of England. He has made a grant of it to his -brother, the Duke of York. He knows that it will yield him an annual -revenue of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He is soon coming -with an ample force, to take possession of his property. If it is not -surrendered peaceably he is determined to take, not only the whole -island, but also the whole province of New Netherland!" - -This was alarming news. Some of the English settlers were rallying to -Scott's command, the Dutch in some of the villages fled to Dutch forts -for shelter. Even the prosperous men in New Amsterdam began to fear lest -the English captain should attack their homes. Fortifications were -hurriedly built, and men enrolled as soldiers. - -Peter Stuyvesant, fearful lest he should lose his colony, knowing well -that the English greatly outnumbered the Dutch, found himself in a very -difficult situation. But "Wooden-Legged Peter" was a fighter, quite as -fiery as John Scott when his blood was up. - - -II - -Peter Stuyvesant saw that he would have to make terms with the English -Captain Scott, or more English adventurers might come swarming down from -New England and speedily gobble up the whole of Manhattan Island. He -went to Hempstead on Long Island, on the third day of March, 1664, and -made an agreement with Scott that the villages on the western part of -the island, where the settlers were mainly English, should consider -themselves under English rule until the whole dispute could be settled -by King Charles and the Dutch government. The Dutch had now lost bit by -bit most of the colony they had started out to settle. First the English -had taken the valley of the Connecticut River, because there were more -English settlers there than Dutch, then they took Westchester, now the -four important villages of Flushing, Jamaica, Hempstead and Gravesend -were added to their list. - -Meantime the States-General of Holland, receiving appeals for help from -Stuyvesant, sent him sixty soldiers, and ordered him to resist any -further demands of the English and to try to make the villages that had -rebelled return again to his flag. But the governor knew that he could -not possibly do this, his people were outnumbered six to one, and while -he was turning this matter over in his mind news came that the English -people in Connecticut were making a treaty of alliance with the Indians -who lived along the Hudson. Fearful lest all the tribes should side with -his rivals, Stuyvesant invited a number of the Indian chiefs to a -meeting at the fort of New Amsterdam. - -The chiefs came to the council. One of them called upon Bachtamo, their -tribal name for the Great Spirit, to hear him. "Oh, Bachtamo," he said, -"help us to make a good treaty with the Dutch. And may the treaty we are -about to make be like the stick I hold in my hand. Like this stick may -it be firmly united, the one end to the other." - -Then turning to Stuyvesant and his officers, he went on, "We all desire -peace. I have come with my brother sachems, in behalf of the Esopus -Indians, to conclude a peace as firm and compact as my arms, which I now -fold together." - -He held out his hand to the governor. "What I now say is from the -fullness of my heart. Such is my desire, and that of all my people." - -A treaty was drawn up, signed by the Dutch and the Indians, and -celebrated by the firing of cannon from the fort. Stuyvesant proclaimed -a day of general thanksgiving in honor of the new alliance with the -Indians. - -Now it had been supposed that the English towns on Long Island would -join the colony of Connecticut, but instead the settlers proclaimed -their own independence and chose John Scott for their president. Then -the court at Hartford sent John Allyn, with a party of soldiers, to -arrest Captain Scott for treason. Scott met the Connecticut soldiers -with soldiers of his own, and demanded what they wanted on his land. The -Connecticut officer read the order for Scott's arrest. Then said Captain -Scott, "I will yield my heart's blood on this ground before I will give -in to you or any men from Connecticut!" The men from Hartford answered -readily, "So will we!" - -But in spite of his bold words his opponents did succeed in arresting -Scott, and, taking him to Hartford, put him in prison there. Governor -Winthrop went to Long Island to appoint new officers in the English -villages in place of Scott's men, and Stuyvesant seized the chance to go -to meet the Connecticut governor and make some treaty with him. The -governor of New Netherland explained to the governor of the Connecticut -Colony that the Dutch claimed the land they occupied by the rights of -discovery, purchase, and possession, and reminded him that the boundary -between the two colonies had been defined in a treaty made in 1650. Said -that treaty, "Upon Long Island a line run from the westernmost part of -Oyster Bay, in a straight and direct line to the sea, shall be the -bounds between the English and the Dutch there; the easterly part to -belong to the English, the westernmost part to the Dutch." - -Yet, in spite of this, Governor Winthrop was now many miles west of the -line, claiming villages that were clearly in Dutch territory. The truth -was that Governor Winthrop knew Peter Stuyvesant had not the needful -number of men to oppose the English claims. And the upshot of the -meeting was that Winthrop simply declared that the whole of Long Island -belonged to the king of England. - -That king of England, Charles II, now took a hand in the matter himself. -On March 12, 1664, he granted to his brother, James, Duke of York, the -whole of Long Island, all the islands near it, and all the lands and -rivers from the west shore of the Connecticut River to the east shore of -Delaware Bay. It was a wide, magnificent grant, sweeping away the colony -of New Netherland as if it had been a twig in the path of a tornado. - -Word reached New Amsterdam that a fleet of armed ships had sailed from -Portsmouth in England, bound for the Hudson River, to take possession of -the neighboring territory. The prosperous Dutch settlers were in a -panic. Peter Stuyvesant called his council, and they decided to lose no -time in making their fortifications as strong as possible. Money was -raised, powder was sent for, agents hurried to buy provisions all -through the countryside. In the midst of these preparations the Dutch -government, which had been completely fooled as to the plans of the -English king, sent a message to Governor Stuyvesant saying that he need -have no fear of any further trouble from the English. - -This was pleasant word; it relieved the fears that had been raised by -the message of the armed fleet sailing from Portsmouth for the Hudson. -The work on the forts was stopped, and Stuyvesant went up the river to -Fort Orange to try to quiet Indian tribes in that neighborhood who were -threatening to take to the war-path. - -The English fleet, four frigates, with ninety-four guns all told, -meantime came sailing across the Atlantic, and arrived at Boston the end -of July. Colonel Richard Nicholls was in command of the expedition, with -three commissioners sent out with him from England. Their instructions -were to reduce the Dutch to subjection. They were to get what aid they -could from the New England colonies. The people of Boston, however, were -too busy with their own affairs, and too content, to be interested in -helping to fight the Dutch. But Connecticut was quite ready to help, and -so Colonel Nicholls sent word to Governor Winthrop to meet the English -fleet at the west end of Long Island, to which place it would sail with -the first favoring wind. - -A friend of Peter Stuyvesant's in Boston sent news of the English plans -to New Amsterdam. A fast rider carried the message to the governor at -Fort Orange. Stuyvesant hastened back to his capital, very angry at -having lost three weeks in which to make ready his defenses. He called -every man to work with spade, shovel and wheelbarrow. Six cannon were -added to the fourteen already on the fort. Messengers rode through the -country summoning other garrisons to come to the aid of New Amsterdam. - -On August 20th the English frigates anchored in Nyack Bay, just below -the Narrows, between New Utrecht and Coney Island. All communication -between Long Island and Manhattan Island was cut off. Some small Dutch -boats were captured. Three miles away from the fleet's anchorage, on -Staten Island, was a small fort, a block-house, some twenty feet square. -It boasted two small guns, which shot one pound balls, and was -garrisoned by six soldiers. The English, sending some of their men -ashore, had little difficulty in capturing the fort and rounding up the -cattle that were grazing in the near-by fields. - -The morning after he dropped anchor Colonel Nicholls despatched four of -his men to Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, with a summons to the -garrison to surrender. At the same time he sent out word that if any of -the farmers furnished supplies to the fort he would burn their houses, -but that if they would quietly acknowledge the English flag they might -keep their farms in peace. - -Now Peter Stuyvesant had only one hundred soldiers in his garrison, and -he could not hope for much real aid from the other men, undisciplined -and poorly armed as they were, who lived on Manhattan Island. But he -meant to resist these invaders as strongly as he was able, and so called -his council together to consider what they might do for defense. - -The peace-loving Dutch citizens, however, lacked the fiery spirit of -their governor, and they too held a meeting, and voted not to resist the -English fleet, and asked for a copy of the demand to surrender that -Nicholls had sent to the fort. Governor Stuyvesant, angry though he was, -went to the citizens and tried to persuade them to stand by him. But the -citizens, fearful that a bombardment would destroy their little -settlement, were not in the humor to agree with his ideas. - -The English commander sent another envoy, with a flag of truce, to Fort -Amsterdam, carrying a letter which stated that if Manhattan Island was -surrendered to him the Dutch settlers might keep all the lands and -buildings they possessed. Stuyvesant received the letter, and read it to -his council. The council insisted that the letter should be read to the -people. Stuyvesant refused, saying that he, and not the people, was the -best judge as to what New Amsterdam should do. The council continued to -argue and threaten, until Stuyvesant tore up the letter and trampled it -under his feet to settle the matter. - -The citizens, however, had heard that such a letter had come with a flag -of truce, and they sent three men to demand the message from Peter -Stuyvesant. These men told him bluntly that the people did not intend to -resist the English, that resistance to such a large force was madness, -and that they would mutiny unless he let them see the letter Colonel -Nicholls had sent. - -Again Governor Stuyvesant was forced to yield to pressure. A copy was -made of the letter from its torn pieces, and this was read to the -turbulent citizens. When they had heard it they declared that they were -ready to surrender. But the governor hated the notion of giving up his -province of New Netherland without a struggle; of yielding to highway -robbers, as he regarded the English fleet. So he sent a ship secretly -from Fort Amsterdam by night, bearing a message to the directors of the -Dutch Company in Europe. The message was short. "Long Island is gone and -lost. The capitol cannot hold out long," was what it said. - -Then he sat down and wrote an answer to the letter of Colonel Nicholls. -It was a fair-spoken answer, pointing out that this land belonged to -the Dutch by right of discovery and settlement and purchase from the -Indians. He said that he was sure the king of England would agree with -the Dutch claims if they were presented to him. This was the end of his -letter: "In case you will act by force of arms, we protest before God -and man that you will perform an act of unjust violence. You will -violate the articles of peace solemnly ratified by His Majesty of -England, and my Lords the States-General. Again for the prevention of -the spilling of innocent blood, not only here but in Europe, we offer -you a treaty by our deputies. As regards your threats we have no answer -to make, only that we fear nothing but what God may lay upon us. All -things are at His disposal, and we can be preserved by Him with small -forces as well as by a great army." - -The only answer the English commander saw fit to make to the Dutch -governor's letter was to order his soldiers to prepare to land from the -frigates. - - -III - -Soldiers, both foot and cavalry, were landed on Long Island from the -English fleet, and marched double-quick through the forest toward the -small cluster of houses that stood along the shore where the city of -Brooklyn now rises. They met with no resistance; for the most part these -woods and shores were as empty of men as the day when Henryk Hudson -first sailed up the river that bears his name. - -The fleet meanwhile went up through the Narrows, and two frigates -landed more soldiers a short distance below Brooklyn, to support those -that were marching down the island. Two other frigates, one of -thirty-six guns, the second of thirty, under full sail, passed directly -within range of Stuyvesant's little fort, and anchored between the fort -and Governor's Island. The English fleet meant to show their contempt -for the Dutch claims. - -What was Peter Stuyvesant doing as the frigates so insolently sailed -past under his very eyes? He was a fighter by nature and by trade, as -peppery as some of the sauces he had brought with him from the West -Indies. The cannon of his fort were loaded, and the gunners stood ready -with their burning matches. A word, a nod, a wave of the hand from -Stuyvesant, and the cannon would roar their answer to the insolent -fleet. And what would happen then? Fort Amsterdam had only twenty guns; -and the two frigates sailing by had sixty-six, and the two other -frigates, almost within sight, had twenty-eight more. Stuyvesant bit his -lips as his gunners waited. The first roar of his cannon would almost -certainly mean the ruin of every house in New Amsterdam. - -[Illustration: STUYVESANT BIT HIS LIPS AS HIS GUNNERS WAITED] - -Yet could the governor see the flag of his beloved New Netherland -flouted in this fashion? Raging with anger, the word to fire trembling -on his lips, Stuyvesant turned to listen to the advice of two Dutch -clergymen who had hurried up to him. They begged him not to be the -first to shed blood in a fight that could only end in their utter -defeat. They were outnumbered, outmatched in every way. The governor -knew this was so; no one in the colony indeed knew it better than he. "I -won't open fire," he said, bitter rage in his heart, but he shook his -fist at the white sails of the frigates. - -Stuyvesant left the rampart, leaving fifty men to defend the fort, and -took the rest of the garrison, one hundred soldiers, down to the shore, -to repel the English if they should try to land. He still had a faint -hope that the English commander would make some terms with him that -would allow him to keep the flag of Holland flying over New Amsterdam. - -With this faint hope he sent four of his chief officers with a flag of -truce to Colonel Nicholls. They carried this message from Peter -Stuyvesant: "I feel obliged to defend the city, in obedience to orders. -It is inevitable that much blood will be shed on the occurrence of the -assault. Cannot some accommodation yet be agreed upon? Friends will be -welcome if they come in a friendly manner." - -So spoke the Dutch governor, trying to be patient and reasonable, no -matter how hard such a course might be for him. Colonel Nicholls, sure -of his greater power in men and guns, cared not a whit to be either -reasonable or patient. He sent back a determined answer. "I have nothing -to do but to execute my mission," he said. "To accomplish that I hope -to have further conversation with you on the morrow, at the Manhattans. -You say that friends will be welcome, if they come in a friendly manner. -I shall come with ships and soldiers. And he will be bold indeed who -will dare to come on board my ships, to demand an answer or to solicit -terms. What then is to be done? Hoist the white flag of surrender, and -then something may be considered." - -This haughty answer spread through New Amsterdam, and men and women -rushed to the governor to beg him to surrender. Bombardment by the fleet -would destroy all they owned, and doubtless kill many of them. -Stuyvesant would have fought until his flag fell over a heap of ruins, -but he knew that his people would not stand behind him. "I had rather," -he told the men and women as they thronged about him, "be carried a -corpse to my grave than to surrender the city!" - -The people went to the City Hall, and drew up a paper of protest to -their governor. The protest said that the people could only see misery, -sorrow, and fire in resistance, the ruin of fifteen hundred innocent -men, women and children, only two hundred and fifty of whom were capable -of bearing arms. - -The words of the protest were true. "You are aware," it said, "that four -of the English king's frigates are now in the roadstead, with six -hundred soldiers on board. They have also commissions to all the -governors of New England, a populous and thickly inhabited country, to -impress troops, in addition to the forces already on board, for the -purpose of reducing New Netherland to His Majesty's obedience. - -"These threats we would not have regarded, could we expect the smallest -aid. But, God help us, where shall we turn for assistance, to the north -or to the south, to the east or to the west? 'Tis all in vain. On all -sides we are encompassed and hemmed in by our enemies." Ninety-four of -the chief men of New Amsterdam signed this protest, one of them being -Stuyvesant's own son. In front of the governor were the guns of the -English fleet, behind him was the mutiny of his own people. - -New Amsterdam, only a cluster of some three hundred houses at the -southern end of Manhattan Island, was entirely open to attack from -either the East or the North River. An old palisade, built to protect -the houses from Indian attacks, stretched from river to river on the -north, and in front of this palisade were the remains of an old -breastwork, three feet high and two feet wide. These might be of use -against the Indians, but hardly against well-trained white soldiers. - -Fort Amsterdam itself had only been built to withstand Indians, not -white men. An earthen rampart, ten feet high and four feet thick, -surrounded it, but there were no ditches or palisades. At its back, -where the crowds of Broadway now daily pass, were a number of low wooded -hills, with Indian trails leading through them. These hills, if held by -an enemy, could easily command the fort. The little Dutch garrison -hadn't five hundred pounds of powder on hand. The store of provisions -was equally small, and there was not a single well of water within the -fortifications. To cap the climax, the garrison itself couldn't be -trusted; it was largely made up of the lowest class of the settlers, -unfit to do any other work than shoulder a gun. - -So Peter Stuyvesant saw that he must yield. He chose six of his men to -meet with six of the English at his own bouwery on the morning of August -27th. There was little for the Dutchmen to do but agree to the terms -their enemies offered them. The terms were that the province of New -Netherland should belong to the English. The Dutch settlers might keep -their own property or might leave the country if they chose. They might -have any form of religion they pleased. Their officers, to be chosen at -the next election, would have to take the oath of allegiance to the king -of England. - -Peter Stuyvesant only yielded because he saw that he must. He pulled -down his flag that was flying above the ramparts, and "the fort and town -called New Amsterdam, upon the island of Manhatoes," as the treaty -called it, passed from the ownership of the Dutch to that of the -English. The officers and soldiers of the fort were allowed to march out -with their arms, their drums beating and their colors flying. Most of -the soldiers, many of the settlers, cared little what flag flew above -their colony, so long as they were permitted a peaceful living, but at -least one Dutchman, the governor, "Wooden-Legged Peter," cared much when -he saw the flag of the Netherlands come fluttering down. - -The English Colonel Nicholls and his men marched into the fort and took -possession of the government. They changed the name of the little -settlement from New Amsterdam to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, -who was the brother of the king of England. The fort was christened Fort -James, the name of the Duke of York. Then Colonel Nicholls sent troops -up the Hudson to take possession of the Dutch settlement of Fort Orange, -and other troops to the Delaware River to raise the English flag over -the small Dutch colony of New Amstel. The name of Fort Orange was -changed to Fort Albany, the second title of the king's brother, the Duke -of York. The settlers there were well treated, and given the same -liberty as was given the people on Manhattan Island. But those at New -Amstel, on the Delaware, did not fare so well. Peter Stuyvesant -indignantly reported that "At New Amstel, on the South River, -notwithstanding they offered no resistance, but demanded good treatment, -which however they did not obtain, they were invaded, stript bare, -plundered, and many of them sold as slaves in Virginia." - -The flag of England now flew where the flag of the Netherlands had waved -for half a century. There was no excuse for this seizing of the Dutch -colony by the English. The Dutch were peaceful neighbors, fair in their -dealings with the other colonies. But while the Dutch had not greatly -increased the number of their settlers in the New World, the English -had. New England was growing fast, so was Virginia, and in between these -two English settlements lay the small Dutch one, at the mouth of a great -river, and with the finest harbor of the whole seacoast. The English had -cast envious eyes upon Manhattan Island. They wanted to own the whole -seacoast; and so, being strong enough, they took it. And the Dutch, like -the Indians before them, had to bow to the stronger force. - -The Dutch Government in Europe called Peter Stuyvesant there to explain -why he had surrendered his colony. He went to Holland and made his acts -so clear to the States-General that they held him guiltless of every -charge against him. Then he returned to New York and settled down at his -bouwery, where he lived comfortably and well, like most of his Dutch -neighbors, unvexed by the constant troubles he had known when he was the -governor. - -The colony of New York grew and prospered. The patroons lived on their -big estates, rich, hospitable families, much like the wealthy planters -of Virginia. The Dutch people in the towns were a thrifty, peaceable -lot, glad to welcome new settlers, no matter from where they came. Most -of the settlers came now from England, very few from the Netherlands; -and in time there were more English than Dutch in the province. By the -time of the Revolution the people of the two nations were practically -one in their ideas and aims. Dutch and English fought side by side in -that war, and helped to make the great state of New York. But the Dutch -blood and the Dutch virtues persisted, and many of the greatest men of -the new state bore old Dutch names. And so, though Peter Stuyvesant and -his neighbors had to haul down their flag from their primitive ramparts -at Fort Amsterdam, they and their descendants left their stamp upon that -part of the New World they had been the first to settle. - - - - -III - -WHEN GOVERNOR ANDROSS CAME TO CONNECTICUT - -(_Connecticut, 1675_) - - -One of the most interesting stories in the history of the American -colonies is that of the adventures of the judges who voted for the -execution of King Charles I of England and who fled across the water -when his son came to the throne as Charles II. They were known as the -regicides, a name given to them because they were held to be responsible -for the king's death. When Charles II came back to England as king, -after the days when Oliver Cromwell was the Lord Protector, he pardoned -many of the men who had taken sides against his father, but his friends -urged him not to be so generous in his treatment of the judges. So he -issued a proclamation, stating that such of the judges of King Charles I -as did not surrender themselves as prisoners within fourteen days should -receive no pardon. The regicides and their friends were greatly alarmed. -Nineteen surrendered to the king's officers; some fled across the ocean; -and others were arrested as they tried to escape. Ten of them were -executed. Two, Edward Whalley and William Goffe, reached Boston Harbor -in July, 1660. Another, John Dixwell, came afterward. - -Governor Endicott and the leading men of Boston, not knowing how King -Charles intended to treat the judges, welcomed them as men who had held -posts of honor in England. They were entertained most hospitably in the -little town, and they went about quite freely, making no attempt to -conceal from any one who they were. - -Then word came to Boston that the king regarded the escaped judges as -traitors. Immediately many of those who had been friendly to the -regicides slunk away from them, avoiding them as if they had the plague. -The judges heard, moreover, that now Governor Endicott had called a -court of magistrates to order them seized and turned over to the -executioner. So, as they had fled from England before, the hunted -regicides now fled from the colony of Massachusetts Bay. - -At the settlement of New Haven there were many who had been friends and -followers of Oliver Cromwell, and the regicides turned in that -direction. They reached that town in March, 1661, and found a haven in -the home of John Davenport, a prominent minister. Here they were among -friends, and here they went about as freely as they had done at first in -Boston; and everybody liked them, for they were fine, honorable men, who -had done their duty as they saw it when they had decreed the execution -of King Charles I. - -There came a royal order to Massachusetts, requiring the governor to -arrest the fugitives. The governor and his officers were anxious to show -their zeal in carrying out all the wishes of the new king, and so they -gave a commission to two zealous young royalists, Thomas Kellond and -Thomas Kirk, authorizing them to hunt through the colonies as far south -as Manhattan Island for the missing judges and to bring them back to -Boston. - -The searchers set out at once, and went first to Governor Winthrop at -Hartford. He gave them permission to arrest the regicides anywhere in -the colony of Connecticut, but he assured them that he understood that -the judges were not in his colony, but had gone on to the colony of New -Haven. So they set forth again, and next day reached the town of -Guilford, where they stopped to procure a warrant from Governor Leete, -who lived there. - -Governor Leete appeared to be very much surprised at the news the two -men brought. He said that he didn't think the regicides were in New -Haven. He took the papers bearing the orders of Governor Winthrop and -read them in so loud a voice that the two men begged him to keep the -matter more quiet, lest some traitors should overhear. Then he delayed -furnishing them with fresh horses, and, the next day being Sunday, the -pursuers were forced to wait over an extra day before they could -continue their hunt. - -In the meantime an Indian messenger was sent to New Haven in the night, -to give warning of the pursuers. Then Governor Leete refused either to -give the pursuers a warrant or to send men with them to arrest the -regicides until he should have had a chance to consult with the -magistrates, which meant that he himself would have to go to New Haven. -The upshot of all this was that the pursuers stayed chafing in Guilford -while the men they were hunting had plenty of time to escape. - -John Davenport, the minister at New Haven, preached that Sunday morning -to a congregation that had heard the news of the pursuit of the English -judges. Davenport knew that the king of England had ordered the capture -of the judges and that this colony of New Haven was part of the English -realm. Yet, for the sake of mercy and justice, he urged his hearers to -protect the fugitives who had taken refuge among them. Not in so many -words did he urge it, but his hearers knew what he meant, for the text -of his sermon, taken from the sixteenth chapter of Isaiah, read: "Take -counsel, execute judgment, make thy shadow as the night in the midst of -noonday; hide the outcasts, bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine -outcasts dwell with thee; Moab, be thou a covert to them from the face -of the spoiler." The congregation understood his meaning. - -Early Monday morning Kellond and Kirk rode into New Haven, where the -people met them with surly faces. They had to wait until Governor Leete -arrived, and when he did he refused to take any steps in the matter -until he had called the freemen together. The two pursuers, now growing -angry, told the governor flatly that it looked to them as if he wanted -the regicides to escape. Spurred on by this the governor called the -magistrates together, but their decision was that they would have to -call a meeting of the general court. - -More exasperated than ever, the two hunters spoke plainly to Governor -Leete. They pointed out that he was not behaving as loyally as the -governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut had; they warned him against -giving aid to traitors, and then they flatly asked whether he meant to -obey King Charles or not. - -"We honor His Majesty," answered Governor Leete, "but we have tender -consciences." - -The pursuers lodged at a little inn in New Haven. There the governor -went that evening, and taking one of them by the hand, said, "I wish I -had been a plowman, and had never been in office, since I find it so -weighty." - -"Will you own His Majesty or no?" demanded the two men from -Massachusetts. - -"We would first know whether His Majesty would own us," was the -governor's guarded answer. - -The officers of New Haven would not help them, the people were openly -hostile, and so Kellond and Kirk left the colony, without having dared -to search a single house. They went south to Manhattan Island, where -the Dutch Governor Stuyvesant received them very politely, and promised -to help them arrest the fugitives if the latter came to New Netherland. -Then they went back to Boston, baffled of their quarry. - -Now when the Indian messenger had come to New Haven the fugitive judges -had fled from the town and spent the night at a mill two miles away. -Then they went to a place called "Hatchet Harbor," where they stayed a -couple of days, and from there to a cave upon a mountain that they -called Providence Hill. This cave, ever since known as the "Judges' -Cave," was a splendid hiding place. On the top of the mountain stood a -group of pillars of trap rock, like a grove of trees. These rocks -slanted inwards and so formed a room, the door of which could be hidden -with boughs. Here the regicides hid for almost a month. A friend named -Sperry, who lived in the neighborhood, brought them food. Sometimes he -sent the provisions by his small son, who left the basket on the stump -of a tree near the top of the mountain. The boy couldn't understand what -became of the food and how it happened that he always found the basket -empty when he returned for it the next day. The only answer the cautious -father would give him was, "There's somebody at work in the woods who -wants the food." - -That part of the country near the "Judges' Cave" was full of wild -animals. One night the regicides were visited by a panther that thrust -its head in at the door of their cave and roared at them. One of the -judges fled down the mountain to Sperry's house and gave the alarm, and -the farmer and the fugitives hunted the panther the rest of the night. - -After a while the fugitives decided that it would be better for their -friends in the colony, and particularly for Mr. Davenport, if they -should give themselves up in obedience to the command of King Charles. -They left their cave and went to Guilford to see Governor Leete. But the -governor and the other officers did not want to surrender them to the -king. The judges hid in the governor's cellar, and were fed from his -table, while he considered the best course to adopt. The colony of New -Haven decided that it would not arrest them, and so the fugitives moved -to the house of a Mr. Tompkins in Milford, where they stayed in hiding -for two years. - -The people of Milford did not know that the fugitives were there. One -day a girl came to the house and happened to sing a ballad lately come -from England, that made sport of the fugitive regicides. She sang the -song in a room just above the one where the fugitives were, and they -were so amused by the words that they asked Mr. Tompkins to have her -come again and again and sing to her unseen audience. - -Officers came out from England in 1664, charged, among other duties, -with the arrest of the fugitive judges, and the friends of the regicides -thought it best that they should leave Milford for some new hiding -place. So in October they set out for the small town of Hadley, on the -frontier of Massachusetts, a hundred miles from Milford, and so distant -from Boston, Hartford and New Haven that it was thought that no one -could trace them there. They traveled only at night, lying hidden in the -woods by day. The places where they stopped they called Harbors, and the -name still remains attached to one of them, now the flourishing town of -Meriden, which bears the title of Pilgrim's Harbor. They reached Hadley -in safety, and were taken in at the house of John Russell, a clergyman. -He gave them room in his house, and there they spent the rest of their -lives, safe from royal agents and spies in the small frontier -settlement. So three of the men, who, doing their duty as they saw it, -had voted for the execution of King Charles I, found a refuge in the -American wilderness from the pursuit of his son, King Charles II. - -Ten years later a very different sort of man came to the colony of -Connecticut. King Charles I had made large grants in America to his -brother the Duke of York, and among other territory that which had -belonged to the Dutch, called New Netherland. The Duke of York made -Major Edmund Andross, afterward Sir Edmund Andross, governor of all his -territories, and sent him out to New England. With full powers from the -Duke, Andross expected to do about as he pleased, and rule like a king -in the new world. - -By way of making a good start Edmund Andross at once laid claim to all -the land that had belonged to the Dutch and also to that part of -Connecticut that lay west of the Connecticut River. Unless the settlers -in that part of Connecticut consented to his rule he threatened to -invade their land with his soldiers. Now the people of Connecticut had -received the boundary of their colony in an early grant, and though they -already had the prospect of a war with the Indians under King Philip on -their hands, their governor and his council determined to resist the -cutting in two of their colony. - -Word came to Hartford that Andross was about to land at the port of -Saybrook and intended to march to Hartford, New Haven and other towns, -suppress the colonial government and establish his own. At once colonial -soldiers were sent to Saybrook and New London, and Captain Thomas Bull, -in command at the former place, strengthened the fortifications there to -resist the Duke of York's new governor. - -July 9, 1675, the people of Saybrook saw an armed fleet heading for -their fort. The men hurried to the fort and put themselves under the -command of Captain Bull. Then a letter came from the governor at -Hartford telling them what to do. "And if so be those forces on board -should endeavor to land at Saybrook," so ran the order, "you are in His -Majesty's name to forbid their landing. Yet if they should offer to -land, you are to wait their landing and to command them to leave their -arms on board; and then you may give them leave to land for necessary -refreshing, peaceably, but so that they return on board again in a -convenient time." - -Major Andross sent a request that he might be allowed to land and meet -the officers of Saybrook. The request was granted, and Captain Bull, -with the principal men of the town, met the Englishman and his officers -on the beach. Captain Bull stated the orders he had received from the -governor of Connecticut. Andross, with great haughtiness, waved the -orders aside, and told his clerk to read aloud the commission he held -from the Duke of York. - -But Captain Bull was not easily cowed. He ordered the clerk to stop his -reading of the commission. The surprised clerk hesitated a minute, then -went on with the reading. "Forbear!" thundered the captain, in a tone -that startled even Major Andross. - -The major, however, haughty and overbearing though he was, could not -help but admire the other man's determined manner. "What is your name?" -he asked. - -"My name is Bull, sir," was the answer. - -"Bull!" said Andross. "It is a pity that your horns are not tipped with -silver." - -Then, seeing that the captain and his men would not listen to his -commission from the Duke of York, Andross returned to his small boat, -and a few hours later his fleet sailed away from the harbor. - -The colony of Connecticut, like those of Massachusetts and New York, -now had a checkered career. Governor John Winthrop, who had done so much -for his people, died. False reports of the colony were carried to -England, the people were accused of harboring pirates and other outlaws. -Finally, in 1686, Andross, now Sir Edmund Andross, was given a royal -commission as governor of New England. - -Sir Edmund went to Boston, and from there sent a message to the governor -of Connecticut saying that he had received an order from the king to -require Connecticut to give up its charter as a colony. The governor and -council answered that, though they wished to do the king's bidding in -all things, they begged that they might keep the original grants of -their charter. - -Sir Edmund's answer to that was to go to Hartford. October 31, 1687, he -entered Hartford, accompanied by several gentlemen of his suite and with -a body-guard of some sixty soldiers. He meant to take the charter in -spite of all protests. - -The governor and council met him with all marks of respect, but it was -clear that they were not over-pleased to see him. Andross marched into -the hall where the General Assembly was in session, demanded the -charter, and declared that their present government was dissolved. -Governor Treat protested, and eloquently told of all the early hardships -of the colonists, their many wars with the Indians, the privations they -had endured. Finally he said that it was like giving up his life to -surrender the charter that represented rights and privileges they had so -dearly bought and enjoyed for so long a time. - -Sir Edmund listened to the governor's speech attentively. Looking about -him at the citizens who had gathered in the Assembly Hall he realized -that it would be well for him to obtain the charter as quietly as he -could, and without waking too much spirit of resentment in the men of -Hartford. Governor Treat's speech was long, the sun set, twilight came -on, and still the charter of the colony had not been handed over to Sir -Edmund. - -The governor and the people knew that Sir Edmund meant to have the -charter; he himself was prepared to stay there until they should hand -the paper over to him. Candles were brought into the hall and their -flickering light showed the spirited governor still arguing with the -determined, haughty Sir Edmund. More people pressed into the room to -hear the governor's words. Sir Edmund Andross glanced at the crowd; now -they seemed peaceful people, not of the kind likely to make trouble. - -Sir Edmund had listened to Governor Treat long enough. He grew -impatient. He slapped his hand on the table in front of him, and stated -again that he required the people of Connecticut to hand him over their -charter, and that at once. The governor saw that Sir Edmund's patience -was at an end, and whispered a word to his secretary. The secretary -left the room, and when he returned he brought the precious charter in -his hand. - -The charter was laid on the table in full view of Sir Edmund and the men -of the Assembly and the people who had crowded into the hall. Sir Edmund -smiled; he had taught these stubborn Connecticut colonists a -well-deserved lesson. He leaned forward in his chair, reaching out his -hand for the parchment. At that very instant the candles went out, and -the room was in total darkness. - -No one spoke, there were no threats of violence, no motion toward Sir -Edmund. In silence they waited for the relighting of the candles. - -The clerks relighted the candles. Andross looked again at the table. The -charter had disappeared. Andross stared at Governor Treat and the -governor stared back at him, apparently as much amazed as was Sir Edmund -at the disappearance. Then both men began to hunt. They looked in every -corner of the room where the charter might have been hidden. But the -charter had vanished in the time between the going-out of the candles -and their relighting. - -Sir Edmund, baffled and indignant, hid his anger as well as he could, -and with his gentlemen and soldiers left the Assembly Room. Next day he -took over control of the colony, and issued a proclamation that stated -that by the king's order the government of the colony of Connecticut was -annexed to that of Massachusetts and the other colonies under his rule. -The orders he gave were harsh and tyrannical, and the people of the -colony had little cause to like him. - -What had become of the charter? When Governor Wellys, a former governor -of Connecticut, had come to America he had sent his steward, a man named -Gibbons, to prepare a country home for him. Gibbons chose a suitable -place, and was cutting trees on a hill where the governor's house was to -stand when some Indians from the South Meadow came up to him and begged -him not to cut down an old oak that was there. "It has been the guide of -our ancestors for centuries," said the leader of the Indians, "as to the -time of planting our corn. When the leaves are of the size of a mouse's -ears, then is the time to put the seed in the ground." - -The tree was allowed to stand, and flourished, in spite of a large hole -near the base of its trunk. - -When the candles had been blown out in the Assembly Hall Captain -Wadsworth had seized the charter and stolen away with it. He knew of the -oak with the hole that seemed purposely made for concealing things. -There he took the charter and hid it, and neither Andross nor his men -ever laid hands on it. The tree became famous in history as the Charter -Oak. - -As long as James II was king of England Andross and other despotic -governors like him had their way in the colonies. But when James was -driven from his throne by William, the Prince of Orange, conditions -changed. William sent a messenger with a statement of his new plans for -the government of New England, and when the messenger reached Boston he -was welcomed with open arms. Andross, however, had the man arrested and -thrown into jail. Then on April 18, 1689, the people of Boston and the -neighboring towns rose in rebellion, drove Andross and his fellows from -their seats in the government and put back the old officers they had had -before. They thought that William III would treat them more justly than -James II had done, and they were not disappointed. - -Already, in their protection of the regicides and in their saving of -their charter, the people of Connecticut had shown that love of liberty -that was to burst forth more bravely than ever in the days of the -Revolution. - - - - -IV - -THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN NATHANIEL BACON AND SIR WILLIAM BERKELEY - -(_Virginia, 1676_) - - -I - -There was great excitement in that part of the American colony of -Virginia where Edmund Porter lived. It was in the month of May, 1676, -and the place was the country just below the settlement of Henricus, on -the James River, as one went down-stream toward the capital city of -Jamestown. The Porters had a plantation not very far from Curles, which -was the name of the place where their friend Nathaniel Bacon lived; and -Nathaniel Bacon seemed to be the centre of the exciting events that were -taking place. - -Nathaniel Bacon was a young man, of a good family in England, who had -come out to Virginia with his wife, and settled at Curles on the James. -He had another estate farther up the river, a place called "Bacon -Quarter Branch," where his overseer and servants looked after his -affairs, and to which he could easily ride in a morning from his own -home, or go in his barge on the James, unless he objected to being rowed -seven miles around the peninsula at Dutch Gap. He was popular with his -neighbors, and seemed as quiet as any of them until trouble with the -Indians in the spring of that year made him declare that he was going to -see whether the governor would protect the farms along the river, and if -the governor wouldn't, then he had a mind to take the matter into his -own hands. - -Now Edmund, who was a well-grown boy of sixteen, wanted to be wherever -there was excitement, and so spent as much time as he could at Curles. -He was out in the meadow back of the house, watching one of the men -break in a colt, when a messenger came with news that Indians had -attacked Mr. Bacon's other estate; killed his overseer and one of his -servants, and were carrying fire and bloodshed along the frontier. The -news spread like wild-fire, as news of Indian raids always did, for -there was nothing else so fear-inspiring to the white settlers. Edmund -jumped on his pony, and rode home as fast as he could to tell his -father. Then father and son, each taking a gun, with powder-horn and -bullet-pouch, dashed back to Nathaniel Bacon's. Other planters had -already gathered there, armed and ready to ride on the track of the -Indians. There was much talk and debate; some wanted to know whether -Governor Berkeley, down the river at Jamestown, would send soldiers to -protect the plantations farther up the James; others wondered whether -the governor, who was not very prompt or ready in dealing with the -Indians in this far-off part of the colony, would be willing to -commission the planters to take the war into their own hands. In the -midst of all the talk Bacon himself appeared, and the crowd of horsemen -called on him to take command, it being known he had often said openly -that he intended to protect Curles and his other farms from the -redskins. - -Bacon agreed to lead his neighbors, but told them he thought it would be -best to send a messenger to Sir William Berkeley, and ask for the -governor's commission. A man was sent at once down the river to -Jamestown, and the neighbors rode home to wait for the governor's -answer. Next afternoon they met again at Curles, and heard the answer -Sir William Berkeley sent. It was very polite, and spoke highly of -Nathaniel Bacon and his neighbors. It further said that the times were -very troubled, that the governor was anxious to keep on good terms with -the Indians, and was afraid that the outcome of an attack on them might -be dangerous, and urged Mr. Bacon, for his own good interests, not to -ride against them. He did not actually refuse the commission that Bacon -had asked for, but, what amounted to the same matter, he did not send -it. - -The horsemen were very angry. Sir William Berkeley, a man seventy years -old, and safe at Jamestown, might care little what the Indians did, but -the men whose plantations were threatened cared a great deal. Again they -urged Bacon to lead them, and he, nothing loath now that he had set the -matter fairly before the governor, jumped into his saddle and put -himself at the head of the troop. All were armed, some had fought -Indians before; in those days such a ride was not uncommon. A few boys -rode with their fathers, and among them Edmund Porter. - -Bacon's band rode fast, and were marching through the woods of Charles -City when a messenger came dashing after them. The company stopped to -hear him. He said that he came from Sir William, and that Sir William -ordered the band to disperse, on pain of being treated as rebels against -his authority. The message made it clear that they would ride on at -their peril. - -This threat cooled the ardor of some, but not of many. Bacon snapped his -fingers at the governor's messenger, and rode on, with fifty-seven other -followers. They were not the men to leave their frontiers unguarded, no -matter what Sir William might call them. - -Bacon led on to the Falls, and there he found the Indians entrenched on -a hill. Several white men went forward to parley, but as they advanced -an Indian in ambush fired a shot at the rear of the party, and their -captain gave the word to attack. Edmund and a few others formed a -rear-guard by the river, while the rest waded through a stream; climbed -the slope; stormed and set fire to the Indian stockade, and so blew up a -great store of powder that the red men had collected. The rout of the -marauding Indians was complete, and when the fighting was over one -hundred and fifty of them had been killed, with only a loss of three in -Bacon's party. Victory had been won, the Indians were driven back to the -mountains, leaving the plantations along the James safe, for some time -at least. With a train of captives, Bacon and his neighbors rode -homeward. The Porters went to their plantation, and the others scattered -to their houses farther down the river. Edmund and his father thought -the excitement was over, and everybody in the neighborhood had only -words of the highest praise for the gallant Nathaniel Bacon. - -Sir William Berkeley, however, was very angry, and he was a man of his -word. He had sent his messenger to say that if Bacon marched against the -Indians he should consider Bacon a rebel and the men who rode with him -rebels as well. He meant to be master in Virginia, and therefore as soon -as the news of what was called the Battle of Bloody Run came to him he -made his plans to teach all rebellious colonists a lesson. He called for -a company of officers and horsemen and set out hot foot, in spite of his -seventy years, to capture the upstart Bacon and make an example of him. - -But Sir William had not ridden far when disquieting news reached him. -The people along the coast had heard how Bacon had sent to the governor -for a commission and had been refused, and they also knew how he had -fought the Indians in spite of the governor's warning. They were proud -of him; they liked his dash and determination, and they meant to stand -by him, no matter what Sir William might have to say. - -The governor, who had always had his own way in Virginia, was thoroughly -furious now. There were rebels before him, and rebels behind him, for -that was the name he gave to all who dared to dispute his orders. But -with the lower country in a blaze he didn't dare attend to Nathaniel -Bacon then, so he ordered his troop of horse to countermarch, and -galloped back to Jamestown as fast as he could go. - -When he reached his capital he found it in a tumult; word came to him -that all the counties along the lower James and the York Rivers had -rebelled. It looked as if the colony were facing a civil war like the -one that had broken out in England thirty years before. Then, realizing -that this was no time for anger, but for cool, calm words, Sir William -mended his manners. He didn't pour oil on the colonists' fire; instead -he met their demands half-way. When the leaders of the colonists -protested that the forts on the border were more apt to be a danger to -them than a help, Sir William agreed that the forts should be -dismantled. When the leaders said that the House of Burgesses, which was -the name of the Virginia parliament, no longer represented the people, -but in fact defied the people's will, Sir William answered that the -House of Burgesses should be dissolved and the people given a chance to -send new representatives to it. And the governor kept his word after the -angry planters had gone back to their homes. He didn't want such a civil -war in Virginia as the one that had cost King Charles the First his -throne in England. - -Sir William might have forgiven Nathaniel Bacon's disobedience, and -forgotten all about it, but the owner of Curles Manor bobbed up into -public notice again almost immediately. As soon as orders were sent out -through the colony that new elections were to be held for the House of -Burgesses, as the governor had promised, Bacon declared that he was a -candidate to represent Henrico County. He was so popular now that when -the election was held he was chosen by a very large vote. Many men -voting for him who had no right to vote at all, according to the law, -which said that only freeholders, or men who owned land, should have the -right to vote in such a case. So now the man who had been called a rebel -by the governor was going to Jamestown to sit in the House of Burgesses -and help make laws for the colony. Many a man might have hesitated to do -that, but not such a good fighter as Mr. Bacon. - -The new burgesses were summoned to meet at Jamestown early that June, -and they traveled there through the wilderness in many ways. Some rode -on horseback, fording or swimming the numerous streams and rivers, for -bridges were few, some came by coach, and some went down the river by -barge or by sloop, the easiest way for those who lived near the James. -Bacon chose the last way, and on a bright morning in June left his house -at Curles, and with thirty neighbors sailed down the river. Mr. Porter -and Edmund went with him, for the father had often promised his son to -take him to Jamestown, and this seemed a good opportunity. - -The voyage started pleasantly, but ended in disaster. Sir William now -considered himself doubly flouted by this man from Curles, and vowed -that the rebel Bacon should never sit in the new House of Burgesses. As -the sloop came quietly sailing down to Jamestown a ship that was lying -at anchor in front of the town trained its cannon on the smaller vessel, -and the sheriff, who was on board the ship, sent men to the sloop to -arrest Bacon and certain of his friends. There was no use in resisting; -the cannon could blow the sloop out of the water at a word. Bacon -surrendered to the sheriff's men, and he and the others who were wanted -were landed and marched up to the State House, while Edmund Porter and -the others rowed themselves ashore, wondering what was going to happen -to their friend. - -Governor Berkeley was at the State House when Bacon was brought in. Each -of the two men was quick-tempered and haughty, but they managed to keep -their anger out of their words. Sir William said coldly, "Mr. Bacon, -have you forgot to be a gentleman?" - -Bacon answered in the same tone, "No, may it please your honor." - -"Then," said Sir William, "I'll take your parole." - -That was all that was said, and Bacon was released on his word as a -gentleman that he would do no more mischief. Doubtless the haughty -governor would have liked to lodge the other man in jail, but he didn't -dare attempt that, for the newly elected burgesses were reaching -Jamestown every hour. Further almost all of them were known to side with -Bacon, and in addition the town was fast filling with planters from the -counties along the river that had revolted against the governor. So for -the second time that spring Sir William saw the advantage of bending his -stiff pride in order to ride out the storm. - -The governor knew, however, that Bacon would be a thorn in his side -unless he could be made to bend the knee to his own authority. So Sir -William went to Bacon's cousin, a man who was very rich and prominent in -the colony, and a member of the governor's council. He urged this man, -who was known as Colonel Nathaniel Bacon, Senior, to go to his cousin, -Nathaniel, Junior, and try to induce him to yield to Sir William's -wishes. Colonel Bacon agreed, and was so successful with his arguments -that the younger man, proud and headstrong as he was, at last consented -to write out a statement, admitting that he had been in the wrong in -disobeying Sir William Berkeley's orders, and to read it on his knees -before the members of the Assembly, which was another name for the House -of Burgesses. This was a great victory for the governor. Events had -followed one another fast. In the space of little more than a week the -owner of Curles Plantation had been proclaimed a rebel, had marched -against the Indians and beaten them, had been a candidate for the House -of Burgesses and been elected, had sailed down to Jamestown, been -arrested, and paroled, and was now to admit on his knees that he had -indeed been a rebel. - -On June 5, 1676, Bacon went to the State House. The governor and his -council sat with the burgesses, and Sir William Berkeley spoke to them -about recent border fights between Virginians and Indians. He denounced -the killing of six Indian chiefs in Maryland, who, he said, had come to -treat of peace with white soldiers, and he added, "If they had killed my -grandfather and grandmother, my father and mother and all my friends, -yet if they had come to treat of peace, they ought to have gone in -peace." - -Sir William sat down; then after a few minutes stood up again. "If there -be joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth," -said he, with solemn humor, "there is joy now, for we have a penitent -sinner come before us. Call Mr. Bacon." - -Bacon came in, and knelt down before the governor and his council and -his fellow Virginians. He read from a paper he held, confessing that he -had been guilty of "unlawful, mutinous, and rebellious practices," and -promised that if the governor would pardon him he would act "dutifully, -faithfully, and peaceably," under a penalty of two thousand pounds -sterling. He pledged his whole estate for his good behavior for one -year. - -When Bacon had finished, Sir William said, "God forgive you; I forgive -you." And to make the words more impressive he repeated them three -times. - -"And all that were with him," said Colonel Cole, a member of the -council, meaning the men who had rebelled with Bacon and fought the -Indians. - -"Yes, and all that were with him," the governor agreed. Then Sir William -added, "Mr. Bacon, if you will live civilly but till next -quarter-day,--but till next quarter-day," he repeated the words, "I'll -promise to restore you to your place there!" and he pointed to the seat -which Bacon had sometimes occupied during meetings of the council. - -All was peace again; the black sheep had repented and been allowed to -return to the fold. It was generally understood that in return for -Bacon's apology the governor would now give him the commission he had -asked for before, the commission as "General of the Indian Wars," which -would allow him to protect outlying plantations against Indian raids. -Sir William pardoned the rebel on Saturday, and "General Bacon," as many -people in Jamestown already spoke of him, took up his lodgings at the -house of a Mr. Lawrence, there to wait until his expected commission -should be sent him early the next week. Mr. Porter and his son, and many -of the friends who had come in Bacon's sloop, took rooms at near-by -houses, for their leader might be going back to Curles as soon as he had -his commission, and they wanted to go with him. - -Monday came and Tuesday, but no commission arrived from Sir William. On -Wednesday there was no message for Bacon from the governor. Instead -rumors began to spread abroad. Mr. Lawrence, who had an old grudge -against Sir William, was reported to be busy with some plot against him; -men of doubtful reputation were seen about the house, and it was -whispered that possibly there might be further trouble. Edmund heard -these rumors; he knew that there were men in Jamestown who wanted -Nathaniel Bacon to defy the governor, and he kept his eyes and ears wide -open. Then one morning, as he and his father came out from the house -where they were staying, they met a crowd of their friends. "Bacon is -fled!" cried these men. "Bacon is fled!" - -Edmund listened to the excited words. Sir William had been frightened as -he heard that more and more planters were flocking into Jamestown, he -doubted that Bacon meant to keep his word, he knew that Lawrence's house -was a hot-bed of disorder, and he determined that he would crush any -rebellion before it got a start, and put the popular leader where he -could do no harm. Bacon's cousin, the colonel, who was fond of his -kinsman, though he disapproved of what he had done, had sent word the -night before to Nathaniel, bidding him fly for his life. At daybreak -the governor's officers had gone to Lawrence's house; but the man they -wanted was gone; he had fled into the country, wisely heeding his -cousin's warning. - -"Bacon is fled!" were the words that sped through Jamestown that June -morning. And many who heard the words were glad, for now they hoped that -the rebel would raise a force and overthrow Sir William, who had made -many enemies in his long and strict rule as governor. Men stole away -from the capital in twos and threes, some by the river, more on -horseback through the country. They were afraid to stay lest Berkeley -should put them in irons as partisans of Bacon's. Mr. Porter found a man -with horses to sell, bought two, and with his son rode out of Jamestown -before noon. West along the river bank they galloped. Bacon would make -for Henrico County, and there they wanted to join him. "And I may ride -with you and General Bacon, father?" Edmund begged. - -"I don't know," said the father. "This may be more serious business than -looking after the rear-guard in a skirmish with Indians." - -"But I'm almost a man, father," Edmund urged. "And even if I didn't -fight, there's other things I could do." - -"I hope there'll be no fighting. It's bad when settlers turn their guns -against each other. We'll have to wait till we find Nat, Edmund, and -learn what he's going to do. If it's a fight it's a fight for liberty -and the safety of our homes. The governor's wrong; he hasn't treated us -fair." - -All that day they rode through the river country, and wherever they came -to settlements they found armed men mounting, for the news had spread -rapidly that Nathaniel Bacon was raising an army to fight the governor. - - -II - -From big plantations and from small farms, from manor-houses in the -lowlands and from log cabins in the uplands, grown men and half-grown -boys, armed with guns or swords, hurried to join General Bacon, who was -sending out his call for recruits from his headquarters up the James -River. The colonists were a hardy lot, used to hunting and fighting, and -well pleased now at the prospect of upsetting the tyrannical governor at -Jamestown. Within three days after Bacon's escape from the capital he -was at the head of about six hundred men, stirring them with his -speeches, for he was a very fine and fiery orator, until they were ready -to follow wherever he led. The Porters, father and son, succeeded in -joining his ranks, and when the young commander set out on his march to -Jamestown they rode among his men. - -What was Sir William Berkeley doing meantime? Bacon was a fighter, but -the white-haired governor was a fighter also. He sent riders from -Jamestown to summon what were called the "train-bands" of York and -Gloucester, counties that lay along Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic -Ocean. But the spirit of rebellion had spread from the plantations along -the James down to the seaboard settlements, and only a hundred soldiers, -and not all of them very loyal to the governor, answered his summons. -They marched so slowly that Bacon reached Jamestown before they were in -sight of the town. At two in the afternoon the rebel leader entered the -capital at the head of his men and drew up his troops on the green, not -an arrow's flight from the State House where he had knelt for the -governor's pardon less than ten days before. - -At his order his men sentineled the roads, seized all the firearms they -could find, and disarmed or arrested all men coming into Jamestown by -land or river, except such as joined their own ranks. - -The little capital was in a turmoil. Sir William and his council sat in -a room at the State House, debating what course to take. They ordered a -drummer to summon the burgesses, and those burgesses who were not -already in Bacon's army came trooping to the State House. It seemed as -if war was to break out then and there. Bacon marched across the green -with a file of fusileers on either side, and reached the corner of the -State House. Sir William and his council came out, and the two leaders -fronted one another, Bacon fairly cool and collected, but the aged -governor raging at this affront to his dignity. - -Sir William walked up to Bacon, and tearing open the lace at the breast -of his coat, cried angrily, "Here! Shoot me! 'Fore God, a fair -mark--shoot!" - -Bacon answered calmly, "No, may it please your honor; we will not hurt a -hair of your head, nor of any other man's. We are come for a commission -to save our lives from the Indians, which you have so often promised, -and now we will have it before we go." - -But though his words were mild, Bacon was really very angry. As the -governor, still raging and shaking his fist, turned and walked back to -the State House with his council, Bacon followed him with his soldiers, -one hand on his sword-hilt, the other threatening Berkeley. As the -governor and council continued their retreat, Bacon and his men grew -more threatening. The leader shook his fist, the fusileers cocked their -guns. And as they came to the windows of the room where the burgesses -sat some of the soldiers pointed their guns at the men inside, shouting -again and again, "We will have it! We will have it!" - -Presently one of the burgesses waved his handkerchief from the window, -and called out, "You shall have it! You shall have it!" by which he -meant the commission that Bacon wanted. The soldiers uncocked their -guns, and stood back, waiting further orders from their leader. Bacon -had grown as angry meantime as the governor had been before, and had -cried, "I'll kill governor, council, Assembly and all, and then I'll -sheathe my sword in my own heart's blood." And it was afterward said -that Bacon had ordered his men, if he drew his sword, to fire on the -burgesses. But the handkerchief waved from the window, and the words, -"You shall have it!" calmed him somewhat, and soon afterward he went -into the State House and discussed the matter fully with Sir William and -his council. - -Later that same day Bacon went to the room of the burgesses and repeated -his request for a commission. The speaker answered that it was "Not in -their province, or power, nor of any other save the king's vicegerent, -their governor, to grant it." Bacon replied by saying that the purpose -of his coming to Jamestown was to secure some safe way of protecting the -settlers from the Indians, to reduce the very heavy taxes, and to right -the calamities that had come upon the country. The burgesses gave him no -definite answer, and he left, much dissatisfied. Next day, however, Sir -William and his council yielded, Nathaniel Bacon was appointed general -and commander-in-chief against the Indians, and pardon was granted to -him and all his followers for their acts against the Indians in the -west. - -This was a great triumph for the rebel leader. Berkeley hated and feared -him as much as ever, but had seen that he must pocket his pride in the -face of such a popular uprising. - -The owner of Curles Plantation was now commander-in-chief of the -Virginia troops, and although it was intended that he should use his -army only in defending the colony from Indian attacks, it was generally -believed that he could do whatever he wished with his men. The colony -was practically under his absolute control. The colonists would do -whatever he ordered, and as they hailed Bacon's leadership they paid -less and less heed to Sir William Berkeley. And the governor, knowing -that many adventurers, many men of doubtful reputation, and many who -were his own enemies, were now much in Bacon's company, feared for their -influence on the impulsive young commander. - -Having seen their neighbor win his commission, Mr. Porter and Edmund -rode back to their own plantation, and took up the work that was always -waiting to be done in summer. They were busy, and heard only from time -to time of what Nathaniel was doing. They knew he was planning to take -the field against the Indians with a good-sized troop of men. - -Full of energy, and eager to show the colony that he was in truth a -great commander, Bacon made his headquarters near West Point, at the -head of the York River, a place frequently called "De la War," from Lord -Delaware, who belonged to the West family. He disarmed all the men who -opposed his command, and then set out, with an army of between five -hundred and a thousand men, to attack the Indians in the neighborhood -of the head waters of the Pamunkey. His scouts scoured the woods and -drove out all hostile Indians; he cleared that part of the frontier of -red men, and in a short time had made the border plantations safer than -they had ever been before. He had justified all his friends had said of -him, he had acted as a loyal Virginian, and he had proved his worth as -general-in-chief of the colony's army. - -Edmund Porter, going to the store at the crossroads on a July day, heard -men discussing news that had just come from Jamestown. The rumor was -that, despite Nathaniel Bacon's success as a commander, Sir William -Berkeley had again denounced him as a rebel and traitor, and had fled to -York River and set up his banner there not only as governor, but as -general also. The report proved true. Sir William had nursed his anger -for a short time, and now it flamed forth afresh and even more bitterly -than before. In spite of Bacon's success he was still a rebel in the -governor's eyes; he had forced the Assembly at Jamestown to do his -bidding, and had acted as if the colony belonged to Bacon and his -followers, and not to the king of England and the royal officers. This -matter the governor meant to decide when he flew his flag at York River -and summoned all loyal Virginians to come to his aid. Some came; there -were many planters who honestly believed that Berkeley was in the right -and Bacon in the wrong; but the great mass of the people sided with the -latter, and it began to look as if Sir William might still call himself -the governor, but would find that he had no people to govern. - -Then, when the old Cavalier, proud in his defeat as the Cavaliers of -England had been when the Roundheads beat them in battle after battle, -was beginning to see his men desert him, a messenger came post-haste -from Gloucester County, to the north of the York River, with word that -the planters there were still loyal to the king's governor, and begged -him to come to their county and to protect them from the Indians. The -loyalists of Gloucester, some of whom Bacon had disarmed, were ready to -rally round Sir William. - -Sir William was overjoyed; he went to Gloucester at once, he flew his -flag there, and called all loyalists to join him. Twelve hundred people -came on the day Sir William set. But, with the exception of the wealthy -planters who had sent the message, even these men of Gloucester were -unwilling to take the field against General Bacon, as Sir William -wanted. Some of them said that Bacon was fighting the common enemy, the -Indians, with great success, and that as good Virginians they ought to -help, and not to hinder, his work. The governor urged and argued with -them, but as he talked men began to leave, muttering "Bacon! Bacon! -Bacon!" as they went. A short stay showed that Sir William was not to -find, even in Gloucester, the support he wished. Where could he go? -There was one place where men might yet listen to him, the distant -country that was sometimes called the "Kingdom of Accomac." It lay -across Chesapeake Bay, remote from the rest of Virginia. The governor -took ship and sailed across the thirty miles that divided it from the -mainland, a romantic, apparently defeated figure, like some of the -English Royalists who fled before the victorious troops of Oliver -Cromwell. - -On July 29, 1676, Berkeley posted his proclamation, declaring that -Nathaniel Bacon was a traitor and outlaw. Bacon heard the news as he was -in camp on the upper waters of the James. He was hurt at what he felt -was the governor's injustice to him. To a friend he said, "It vexes me -to the heart to think that while I am hunting wolves, tigers, and foxes -(meaning Indians), which daily destroy our harmless sheep and lambs, -that I and those with me should be pursued with a full cry, as a more -savage or a no less ravenous beast." - -The general marched his men down the river, arresting such as were known -to side with the governor, but leaving their property unharmed. -Presently he made his quarters at Middle-Plantation, which was situated -half-way between Jamestown and the York River. Here his riders -bivouacked around the small group of houses that formed the settlement, -and their commander set to work to try to bring some sort of order out -of the tangle into which Virginia had fallen. Sir William Berkeley was -away in the distant country of Accomac, a country that was hardly looked -upon at that time as part of Virginia, and Bacon was to all intents now -the governor as well as the general-in-chief. Some of his friends -advised him to do one thing, some another. Mr. Drummond, an old enemy of -Berkeley's, who knew what Sir William thought of him, and who had once -said of himself as a rebel, "I am in, over shoes; I will be over boots," -now advised Bacon to proclaim that Berkeley was deposed from the -governorship and that Sir Henry Chicheley should rule in his place. But -Bacon would not go so far as that; he was quick-tempered, but fairly -cool when it came to planning action, and he knew that to overthrow Sir -William would make him clearly a rebel in the eyes of England. - -So, instead of acting rashly, he issued what he called a "Remonstrance," -which protested against Sir William's calling him and his men traitors -and rebels, when they were really faithful subjects of His Majesty the -King of England, and had only taken up arms to protect themselves -against the savages. Besides that, he complained that the colony was not -well managed, and called on all who were interested in Virginia to meet -at Middle-Plantation on August 3d, and make a formal protest to the -English king and Parliament. - -Many men met at the village on that day, four members of the governors -council among them. Bacon made a fiery speech, and all agreed to pledge -themselves not to aid Sir William Berkeley in any attack on General -Bacon or his army. Then Bacon went further; he asked the meeting to -promise that each and every man there would rise in arms against Sir -William if he should try to resist General Bacon, and further that if -any soldiers should be sent from England to aid Sir William each man -there would fight such troops until they had a chance to explain matters -to the king of England. - -That was going too far; the men had no desire to rebel against their -king. They were willing to sign the first pledge, but not the second. In -the midst of their arguing Bacon interrupted angrily. "Then I will -surrender my commission, and let the country find some other servant to -go abroad and do its work!" he exclaimed. "Sir William Berkeley hath -proclaimed me a rebel, and it is not unknown to himself that I both can -and shall charge _him_ with no less than treason!" He added that -Governor Berkeley would never forgive them for signing either part of -the pledge, and that they might as well sign both as one. Then into the -stormy meeting rushed a gunner from York Fort, shouting out that the -Indians were marching on his fort, that the governor had taken all the -arms from the fort, and that he had no protection for all the people who -had fled there from the woods of Gloucester in fear of the Indians' -tomahawks. - -The gunner's words settled the matter. All the men agreed to sign the -whole pledge, promised to fight not only Sir William Berkeley but the -king's troops as well if they came to Virginia to support him. The oath -was taken, the paper signed by the light of torches near midnight on -that third day of August, 1676. Just a hundred years later another -Declaration of Independence was to be signed by men, some from this same -colony of Virginia, in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. - -The next business was to organize a new government, and Bacon sent word -through the colony for men to choose representatives to meet early in -September. Then the general marched off with his army to protect the -people who had fled to York Fort, and try to finish his war with the -Indians. - -There was great rejoicing throughout the length and breadth of Virginia -when news came to town and plantation that Nathaniel Bacon had set up a -new government in place of the old one that had failed to protect the -colony and that had suppressed the people's liberty. They gloried in -their defiance of the royal governor. Sarah Drummond, the wife of -Bacon's friend, said to her neighbors: - -"The child that is unborn shall have cause to rejoice for the good that -will come by the rising of the country!" - -One of her neighbors objected, "We must expect a greater power from -England that will certainly be our ruin." - -Mrs. Drummond picked up a stick, and breaking it in two, said -scornfully, "I fear the power of England no more than a broken straw!" - -And when others shook their heads doubtfully, she said bravely, "We will -do well enough!" That was the feeling of most of the people. They were -back of Bacon, and pledged themselves to support him through thick and -thin. - -At the plantation near Curles Mr. Porter brought the news of the oath at -Middle-Plantation to his family, and his wife and son and the men and -women who worked for him celebrated the event as a great victory for all -true Virginians. - -Meantime General Bacon crossed the James River, attacked the Appomattox -Indians, and killed or routed the whole tribe. He then marched along the -south side of the river toward the Nottoway and Roanoke, scattered all -the Indians he met, and ultimately returned north to West Point, where -he dismissed all his army but a small detachment, bidding the others go -back to their own plantations to harvest the autumn crops. - -Scarcely had the men of Bacon's army reached their homes when a new -message electrified the whole countryside. From man to man the news ran -that Sir William Berkeley, with seventeen ships and a thousand men, had -come back from far-away Accomac, had sailed up the James River, had -taken possession of Jamestown, and was now flying his flag above the -State House there. - - -III - -Sir William Berkeley had met few friends in that distant country of -Accomac when he had first flown there. Rebellion was in the air there as -it was on the mainland of Virginia, and only a few of the planters of -the eastern shore welcomed the king's governor and agreed to stand by -him in his fight with Nathaniel Bacon. Still he stuck to his -determination to try conclusions with the rebels, and meantime he waited -as patiently as he could, hoping that the tide of fortune would -presently turn in his favor. - -General Bacon, when he set out from Middle-Plantation to fight the -Indians, sent Giles Bland to keep Governor Berkeley in Accomac, and, if -possible, to induce the people there to surrender him. Giles Bland -started on his mission with two hundred and fifty men, and one ship with -four guns, commanded by an old sailor, Captain Carver. One ship was not -enough, however, to carry the men across to the Eastern Shore, and so -Bland seized another that happened to be lying in the York River, and -that belonged to Captain Laramore, a friend of Governor Berkeley. -Captain Laramore was seized by Bland's men, and locked up in his cabin, -but after a time he sent word to Bland that he would fight with him -against the governor, and Bland, thinking that the captain was sincere, -restored command of the vessel to him. Two more ships were captured, and -so it was a fleet of four vessels that ultimately carried the rebel -party to the Eastern Shore. - -When he saw this fleet nearing Accomac Sir William gave up his cause as -lost. He knew that he must surrender, as King Charles the First of -England had surrendered to Oliver Cromwell's men. Then suddenly a -loophole of escape offered itself most unexpectedly. Captain Laramore, -still very angry with the rebels for having seized his ship in such a -high-handed manner, secretly sent word to Sir William, that if -assistance were given him he would betray Giles Bland. The fleet was at -anchor, and Captain Carver had gone ashore to try to find the governor. -Laramore's offer looked as if it might be a trap, but Colonel Philip -Ludwell, a friend of Berkeley's, offered to vouch for Laramore's honesty -and moreover to lead the party that was to capture Bland. Sir William -agreed to this offer, and Colonel Ludwell got ready a boat in a near-by -creek, out of sight of the fleet. At the time set by Laramore Colonel -Ludwell's crew rowed out toward Laramore's ship. Bland thought he came -to parley, and did not fire. The boat pulled under the ship's stern, one -of Ludwell's men leaped on board, and aiming a pistol at Bland's breast, -cried, "You're my prisoner!" The crew of the rowboat followed, and with -the help of Laramore and those sailors who sided with him, quickly -captured the rebels on board. When Captain Carver returned he and his -crew were seized in the same way, and Colonel Ludwell and Laramore took -Bland and Carver and their officers ashore and presented them to Sir -William as his prisoners. - -Sir William was stern in dealing with men he considered traitors. He put -Giles Bland and his officers in chains, and he hung Captain Carver on -the beach of Accomac. This victory won him recruits also among the -longshoremen, and now one of his own followers, Captain Gardener, -reached the harbor in his ship, the _Adam-and-Eve_, with ten or twelve -sloops he had captured along the coast. Counting Bland's ships the -governor now had a fleet numbering some seventeen sail, and on these he -embarked his army of nearly a thousand men. Many of them were merely -adventurers, lured by Sir William's promise to give them the estates -that belonged to the men who had taken the oath with Bacon at -Middle-Plantation. Sir William also proclaimed that the servants of all -those who were fighting under Bacon's flag should have the property of -their masters if they would enlist under the king's standard. - -The governor set sail for Jamestown, and reached it on the sixth day of -September. One of the bravest of Bacon's commanders, Colonel Hansford, -held the town with eight or nine hundred men. The governor called on -Hansford to surrender, promising pardon to all except his old enemies, -Lawrence and Drummond, who were then in Jamestown. Hansford refused to -surrender, but Lawrence and Drummond advised him to retreat with his -army, and so he evacuated the town during the night. At noon next day -Sir William landed, and kneeling, gave thanks for his safe return to his -former capital. - -Colonel Hansford, with Drummond and Lawrence, rode north to find General -Bacon. They found him at West Point and told him the startling news that -Sir William had come back with an army. The fight was to be waged all -over again, the question whether Bacon or Berkeley was to rule Virginia -was yet to be settled. - -Bacon had only a body-guard with him, but he mounted in haste and rode -toward Jamestown, sending couriers in all directions to rouse the -countryside and bring his men to his flag. The message came to Curles, -and Edmund Porter and his father and their neighbors armed and hurried -to join their general. So swiftly did the planters take to horse that by -the time Bacon was in sight of Jamestown he was followed by several -hundred men. - -Sir William had built an earthwork and palisade across the neck of the -island where Jamestown stands. Bacon ordered his trumpets to sound, and -then a volley to be fired into the town. No guns answered his, and Bacon -ordered his troops to throw up breastworks in front of the palisade, -while he made his headquarters at "Greenspring," a house that belonged -to Sir William. - -Now Bacon, although usually a gentleman, resorted to a trick that was a -blot on his character. He sent horsemen through the near-by country to -bring the wives of some of the men who were fighting on Berkeley's side -into his camp. He sent one of these women, under a flag of truce, into -the town to tell her husband and the others there that Bacon meant to -place these wives in front of his own men while they were building the -earthworks, so that any shots fired would hit the women first. This he -did. He made these women stand as a shield before his men. The -governor's party would not fire a shot. The earthworks were finished, -and then Bacon had the women escorted to a place of safety. The trick -savored more of the customs of some of the Indian tribes the settlers -had been fighting than of the warfare of Virginia gentlemen. - -When the women were gone, Sir William burst out of Jamestown with eight -hundred men and attacked Bacon's troopers. But the rabble that made up -the governor's army, longshoremen, fishermen from Accomac, a rabble -attracted by the hope of plunder, was no match for the well-drilled and -well-armed planters. At the first touch of steel they turned and fled -back to the town, leaving a dozen wounded on the ground. Sir William -lashed them with a tongue of scorn, but his anger did no good. He saw -that he could not rely on this new following, and so embarked on his -ships again that night, and sailed away from Jamestown. - -Bacon marched in, took counsel with his officers, and determined that -Sir William should make no further use of his capital. Orders were -given to set fire to all the houses, and shortly the town, founded by -that great adventurer, John Smith, was only a mass of burned and -blackened timbers. - -Sir William had sailed down the river, but a courier from York County -brought word that a force of his friends were advancing from the -direction of the Potomac to attack Bacon's men. So, when Jamestown was -only ruins, the general left that place and marched at the head of his -horsemen to meet this new enemy. He was as full of courage as ever, but -he had caught a fever in the trenches before Jamestown, and instead of -stopping to cure it he insisted on pushing on and trying to settle -matters with his opponents as soon as possible. - -His men crossed the York in boats at Ferry Point and marched into -Gloucester. There Bacon called on all the men of Gloucester who had -taken the oath with him at Middle-Plantation to join him promptly. -Another courier arrived, with word that Colonel Brent was coming against -him with a thousand soldiers. Bacon did not wait for any more recruits, -but marched at once up country in the direction of the Rappahannock -River. But there was to be no fighting. The spirit of rebellion had -spread so far that even Colonel Brent's men, supposed to be very loyal -to the governor, deserted to Bacon's standard, and Brent himself, with a -few faithful followers, had to retire from the field, and leave the -rebel chief in entire command. - -Bacon went back to Gloucester, and again summoned the men of that -county to meet him at the court-house. Six or seven hundred came, but -they did not want to fulfil their pledge and take up arms, it might be -against the king's own soldiers. They said that they wanted to take no -sides in the matter. Bacon insisted that they should pledge themselves -to follow him. The fever had hold of him, his temper was short, and he -spoke in such a domineering way that at last the men of Gloucester gave -him the pledge he wanted. Having had his way Bacon closed the meeting, -and, seeing that all the mainland of Virginia was now under his control, -laid plans to follow Sir William Berkeley to Accomac, where the governor -had fled again. - -But now Nathaniel Bacon, at the very moment when he had driven all his -enemies out of the colony, and had made himself the master of Virginia, -fell very ill of the fever he had brought from Jamestown. His old -friends, Mr. Porter among them, urged him to give up command of his army -and rest. In spite of his wish to go to Accomac and settle accounts with -Berkeley, he had to take their advice. He went to the house of a friend, -Major Pate, in Gloucester, and there, after a few weeks' illness, he -died, in October, 1676. - -Sorrowing for their brave leader and friend, Mr. Porter and Edmund went -back to their plantation on the James. They had stood by him when he -needed their aid, but, in spite of all the exciting events of that -summer, they had not had to take part in any actual fighting except the -brief battle with the Indians in May and the short skirmish outside -Jamestown. Neither father nor son were known as officers in Bacon's -army, and as they stayed quietly at home the storm that followed blew -safely over their heads. - -In four months Nathaniel Bacon had risen from the position of a -little-known planter to be the ruler of Virginia, and because the king's -governor would not give him a commission to march against the Indians -who had attacked his farm he had driven the governor out of the colony. -It was a remarkable story, packed full of strange happenings. - -When Bacon died, however, the rebellion fell to pieces. A man named -Ingram tried to rally his army, but the men of Virginia would not fight -under any other leader than Bacon. Sir William Berkeley came back from -the county of Accomac with a wolfish thirst for vengeance. His chief -enemy had escaped him, but he meant to take his revenge on the other -leaders of the rebellion against him. And take his revenge he did, not -like an honorable governor who wishes to make peace in his country, but -more like that Judge Jeffreys in England, whose name became a byword for -cruelty. He captured Colonel Hansford, who was a fine Virginian, and -hung him as a rebel. Lawrence escaped, but Drummond was caught in his -hiding-place in the Chickahominy swamp, and brought before Sir William. - -"Mr. Drummond," said the governor, "you are very welcome! I am more -glad to see you than any man in Virginia. Mr. Drummond, you shall be -hanged in half an hour!" - -"When your Honor pleases," Drummond coolly replied. - -Drummond was hung, and his brave wife, who had broken the stick to show -how easily the planters could defeat Sir William, was driven into the -wilderness with her children. - -Bland was found in Accomac and executed. Men were hung in almost every -county, and the settlers hated the name of Berkeley more than they hated -raiding Indians. In all Sir William executed twenty-three rebels, as he -called them, and King Charles II of England, when he heard the report, -said indignantly, "That old fool has hanged more men in that naked -country than I have done for the murder of my father." - -At last the Assembly begged the governor to stop. He reluctantly agreed -that all the rest of the rebels should be pardoned except about fifty -leaders. The property of these leaders was confiscated, and they were -sent away from the colony. - -Sir William, however, was no longer popular with any in Virginia. Soon -afterward he sailed to England, and never came back again to the colony -he had ruled with an iron hand. Salutes were fired and bonfires blazed -when he sailed, for the people were all still rebels at heart. Other -governors came from England, but they found the Virginians harder to -rule since they had tasted independence in that summer of 1676. - -By many boys of Virginia, like Edmund Porter, Nathaniel Bacon was always -remembered as a gallant hero, one who had fought for them against the -tyranny of Sir William Berkeley. - - - - -V - -AN OUTLAW CHIEF OF MARYLAND - -(_Maryland, 1684_) - - -I - -"I'm riding south to St. Mary's to-morrow, Michael," said George Talbot. -He gave his horse a slap on the flank that sent it toward the stable. -"Want to come with me, and see something of the Bay?" - -"Yes indeed," said Michael Rowan. "You know, Mr. George, I always like -to ride with you." - -Talbot smiled at the red-cheeked boy, whose black hair and blue eyes -gave proof of his Irish blood. "You're loyal to the chief of the clan, -aren't you, Michael? Well, if I were warden of the Scottish marches I -wouldn't ask for better followers than such as you." - -Michael flushed. "My father has taught me always to do your bidding, Mr. -George. It seems to me the right thing to do." - -"I hope it always will. There's some who don't think as well of me as -your father does." Talbot slapped his riding-whip against his boot. "But -we don't care what they think, do we? A fig for all critics, I say! Each -man to his own salvation!" He went up the steps to his house, while -Michael watched him with frank admiration. - -George Talbot, Irish by birth, was a prominent man in the province that -belonged to Lord Baltimore. He was a kinsman of Sir William Talbot, who -was Chief Secretary of Maryland. George had obtained a large grant of -land on the Susquehanna River, when Lord Baltimore was anxious to have -the northern part of his province settled. Three years after he staked -out his plantation on the Susquehanna he was made surveyor-general of -the province. That was in 1683. The next year Lord Baltimore went to -England, leaving his son, a boy, as nominal governor. A commission of -leading men was chosen to take charge of the actual work of the -governorship, and George Talbot was at the head of the commission. In -much of that sparsely-settled country he ruled like the chieftain of a -Scottish clan. He built a fort near the head of Chesapeake Bay; -garrisoned it with Irish followers, and sometimes set out from it with -his troop to check Indian raids; sometimes rode into the land that was -in dispute between Lord Baltimore and William Penn, and lectured or -bullied or drove away some of Penn's settlers. He ruled with a high -hand, both at his fort and on his plantation, with the usual result that -he was tremendously admired by his retainers, among whom was Fergus -Rowan, the father of Talbot's young squire Michael. - -Next day the adventurous Talbot and the faithful Michael set out south. -They rode through a country almost as untouched by men as it was before -the first white explorers landed on its coast. Then there had been -Indians to hunt game in its woods and marshes; to fish its streams and -bay, to plant their crops in its open arable fields. But the Indians -were like the birds and beasts, essentially migratory; they built few -permanent homes, they wasted little labor on bridges or mills, clearings -or farm-stockades. When the hunting or the crops grew poor in one place -they packed their tents on their ponies or in their canoes and set out -for a new, untouched country. The white men were very different; they -wanted to own, to fence off, to build, to make travel and commerce -easier. But in 1684 there were so few of them that one might ride all -day and see no sign of a human habitation. Talbot and Michael had to -hunt the streams for fording-places, had to push through underbrush that -threatened to hide the trails, and to rely on the provisions they -carried in their saddle-bags to furnish them food and drink. - -Every now and then the riders caught sight of the blue waters of -Chesapeake Bay to the east. Whenever they reached a farmhouse in the -wilderness they stopped and chatted with the settlers, giving them any -news from the north. They spent one night at a hunter's log cabin; -another at a miller's house built on the bank of a river. Many times -they had to go far out of the route as the crow flies in order to cross -wide estuaries and streams. But they were in no particular haste, and -rested their horses often. It took them the better part of a week to -reach the Patuxent River and cross into St. Mary's County. - -Many small fishing-hamlets were to be found along this southern shore of -Chesapeake Bay, and Talbot stopped at each one, announced who he was, -and questioned the fishermen for news. The chief complaint of the -settlers was against the tyrannical manners and methods of the -revenue-collectors, or excisemen, who levied taxes for the king of -England on all goods coming into the province or going out of it. Men -who collect such taxes have almost always been unpopular; in Maryland -they were pretty generally hated. To judge from what Talbot was told by -the fishermen some of the collectors had acted as if they were Lord -Baltimore himself. They took horses, servants, boats, as they pleased, -and dared the owners to complain of them to the king. The most unpopular -of the race of collectors appeared to be Christopher Rousby, who lived -at the town of St. Mary's, and made trips up and down St. Mary's River -and along the shores of the bay to collect taxes from unwilling settlers -and threaten them with dire punishments if they dared refuse obedience -to his orders. - -"The knave ought to be whipped!" Talbot declared to Michael, as they -left one of the hamlets. "I know him, an arrogant, conceited fool! It's -fortunate I'm not one of these folk here, or I might run him through -some dark night." - -Down to St. Mary's they rode, where Talbot took lodgings for himself and -Michael. The lodgings were at a tavern known as "The Bell and Anchor," -where a great anchor lay on the lawn before the tavern door and a bell -hung over the porch, used by the wife of the tavern-keeper to inform her -guests when their meals were ready for them. The inn faced St. Mary's -River, which was wide here, and the beach in front of it was a -gathering-place for sailors and fishermen and longshoremen, whose boats -were pulled up on the sand or anchored in the small harbor to the south -of the town. Talbot and Michael went among the men, the chieftain -hobnobbing with the simple folk, as he was fond of doing, though he -never allowed them to forget his dignity. - -There were ships lying in St. Mary's River, one of them a ketch -belonging to His Majesty's navy. Men on the beach told Talbot and -Michael that the captain of the ketch was very friendly with Christopher -Rousby, the tax-collector, and the other excisemen. They also told -Talbot that neither the captain of the ketch nor Rousby nor his mates -paid any attention to Lord Baltimore's officers in St. Mary's. The -former treated the latter as if they were stable-boys, made to be -ordered about, the longshoremen told Talbot. - -At first Talbot only listened and swore under his breath. Then he began -to swear openly, and to look angry and shake his fist at the royal ship -out in the bay. "These dogs of sea-captains and tax-collectors think -they own the whole province!" he muttered to Michael. "I'd like nothing -better than to teach them a lesson!" - -The man and boy happened to be standing near the door of "The Bell and -Anchor" when a long-boat landed passengers from the ketch, and the -captain and Christopher Rousby and two other men came up to the tavern -door. All four men glanced at Talbot, whose bearing and dress made him a -conspicuous figure. He gave them a curt nod. The captain and one of the -other men acknowledged his greeting, but Rousby strode past him with a -shrug of the shoulders and a sneer on his lips. - -George Talbot was not used to such treatment; when he gave a man a nod -he expected at least a bow in return. Hot blood flushed his cheeks, and -his fingers gripped the hilt of the hunting-knife he wore at his belt. -Michael could not hear what he murmured, but he could guess at what he -meant. Michael grew angry too; he expected people to treat his master -with as much deference as they would show the king. - -The four men went into the tavern, and soon Michael caught the sound of -a drinking song. To get away from the noise Talbot and his page walked -up the street. Presently they met the chief magistrate of St. Mary's, -who recognized George Talbot, and greeted him, as was proper, by taking -off his hat and making a low bow. - -"Things go badly here, Mr. Talbot," said the magistrate, with a shake of -his head. "The captain of that ship yonder and the collectors laugh at -Lord Baltimore. They do what they will with me and my men. They sit in -the tavern all night, carousing, and then they take any boats they see -or anything they like, and threaten the owners with their pistols and -His Majesty's vengeance if they dare object. I've gone to see them about -it. They snap their fingers at me and the governor." - -"I've seen the brutes," said Talbot. "I think I'd best take it on myself -to explain the matter to them." - -"Be careful," warned the other. "They think themselves above all the law -of the province." - -"By Heaven, they're not above me!" ejaculated Talbot. "I'll tell Rousby -so to his face, and let him take the consequences!" - -Talbot and Michael went back to "The Bell and Anchor." The singing was -still going on. The man and boy went into the tap-room, and ordered two -cups of ale. They sat at a small table in a corner, some distance from -where the four men were drinking, laughing, and singing. This was no -time for Talbot to speak to them; their wits were too befuddled to pay -any heed to what he might have to say. - -Presently the man and boy went up to their rooms. The noise of the -revelers reached their ears. Talbot was very angry. He told Michael -that he should have a settlement with Christopher Rousby the next day. -So loud was the noise down-stairs that Michael had to pull the -bedclothes up about his head in order to get to sleep. - -The next day was cold and dark--early winter. Talbot spent the morning -going from house to house, questioning each owner as to unjust taxes -that Rousby had collected, or any other injury the collector had done. -He made a note of each complaint, and by noon he had a long list. - -The two dined at the tavern, and afterward Talbot engaged a fisherman to -row them out to the royal ketch in the river. Rain was falling now, and -a wind had sprung up. Whitecaps dotted the water. The fisherman rowed -them to the ship, and Talbot and Michael climbed up the rope-ladder that -hung down over the side. A sailor stepped up to them. "What do you -want?" he asked. - -"I want to see the captain and Christopher Rousby," said Talbot. "I'm -told that Rousby came out to the ship this morning." - -"Aye, Mr. Rousby's still here," said the sailor. - -"I am George Talbot," announced the other man, and, as if that were -sufficient warrant for him to do as he chose, he walked across the deck -and went down the companionway to the cabin. Michael kept close behind -him. - -A bottle and glasses stood on the cabin table. The captain, Christopher -Rousby, and an officer of the ship sprawled in chairs. Rousby's face -was red and bloated. At sight of George Talbot he smiled, but made no -motion to get up from his chair. - -Talbot didn't take off his hat or cloak, though both were wet with rain -and spray. He stepped to the table and leaned on it with one hand, while -he pointed his other gloved hand at the insolent-looking tax-collector. -"You know who I am," said Talbot, in his deep, positive voice, "and I -know who you are. I am chief of the deputy governors Lord Baltimore has -appointed to care for his province during his absence; and you are a -tax-collector." - -"A representative of His Majesty the King of England," said the captain -of the ship, as if to make out that his friend Rousby was a more -important man. - -"Let the fellow talk," said Rousby to the captain. "I've heard he was -clever at making speeches." - -His tone and manner were the height of insult. Talbot's face flushed, -and Michael saw that his hand on the table doubled itself into a fist. - -"Yes, I will talk," said Talbot, in a voice that could have been heard -on deck. "And you will listen to me, whether you want to or no! I have a -list of unjust taxes you've levied here in St. Mary's. The Devil only -knows how many you've levied elsewhere." He put his hand into his pocket -and pulled out the list he had made. - -"I'll not listen to such speech on my own ship," said the captain, his -hands on the arms of his chair as if he was about to stand up. - -"Indeed you will!" roared Talbot. "This list is a list of crimes -committed by your friend Christopher Rousby, representative of His -Majesty the King of England in the province of Maryland." He opened the -list and began to read the items, giving the names of the men in St. -Mary's who had been unjustly taxed and the amount they had been forced -to pay to the greedy collector. - -The three men at the table grew restless; Rousby picked up his glass and -drained it, the captain drummed on the arm of his chair with his -fingers, the third man stared at the cabin-ceiling. - -Talbot went on with his reading until he had finished the first page and -turned to the second. Then Rousby broke in. "You can read all night," -said he, "but I tell you now that all those taxes stand, and I'll -collect more in future as pleases me." - -"Even if you know they're illegal and unjust?" asked Talbot. - -"Look you here," said Rousby, leaning forward. "The fact that I collect -them makes them both legal and just. I am the law hereabouts, and I do -as I please. If you don't like it, ride back to your own plantation, and -leave matters here to your betters." His small bloodshot eyes sneered at -Talbot. - -Now Talbot's Irish blood was very quick and fiery. That word "betters" -stung him, the look on Rousby's face infuriated him. "I don't admit any -betters," said he. "In fact I only see inferiors before me." His voice -was cold as steel, and as biting. Michael had never heard him speak like -that before. - -Rousby and the captain started to their feet. - -"Keep out of this, you!" Talbot roared at the captain, and leaning -across the table gave him such a push that he set him down in his chair. -Then Talbot's gloved hand struck Rousby on the cheek. "Take that!" he -cried. "If you want to settle the matter now, I'm ready!" - -Rousby bellowed with rage. He gave the table a shove that sent it -flying, and his fist shot out at Talbot. Talbot caught it and whirled -the man around. Then Rousby grabbed the dagger he wore at his side and -rushed at Talbot with it. Talbot stepped to one side, and the same -instant drew his own knife. Rousby swung round at him again, dagger -uplifted; but Talbot was the quicker. He struck with his knife, in the -breast, pressed Rousby back and back until he leaned on the table. - -It had all happened in the twinkling of an eye. Now the captain and the -third man sprang forward. Each caught one of Talbot's arms and held it -They were too late to save the collector, however. Talbot had stabbed -him in the heart, and Christopher Rousby was dead. - -The captain seized a pistol from a rack and leveled it at Talbot. "Drop -your knife!" he ordered, "and surrender to His Majesty's officers! This -is bad business for you! Murder of a royal agent!" - -Talbot dropped the knife. "At your orders," he said. "I yield as your -prisoner." - -[Illustration: "I YIELD AS YOUR PRISONER"] - -The other man caught up a rope and soon had the prisoner's hands bound -behind him. - -"Take him up on deck," said the captain. "And send two of the sailors -down here to me." - -The other officer marched Talbot up the companionway. Michael followed. -On deck the officer stepped away from his prisoner long enough to speak -to one of the sailors. While he was doing this Talbot whispered to -Michael. "Get ashore," he whispered, "and tell the magistrate at St. -Mary's what has happened. Then get word if you can to Sir William Talbot -and to my wife." - -It was dark on deck, a murky evening. Michael slipped over to the side -of the ship, found the rope-ladder, and crawled down it to where the -fisherman was still waiting in his boat. He didn't like to leave his -master in the hands of his enemies, but he knew that Talbot wanted to be -obeyed. - -"Mr. Talbot is going to stay on board," Michael said to the boatman. -"You're to row me to shore." - -A little later he landed at St. Mary's. He was soaking wet and very -cold, but he gave no thought to that. - - -II - -Michael Rowan asked the boatman where the chief magistrate of St. Mary's -lived, and, on being directed, went straight to the latter's house. To -this man he told what had happened in the cabin of the ketch, how -Rousby and Talbot had had a quarrel, how high words had passed between -them, how Talbot had stabbed the tax-collector, and was now the -captain's prisoner. The magistrate was very much alarmed. - -"There's no knowing what they'll do to him!" he exclaimed with -excitement. "Rousby treated us ill, there's no doubting that. But he was -His Majesty's exciseman, and the killing of such, even in a righteous -quarrel, is a mighty bad business! What's the captain going to do with -Mr. Talbot?" - -"I know no more about it than you," said Michael. "My master bade me -give you the true account of what happened, and then told me to ride -north to tell Mistress Talbot and help her rouse his friends to do what -they could for him. You see he's kinsman to Sir William Talbot, and Sir -William is nephew to Lord Baltimore." - -The magistrate shook his head. "That might be of some avail if this -affair concerned the province of Maryland alone," said he. "But Rousby -was one of His Majesty's officers,--there's the difficulty." - -"I must get my horse and start at once," declared Michael. - -The magistrate went to "The Bell and Anchor" with Michael, helped him -put bread and cheese in his saddle-bags, saw him mount his horse, and -waved his hand as Michael set out up the village street. When the -magistrate went to the water-front he learned that the ketch had -weighed anchor and sailed to the south. - -The night was cold and wet, and the road was dark and hard to follow; -but Michael put his horse to the gallop and rode recklessly. His one -thought was to reach Talbot's plantation on the Susquehanna as quickly -as he could. - -He rode until it grew so dark that he could not see to avoid overhanging -boughs and holes in the road. Then he stopped at the next farmer's -cabin, asked for a night's lodging, and was given a place to sleep -before the hearth. At dawn he was off again, following the rude trail -through the wilderness, making his meals from the food in his -saddle-bags, and only stopping when he felt he must rest his horse. - -That night he spent in a hunter's lodge, the next at a log house on the -edge of a small village. He told the people who asked his business that -he was on an errand for George Talbot, but he gave them no inkling of -what the errand was. - -He remembered the fords they had found on their journey south, and -sought them again without much loss of time. Presently he came into -country that he knew well, the upper shores of Chesapeake Bay where he -had often ridden and hunted. Then he saw the familiar landmarks of -Talbot's plantation, and was riding up the road to the door of the -manor-house. He had pushed his horse to the utmost; he himself was tired -and aching in every sinew and muscle. Late in the afternoon he threw -himself from his mount and ran up the steps. He opened the main door and -walked into the living-room, a muddy, bedraggled figure. - -Mrs. Talbot was sitting at a spinet, a luxury brought out to Maryland -from England. She stopped her playing and looked up as Michael entered. -She saw he had important news. "What is it, Michael?" she asked. - -He told her what had happened. She listened without interrupting him. -Then she stood up. "Send your father and Edward Nigel to me at once," -she said. - -Michael went to his father's house, only a short distance from the big -house, and then to the cabin of Edward Nigel. He gave each of them the -message of Mrs. Talbot. Then he stabled the horse that had carried him -so well all the way from St. Mary's. By that time the boy was too tired -and sleepy even to taste the food that his mother had set out for him. -He fell into his bed and was sound asleep. - -Mrs. Talbot had great strength of character. She told her husband's two -faithful Irish retainers that their master was now a prisoner, charged -with the murder of a royal tax-collector. She said that they must set to -work at once to see what could be done to aid him. She wrote out -messages, one for Rowan to take immediately to influential friends in -Baltimore City, the other for Nigel to carry to Annapolis. Then, when -the two had set out, she and her maid prepared to journey to Baltimore -City next day. - -In a very short time the news had spread through the province. Men of -influence, the members of the provincial council, met and took action in -behalf of George Talbot. They had all disliked Rousby and the other -royal excisemen, and almost all of them were close friends of the -prisoner. The council sent messengers south to find out what the captain -of the ketch had done with Talbot. The messengers returned with word -that Talbot had been put in irons, that the captain had landed him in -Virginia, and delivered him over to the governor, Lord Howard of -Effingham, who had put him in prison at a small town on the Rappahannock -River. - -Lord Howard of Effingham had the name of being a greedy and tyrannical -governor. The council of Maryland sent a request to him that Talbot -should be tried by a court in Maryland. Lord Howard treated the request -with contempt, saying that he meant to try Talbot himself, since the -latter had killed one of His Majesty's officers, and he represented His -Majesty in that part of the country. Talbot's friends knew what that -meant. If Lord Howard sat in judgment on him Talbot's fate was sealed. -There was a chance that a huge bribe might influence the governor of -Virginia, but the chance was slim. So the council sent a messenger to -Lord Baltimore in England, urging him to rescue his nephew's kinsman -from Lord Howard's clutches. - -Mrs. Talbot had done all she could through the council and other men of -influence to help her husband, and their efforts seemed likely to bear -very small results. Meantime Lord Howard of Effingham might decide to -try George Talbot at any time. So the devoted wife determined to see -what she could do herself. She had several long talks with Edward Nigel -and Fergus and Michael Rowan, and they worked out a scheme for -themselves. - -On a cold day in the middle of winter a little skiff set sail from the -landing-place at Talbot's plantation and headed for Chesapeake Bay. In -the skiff were Mrs. Talbot, her two friends and retainers, Nigel and -Rowan, and the faithful Michael. Fergus Rowan was a skilful sailor; he -knew the river and the bay from long experience. He took the tiller, and -the others, muffled up for protection from the high wind, watched water -and shore as their little boat bobbed up and down on the waves. - -The wind was favoring, and they made much better time than they would -have done by riding through the wilderness. They spent the night at a -small fishing-village, and were off again in the skiff next day. They -sailed past Annapolis, on the River Severn, and went scudding down the -bay to where the broad waters of the Potomac flowed into it. Rowan kept -fairly close to the shore on their right, and presently changed his -course to the west. Now they had come to the Rappahannock, and were -sailing up it, keeping a close watch for a good place to land. - -By night they had run into a little creek and made the skiff fast. A -farmer's house was not far away, and the four headed for it. Fergus -knocked on the door, and when a woman opened it he explained that they -had expected to sail to a plantation farther up the Rappahannock, but -that the darkness made navigation dangerous for one who was unfamiliar -with the river. "There's a lady and three of us men," he said, "would be -thankful for a night's lodging." Mrs. Talbot pushed back her fur hood, -and the farmer's wife, looking at her, saw that she appeared to be of -the quality, as the saying was, and invited them to step in. - -The cabin was small; Fergus and Nigel and Michael shared the attic with -the farmer, Jonas Dunham, while Mrs. Talbot was taken into Mrs. Dunham's -room. They ate their supper on a table close to the kitchen hearth for -warmth. Afterward Fergus inquired about the plantations farther up the -river. Presently he chanced to say that he understood that the governor -was holding Mr. Talbot of Maryland a prisoner somewhere in the -neighborhood. That remark, innocently made, started Farmer Dunham's -tongue to wagging. He said that the prison was about two miles distant, -on the southern side of the river, and that it was true that Talbot was -kept there. He made it pretty clear from what he said that the governor -was not very popular along the Rappahannock, and that in his opinion -Talbot had done a good job in killing one of the royal tax-collectors. - -Mrs. Talbot and Fergus and Nigel each carried a bag of gold pieces, all -that they had been able to gather in Maryland; and next morning they -paid the farmer well for their food and lodging. They sailed up the -river, close to the southern shore, in mist and rain, keeping a sharp -lookout for the building that Dunham had described. - -There was a small settlement on the shore, then woods, then a log -building, square like a frontier fort, which they took for their goal. -Fergus brought the skiff up to the bank, dropped the sail, and helped -Mrs. Talbot to land. The mist had grown so thick that it hid objects a -score of yards away. - -Mrs. Talbot and Nigel stayed in the shelter of the woods while Fergus -and Michael went up to the log house. They rapped on the door. A man -with a grizzled beard opened it. Fergus asked him a few questions about -the neighborhood, explaining that they were very wet and cold, and would -like to find a tavern or some place where they could get a bottle of ale -or brandy. The jailer said that one of his neighbors had spirits for -sale, and suggested that he should show them the place. Fergus accepted -the offer, and they went about half a mile down the road to the -neighbor's, where Fergus showed a gold piece and was provided with a -bottle of brandy. - -Fergus saw that the jailer's glass was kept well filled. They became -great friends across the table, and presently the jailer was telling his -new acquaintances everything he knew. He had only one prisoner at -present, a very fine gentleman from Maryland, Mr. George Talbot, and he -felt very sorry for his prisoner because the latter's only crime was of -falling foul of a tax-collector. Fergus suggested that the jailer hardly -needed many assistants to keep guard over one man. The jailer answered -that he only had two assistants, a young fellow only just lately arrived -from England, and a lout of a boy. - -When Fergus had learned all he wanted he paid for the bottle of brandy, -tucked the bottle under his arm, and with Michael, walked back to the -log house with the bearded man. There he thanked the latter for his -kindness, and presented him with the bottle, which was still half -filled. It seemed very probable that the jailer would use up the rest of -the brandy on such a damp day. - -The two went back to the woods and made their report. In the skiff there -were provisions, and Mrs. Talbot and her friends had dinner there, and -tried to keep as much out of the wet as they could. Then they waited for -dusk, and the two men and the boy looked to the priming of their -pistols. - -The men, muffled in greatcoats, the woman, in fur cloak and hood, went -up to the log house in the winter twilight. Nigel beat on the door with -his fist, and after a considerable wait the door was opened by a young -fellow, who looked as if he had only just been waked from a sound nap. - -Mrs. Talbot, slipping her hood back from her head, smiled at the rather -dull-looking fellow. "Can you shelter me from the storm?" she asked, in -most appealing tones. "I'm wet and cold, and I'm afraid we've lost our -way." - -The boy didn't often see such a fine-looking woman, evidently no -farmer's wife, but one of the gentry. "I'll go ask Master Hugh," he -said. "Step in from the wet. This is no tavern, but a prison, my lady. -Howsomever, I'll go ask Master Hugh." - -The fellow hurried away, and Mrs. Talbot and her three companions -stepped in. In a minute the serving-lad was back. "Master Hugh'll see -you in his room," he announced, jerking his head in the direction of -that apartment. - -He stood aside, while the lady, Nigel and Michael went to the jailer's -room. Fergus, hanging back a minute, slipped a gold piece into the -fellow's hand, whispering, "A lady of quality. Be sure you speak her -fairly." The youth squinted at the piece of money, a coin of greater -value than any he had seen. - -Master Hugh was drinking the last of the brandy as the party entered his -room. The candle-light showed that he was far more disposed to be merry -than suspicious. "A lady!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet and bowing. -"'Tis a shame things are so rude here! Be seated, my lady." Then, -recognizing Fergus and Michael, he smiled broadly. "Well met, my -friends. Sit ye down. 'Tis a raw night. We must make ourselves -comfortable." He glanced at the brandy bottle. "If I'd known company was -coming, I'd have been more ready to give welcome," he added. - -Mrs. Talbot loosened her cloak and smiled at the jailer as if she was -delighted at his hospitality. "It's very agreeable here, I do assure -you, Master Hugh," she said. "Good company is better than wine or food." - -"So I think," said the jailer, flattered at the lady's graciousness. - -"If my son and I might go out to the kitchen to dry our feet----" -suggested Fergus. - -"George, show them to the kitchen fire," the jailer ordered the boy, who -stood staring in the doorway. - -Mrs. Talbot drew her chair a little closer to Master Hugh. "My skiff met -with a mishap as I was on my way to visit friends up the river," she -said. And then she used all her arts to fascinate the jailer. - -Fergus and Michael followed George to the kitchen. A man was scouring an -iron pot on the hearth and looked up in some surprise. "They wants to -dry their feet," George explained. - -Fergus and his son pulled off their boots, showing their wet stockings. -"Could Master Hugh spare you long enough to run down to the village and -fetch us a bottle of brandy?" Fergus asked, and he held another shining -gold piece so that George could catch its glitter. - -George thought he had never seen such attractive strangers. "I think he -might," he said, and left the room in haste, intent on winning the -second coin. - -The man at the hearth, seeing the gold piece, made room for the two -strangers to stand near the fire. He also grew talkative, as Fergus, in -a very friendly fashion, asked him various questions. He said there were -only four men in the house at present, Master Hugh, the boy George, -himself, and a prisoner, who lodged in a small room off the kitchen. He -indicated the door to the prisoner's room. - -"We have a lady with us," Fergus said after a time. "She's cold with -being so long out in the rain. If you could build up the fire I might -ask her in here to warm herself. She'll pay you well for your trouble." -He held out a gold piece to the man, who took it readily enough, slipped -it into his pocket, and straightway commenced to put new logs on the -fire. - -As the man placed the last log and turned to stand up again he found -himself confronting a pistol-barrel. "Not a word!" murmured Fergus. -"Keep your hands at your side!" He nodded to Michael, who had pulled a -cord from under his jacket. "Bind him fast," he ordered. "Now we've no -wish to do you harm," he added to his prisoner. "Only a rope round your -hands and a cloth over your mouth. We'll put a couple more gold pieces -in your pocket too, so that if you lose this place you'll have enough to -find you another." - -The pistol kept the man quiet until he was bound and gagged. Then Fergus -slipped two coins into his pocket. That done, he ran to the door and -drew back the bolt. But he found the door was not only bolted, but -locked as well. He had no time to hunt for the key, so he threw himself -against the door, and at the third try found the lock gave way. On a -stool inside sat George Talbot. To his amazed master Fergus explained -quickly what they must do. - -Fergus and Michael and Talbot, all in their stocking-feet, their boots -in their hands, stole down the hall. The lady who was entertaining -Master Hugh had asked Nigel to close the door behind her so as to shut -out the draught. The three men crept down the hall, past the jailer's -door, and slipped out of the house. There they drew their boots on. Then -Michael hurried his master down to the edge of the woods and the waiting -skiff. - -Fergus went back to the jailer's room. "I've sent my boy to the village -to engage you a room for the night, my lady," said he. "If you are warm -and rested, we might make our start." - -"Certainly," agreed the lady. She smiled at Master Hugh. "You've been -most kind to me," she said. "I shall tell all my friends how courteous a -gentleman you are." - -The jailer beamed his pleasure. "'Tis a thousand shames such a gentle -lady should have to walk to the village," said he. "I own I could give -you only poor quarters here. But I could saddle you a horse." He rose. -"Where's that rascal George?" - -"No, no," said Mrs. Talbot. "I'm afraid we've put you out more than we -should already." She opened a bag at her belt and laid a piece of money -on the table. "For your hospitality, Master Hugh," she said, with a -gracious smile. - -The jailer made his best bow. "A pleasure, madam, a pleasure," he -assured her. "I ask no pay for that." But he let the coin lie on the -table instead of returning it. - -Mrs. Talbot and Nigel and Fergus went to the door, Master Hugh after -them. There the jailer made more bows and spoke more pleasant words as -the lady fastened her cloak and pulled her hood over her hair. "You can -find the road?" he asked Fergus. - -"Yes, I know the road," said Fergus. - -As they left the log house they saw some one coming toward them. It was -George with the precious bottle. "Take it to Master Hugh with my -compliments," said Fergus. Then as they moved away he murmured, "That -ought to keep our friend from finding out what's happened for some -time." - -They sped to the woods and the skiff. Talbot and Michael were waiting in -the boat with the sail raised. "Oh, my dear wife!" exclaimed Talbot, as -he clasped the devoted woman in his arms. "'Twas almost worth being in -such peril to find you here again!" - -The skiff stole down the Rappahannock in the rain and darkness, carrying -the outlaw Talbot back to his plantation. - - -III - -The skiff retraced its course up Chesapeake Bay. The only landings it -made were for food and water, and at such times George Talbot kept -closely hidden, while Fergus or Michael or Edward Nigel did the -parleying. For Talbot was known by sight to almost every one who lived -on the shore of the great bay, and they all knew as well that he had -been a prisoner of the governor of Virginia. News could travel -surprisingly fast through the wilderness, and the hunters and farmers, -though having the best of intentions toward him, might hinder his escape -from Lord Howard of Effingham. - -The skiff brought them safely to the Susquehanna, and Talbot, his wife, -and his three friends landed and went up to his manor-house. There was -great rejoicing among all his retainers, and the story of his rescue -from the Virginia prison was told again and again, and each time it was -told it gained in thrills. But Fergus Rowan told every man, woman, and -child on the plantation that no whisper of the chief's whereabouts must -get beyond the limits of his farms. The chief was safely out of -Virginia, but Lord Howard had great influence in Maryland, and might -try to capture George Talbot again. - -A fortnight later Michael, who had been sent to Baltimore City on -business, brought back word that the governor of Virginia had raised a -great hue and cry when he found his prisoner escaped, had sent his -agents into Maryland to find out where Talbot had gone, and had -compelled Lord Baltimore's own agents to help him in the search. - -"The first place where they would look is here," Mrs. Talbot said to her -husband. "We must find some hiding-place for you." - -"Can you think of one, Michael?" asked Talbot. "Boys are apt to know the -most concerning places to hide." - -Michael thought of all the places near the plantation. "There's a cave -in the river bank up in the woods," he said presently. "I don't think -any one could find you there." - -So Talbot and his wife and Michael looked for the hiding-place. The cave -was large, and was surrounded by thickets, and screened by bushes from -any one on the river. It seemed just the place that was wanted. Fergus -and Nigel were told about it, but no one else; and plans were made to -send provisions by a roundabout path. - -There were wild fowl in the marshes of the river, and Talbot could hunt -them almost from the door of his cave. He caught two hawks and trained -them to catch wild fowl and so help to stock his larder. While Nigel -and Fergus kept watch at the plantation, always on the lookout for any -suspicious-appearing stranger, Michael, fowling-piece in his hand, would -make his way along the Susquehanna, and, joining his master, spend hours -with him training the pair of hawks. - -The outlaw,--for that was what Talbot was now, with a price set on his -head,--had only been in hiding for a few days when officers, both of -Lord Baltimore and of the governor of Virginia, came to the plantation. -Mrs. Talbot was at the manor-house with Fergus. To the officers' -questions as to where her husband had fled, she answered with a -question: "Would he come back here, where he would expect his enemies to -be certain to search for him?" - -It was clear that neither she nor Fergus would tell the men anything -they might know about Talbot. She told them to search the house and the -plantation. The officers made their search, while Michael, hunting fowls -along the river, kept watch, ready to warn his master to draw back into -his cave, in case the searchers should hunt along the bank. - -The men didn't go anywhere near the cave, and left the plantation -without any inkling of where Talbot had gone. But for several days his -wife and friends were careful not to go near his hiding-place, lest -spies might be watching them. - -Lord Howard of Effingham had had all ships sailing from Virginia and -Maryland searched for the fugitive. He had spread a net pretty well -over both provinces, for he was determined to catch George Talbot if he -possibly could. Another man might have given up the chase when he found -no clue, but not so the determined governor of Virginia. As a result his -agents came to the plantation time and again, and Talbot had to stay in -his hiding-place while winter changed to spring, and spring to summer, -and the next autumn came. Michael was his companion much of the time, -but idleness was hard for a man of Talbot's nature. - -The people on the plantation were faithful to their master, and gave no -sign that they suspected he might be in hiding not very far away. But -such a secret was hard to keep through many months, and at last some of -Lord Baltimore's officers got wind in some way of the farmers' -suspicions. They waited until they heard from London that Lord Baltimore -had been successful in getting an order from the Privy Council of -England directing that the governor of Virginia should send Talbot to -London for trial instead of trying him in the province, and then they -swooped down on the plantation, found Talbot, and forced him to -surrender. - -The outlaw chief rode to Baltimore City a prisoner. His wife went with -him, and Michael to wait on her. In the town he learned from his friends -that he was to be tried in England, not in Virginia. That was some -comfort, and his wife told him that as soon as she learned that he had -sailed for Europe she would take ship too, and meet him there. She had -friends in London, and they might have much influence with the Privy -Council. - -The Maryland officers handed their prisoner over to the agents of the -Virginia governor. These took him to Lord Howard, who had him put in a -prison that was more securely guarded than the one on the Rappahannock -had been. In prison George Talbot cooled his heels for some time, while -his wife and Michael waited in Baltimore City to learn of his sailing -for England. - -Lord Howard of Effingham had grown so arbitrary as governor of -Virginia,--where he had almost as much power as the king had in -England,--that, instead of obeying the order of the Privy Council and -sending his prisoner to London, he kept him in prison during the winter -of 1685, and then in April of that year actually dared to announce that -he meant to place Talbot on trial in Virginia for the killing of -Christopher Rousby. - -Word of this came to Mrs. Talbot and her friends in Maryland. Lord -Howard was disobeying the law of England in not sending Talbot there for -trial, but, notwithstanding that, he might, in his tyrannical fashion, -try Talbot, convict him, and even execute him. His wife could do nothing -to prevent this if she stayed in Maryland; so, faithful and brave as -ever, she took passage in a merchantman for England, and crossed the -Atlantic Ocean, with Michael as her squire. - -Michael, used to the wilderness of the colonies, with only a few -scattered settlements to break the stretches of woods and meadows, -opened his eyes very wide at the multitude of houses, the throngs of -people, that he saw in the city by the Thames. He went with Mrs. Talbot -to call on Lord Baltimore, the owner of the province of Maryland. Lord -Baltimore listened intently to Mrs. Talbot's story, and grew red in the -face with anger when he heard how the governor of Virginia was making -light of the order of the Privy Council. - -"I will at once see the most influential members of the Council, -Madame," said Lord Baltimore. "I will see my friend Tyrconnel, I will go -to His Majesty himself, if need be, to secure Mr. Talbot his rights. I -knew Lord Howard to be a headstrong knave; I'd not suspicioned him to be -a traitor also! I'll bring him to time right soon!" - -"It must be soon, my lord," said Mrs. Talbot. "The governor may bring -Mr. Talbot to trial any day." - -"I'll go at once," Lord Baltimore assured her. "We'll have a message -sent to Virginia by the next ship out." - -Mrs. Talbot and Michael went back to their lodgings, and Lord Baltimore -hastened to his influential friend Tyrconnel, who took him to the king, -James II. Hot with indignation, Baltimore denounced the illegal act of -the governor of Virginia. He made it plain that Lord Howard was actually -daring to defy His Majesty's orders in his province. - -The king frowned. "Indeed, my Lord Baltimore, it does look as if our -governor of Virginia were growing somewhat overfed with pride. Our Privy -Council orders your man Talbot sent here for trial on the charge of -killing a tax-collector, and instead Lord Howard holds him and threatens -to try him there. I will teach my obstinate governor a lesson." He -turned to a page and bade him fetch writing materials. - -The king wrote a few lines in his own hand, and handed the paper to -Baltimore. It was a pardon in full for George Talbot. "Send that to -Virginia as fast as you can," said the king. "If Howard fails to heed -that, I shall have to appoint another governor in his stead." - -Lord Baltimore went directly to Mrs. Talbot's lodgings and showed her -the king's pardon. "We must send it to Virginia at once," said he. - -"Let my boy Michael Rowan take it," said Mrs. Talbot. "There is none -would do more for my husband." - -So Michael sailed for America with the precious document. His ship made -a quick passage to Virginia; and it was fortunate it did, for no sooner -had he landed at Jamestown than he heard that Talbot had been put on -trial, had been convicted of murder, and was waiting execution. - -Michael carried the king's pardon to Lord Howard. The governor read it -and considered it. Apparently he realized that this was an order he did -not dare disobey. So he gave directions to his officers to set the -prisoner free. - -Michael was the first friend George Talbot saw when he came out of -prison, no longer an outlaw with a price upon his head, but a free man. -"You were with me when I caused this trouble, Michael," said Talbot, -gripping the boy by the hand, "and you're with me now when the trouble's -at an end. God bless you for a faithful friend to me!" - -He asked news of his wife, and when he learned that she had gone to -London and had besought Lord Baltimore to rescue him from the governor -of Virginia he said, "We must go to her, Michael. First a trip to the -plantation to get the funds and set matters straight there, and then -over the sea to England!" - -So Talbot and Michael rode north to the manor-house on the Susquehanna -in the summer. It was not like the voyage in the skiff, when the outlaw -had to keep constantly in hiding. Now he rode openly, and everywhere -people who knew who he was flocked to shake his hand and welcome him -back to Maryland. - -They reached the plantation and there Fergus Rowan and Edward Nigel and -all the other retainers gave their chief a great welcome. But his -thoughts were over the ocean, and he quickly gave directions what should -be done in his absence, and went to Baltimore City to take ship. He -wanted Michael to go with him, and Michael's parents consented, for the -boy was now grown to be a man, and they thought it well that he should -see something of the world. - -Husband and wife met in London, and Michael made his home with them -there, serving as Talbot's secretary, and learning the ways of a world -vastly different from that of the plantation on the Susquehanna. - -Talbot never returned to Maryland. He had not been in England long when -the revolution broke out that placed William of Orange on the throne. -Talbot, ever an adventurous spirit, took the side of James II and the -Stuarts, fought as a Jacobite, and when the Stuart cause was lost, went -to France and entered the service of the French king. - -Michael, however, went back, was granted land by Lord Baltimore, and -made his own farm in the fertile country of northern Maryland. George -Talbot had always been more of an adventurer than a planter or farmer, -but Michael Rowan preferred to till his own fields, though he never -forgot the thrill of excitement of the days when he had served his -outlawed chief. - - - - -VI - -IN THE DAYS OF WITCHES - -(_Massachusetts, 1692_) - - -I - -The schoolmaster closed his book with a snap. "That's all for to-day," -he said. "Be sure you know your lessons well to-morrow, for I expect -visitors any day now, and I want my classes to make a good appearance." -He was a pale young man with pleasant blue eyes, and his shoulders -stooped as though he were used to sitting much of the time bent over a -table. Most boys and girls liked him, because of his kindness and -patience with them, but a few, such as there are to be found in almost -every school, made fun of him behind his back because he wasn't harsher -with them. Sometimes they made fun of him too because of his strange -pets, a lame sheep-dog, birds that had hurt their wings and couldn't fly -far, any sort of animal that other people didn't care for. - -Matthew Hamlin and Joseph Glover left school together, and walked down -one of the miry streets of Salem. "My father talked about them last -night," said Matthew. "He thought I didn't hear him. He said 'Witches!' -and laughed." - -"And didn't he say anything more?" demanded Joseph. - -"Oh, yes. He said, 'Nonsense! A pack of old wives' tales! Folks ought to -be ashamed to hearken to such things.'" - -"Well," said Joseph, "I was sitting in the corner of the smithy shop, -and two men came in, and they said to the smith, 'You've got a -good-sized chimney here, and you'd best keep an eye out, or the -witches'll be flying down it.' The smith didn't laugh; he frowned and -shook his head, and said, 'There's no telling. But if they do come, I'll -be ready for them.'" - -Matthew dug his fists hard into the pockets of his jacket, and his -round, rosy face looked unusually serious. "Let's go by the smithy, -Joe," he suggested. "I'd like to have a look at the chimney." - -So when they came to the next lane they turned down it, and presently -reached the wide doors of the blacksmith's shop, which stood hospitably -open. The smith was working at his anvil, striking great sparks with his -hammer as he beat a crooked horseshoe. He nodded to the two boys, who -threw their school-books on a bench, and walked over to the hearth, as -if to warm their hands. - -"Well, lads," said the smith, after a minute, "and what did ye learn -to-day?" He rested his brawny arms on his hammer. "Folks tell me that -Master Thomas Appleton is mighty learned and a great teacher; and, -faith, he looks it, though I caught him chuckling on the road the other -night." - -"And he laughs sometimes in school too, and tells us stories," said Joe. -"I like him. Most of us do; only that John Rowley and Mercy Booth and -Susan Parsons don't, because he caught them beating a dog and scolded -them for it. But when they talk about him, the rest of us shut them up, -don't we, Mat?" - -Mat, however, appeared to be much more interested in examining the -smithy chimney than he was in Master Appleton. He had bent forward and -was trying to look up the great sooty throat. "Do you think it's big -enough for any one to come down?" he asked. "And is it clear to the -top?" - -Jacob Titus, the smith, rested his hammer on the anvil, and slowly wiped -his hands on his leather apron. "Some might come down it--or fly up it," -he answered. "Witches." - -The word carried a thrill. Mat stood up straight again, facing the -smith. Joe stopped warming his hands at the blaze. Titus nodded his head -slowly. "Witches might," he said. "And they wouldn't need it clear to -the top, they wouldn't." - -Joe laughed. "But there aren't such things as witches, Mr. Titus. -They're like fairies. People tell stories about them to frighten -children." - -"People tell stories about them right enough," agreed the smith, "but it -ain't so sure they only do it to frighten children. They've found -witches, and proved them witches, and not so very far from Salem. A man -from Boston was in here yester eve, a likely-looking man, too, and he -stood there by the fire, where you be standing, and he gave me facts and -figures. Seems he was well acquainted with the matter. He says they hung -a woman in Charlestown for trying to cure sick people by mixing magic -with simples and herbs, contrary to what the doctors allowed, and they -found another witch at Dorchester, and yet a third at Cambridge. Seems -as if the witches sometimes took hold of children, and used their magic -on 'em so's they did strange things, things no children would do usual." - -The smith's voice had grown low and mysterious, and in his interest in -the subject he had left his anvil and walked over to the boys by the -hearth. He was gazing at them when there came a sound at the door and -the boys saw a man's figure appear against the winter dusk that had -settled on the lane. Jacob Titus wheeled about. "The very man I was -speaking of!" he muttered. And in a louder voice he added, -"Good-evening, sir, good-evening." - -The stranger came into the shop. He was very tall, and his black clothes -seemed to increase his height and the darkness of his face. He took off -his high-crowned hat and ran his fingers through his long, uncombed -hair. Then he flung his cloak back over his shoulders as if he found the -smithy warm. "Good-evening to you, friend smith," he said, "and to you, -young men." His voice was deep and oily, with a fawning sound to it. -"Don't let me disturb your talk. I'll rest a few minutes with your kind -permission." - -Titus drew a stool near the hearth. "Sit here, sir. It happens I was -telling these boys about you, and about your talk of yester eve, about -the witches," he added. - -The stranger sat down, stood his tall hat on the floor, and spread out -his fingers, fan-like, on his knees. "About the witches?" he repeated in -his deep voice. "Hardly a pleasing subject. And yet one that concerns -folks everywhere. Moreover, unless I'm mistaken, it concerns the people -of Salem very particularly." - -Mat and Joe could not help being impressed; there was something very -mysterious in the man's voice and manner; he seemed to carry a strange, -uncanny atmosphere about with him, and to give the impression that, if -there were such creatures as witches, he would be precisely the person -who would know most about them. As for the smith, it was very evident -that he held his visitor in great awe. - -"I told you of Goody Jones, of Charlestown," said the stranger. "I -hadn't told you of the strange case of the woman Glover, who was -laundress for John Goodwin of Boston. One day Martha, John Goodwin's -oldest daughter, who was thirteen, told her parents that the laundress -was stealing pieces of linen from the family washing. They spoke to her -about it, and the woman dared to answer them with many strange threats -and curses. Thereupon the little Martha fell down in a fit, and soon the -same thing happened to the three other children, who were eleven, seven, -and five years old. Afterward they all plainly showed that the laundress -had bewitched them; they became deaf and dumb for stretches of time, -they said they were being pricked with pins and cut with knives, they -barked like dogs and purred like cats, they could even skim over the -ground without touching it, or, in the words of the worthy Cotton -Mather, seemed to 'fly like geese.' This lasted for several weeks." - -"Saints above!" murmured the smith. "To think of that!" - -"Yes," went on the stranger. "Doctors and ministers studied the case, -and agreed that undoubtedly the Glover woman had bewitched the children, -and she was hanged for trading in black magic." - -"Aye," agreed Jacob Titus, "no doubt she was a witch. What those -children did tallies with all stories of bewitchments." - -Joe and Mat kept silent, but they could not help acknowledging to -themselves that the children had acted very much as if the woman had -bewitched them. Moreover, the stranger's manner made a great impression -on his hearers; he never smiled as he spoke, was evidently very much in -earnest, and looked tremendously wise. - -His very next words served to increase this impression. "I have given -much time and thought to this matter of witches," said he, "and it's -that which has fetched me to your town of Salem. You know Salem Village, -or Salem Farms, as some appear to call it?" - -Of course they all knew Salem Village, a little group of farms that lay -four or five miles out from their own town. - -"There," said the stranger, "lives one Samuel Parris, minister of the -Gospel, and his family." As he spoke he made marks and lines on his leg, -as if to indicate the people he was naming. The boys looked back and -forth from his lean finger tracing these lines to his deep, glowing -eyes. "Samuel Parris," continued the speaker, "lived in the West Indies -for a time, and when he came here he brought two colored servants with -him, a man called John Indian, and his wife, who was known as Tituba, -who was part Indian and part negro. These two brought with them from the -Indies a knowledge of palm-reading, fortune-telling, second-sight, and -various strange incantations, such as the natives use there. They soon -attracted to them by these tricks a number of children, chiefly girls, -some as old as twenty, one child, Mr. Parris's daughter Elizabeth, only -nine. At first the girls simply did the tricks these Indian servants -taught them, but before long they gave signs of being bewitched in -earnest; they crawled about on their hands and knees, they spoke a -language no one could understand, they fell into trances. When these -'Afflicted Children,' as they call them, were asked who made them do -these things, they pointed to the Indian Tituba, and to two elderly -women, one named Sarah Good, the other Sarah Osburn. People have watched -these three, and they find that whenever Sarah Good quarrels with her -neighbors their cattle have been apt to sicken and die. Naturally the -three women are now under arrest. Such things savor strongly of the Evil -Eye, methinks." - -"I think so too," said the smith stoutly. "That bewitching of the -neighbors' cattle is bad business!" - -It was now dark outside, and the only light in the smithy was the fire -on the hearth. "Folks here in Salem should be on watch that this -witchcraft comes no nearer home," muttered the stranger in his deep -voice. "I have come here partly to warn them." - -"That's good of you," said Titus. - -The stranger picked up his hat, as if about to leave. - -"Might we know your name?" asked the smith, very respectfully. - -"Jonathan Leek," said the other. "One time I was in business with a man -of Salem, Richard Swan. He took more than his fair share of the profits -of our ventures, and left me poor. But I forgave him." - -"Oh, I knew Richard Swan well," said the smith. "He died some years ago. -We all thought well of him here in Salem. His widow lives here now, -Mistress Ann Swan." - -"Her house is near ours," spoke up Mat. - -"The schoolmaster boards with her," volunteered Joe. "He has a little -shed at the back where he keeps his dogs." - -"I forgave him," repeated Jonathan Leek in his oily tones. He put on his -high-crowned hat and stood up. "Let us all beware of the evil eye, my -friends," he added, and, drawing his cloak close about him, strode out -through the doorway. - -The smith and the two boys stared after him, and then looked at each -other. He had certainly brought mysterious stories with him, and the -effect of them seemed to remain. "What was I telling you?" said Titus. -"Don't be making sport of such business." He went back to his work at -the anvil. - -The boys said good-night, and left the smithy. The air was colder now -that darkness had settled on the lane, and they buttoned their coats -tight and stuck their hands in their pockets. "He knows a good deal -about them, doesn't he?" said Mat. - -Joe nodded his head. "It does sound mighty strange," said he. - -"I wonder what father would have said if he'd heard Mr. Leek," observed -Mat. "He couldn't have called all that just old wives' tales." - -At a corner the boys parted, and Mat trudged home alone. He glanced with -new interest at the house where Mistress Swan and the schoolmaster -lived. He would have liked to know what Mr. Appleton would say about -this business of witches. Would he laugh and say, "What nonsense!" or -would he look as much impressed as Jacob Titus had looked? Jacob was no -fool, and it was very clear that this Mr. Jonathan Leek was an unusually -wise man. - -But when Mat came into his own warm house, and found the sitting-room -brightly lighted and the family there, he couldn't help doubting whether -all he had just heard was true. He didn't mention the matter at all at -supper, or until he had finished his studying for the next day. When he -was through, however, he pulled his stool up to his father's chair, and -told him all that he and Joe had heard that afternoon. All, that is, -except what Mr. Leek had said about the business dealings he had once -had with Richard Swan. - -"And did this make you believe in witches and the Evil Eye?" asked Mr. -Hamlin. - -"I don't know," answered Mat, doubtfully. "Joe and I didn't know what to -think. The stories folks are telling about the witches and about what -they do to children and to animals are so strange; and then so many -grown-up people believe them. How's a boy to know whether they're true -or not?" - -"Only by using his seven wits, Mat," said Mr. Hamlin. "Before you -believe any of these unnatural things, see them happen with your own -eyes. And when a boy or girl cries out that a witch is sticking pins -into them, make sure that they're not pretending; you know children love -to pretend things, and they like it all the better if they can get -grown people to believe what they pretend. I don't think any witch will -try sticking pins or knives in you or Joe, or make you fly over the -ground like geese. The witch won't, that is, unless you help her." - -Mat chuckled. "Trust Joe and me for keeping away from creatures like -that," he declared. - -Mat started whittling a whistle from a willow stick, and Mr. Hamlin -began adding a column of figures in a cash-book, but after a few minutes -he looked up at his wife, who had come into the room and was knitting. -"I can't blame the children for talking of witches and magic things," he -said, "when all the province of Massachusetts Bay seems to be thinking -about the same matters. Everybody's whispering about them, and every -man, woman, and child seems suddenly to know exactly what witches do. -Three men told me to-day about those poor women they've jailed over at -Salem Village. And the men seemed almost to believe that the women -really had dealt in witchcraft, although they were all three sober men, -and one was a minister of the Gospel." - -"And I've been hearing the same things," said his wife. "Men don't do -all the gossiping, my dear." - -Mr. Hamlin turned again to his cash-book, but his counting was -interrupted in a few minutes by a loud rapping at the street-door. Mat -opened the door, and Mr. Samuel Glover and his son Joe came hurrying -in. "There's strange news afoot," said Mr. Glover, "and I thought it -only neighborly to share it with you." He threw his hat and cloak on a -chair. "Some one has charged Mistress Ann Swan with dealing in -witchcraft, with being a familiar of the Evil One." - -"Mistress Swan!" exclaimed husband and wife, while Mat stood listening -with his mouth wide open. - -"It's said she's bewitched the children, makes them act like cats and -dogs, sends them into trances, and misuses them in many different ways." - -"She's a most kind-hearted woman, and loves children dearly," said -Mistress Hamlin. "She always gives them sweets when they come to see -her." - -"Aye," agreed Mr. Glover, "so the children say, but they add that she -gives them the sweets so she may have a chance to work her evil on -them." - -"What children say this?" demanded Mr. Hamlin. - -"Mercy Booth and Susan Parsons and John Rowley," answered Mr. Glover. -"They're the main ones." - -Mat looked at Joe. "Serves 'em right," said he. "They're mean enough to -be bewitched!" - -"They stone dogs and cats," put in Joe. "And the schoolmaster caught 'em -at it, and gave 'em a good scolding." - -"But who started the story?" asked Mr. Hamlin. "Did the children tell -these things themselves?" - -"A man who's lately come from Boston took the matter to the town -clerk," answered Mr. Glover. "It seems the children had told their -strange stories to him. His name is Jonathan Leek." - -Mat gave a long whistle. "Jonathan Leek!" he echoed. "Why, he's the man -Joe and I met at the smithy!" - -"Yes," said Joe, nodding vigorously. "And he knows all about -witchcraft." - -"I should think he did," agreed Mat. - -"Poor Ann Swan," said Mistress Hamlin. "As fine a woman as ever lived. -And to be charged with being a witch!" - -"That's what I say," assented Mr. Glover. "And I'm doubtful if the -matter stops there. There's talk already that another had some part in -mistreating the children." - -"Who?" demanded Mr. Hamlin. - -"Who but the man who lives in the house with her, Mr. Appleton the -schoolmaster." - -"And what can they say against him?" asked Mr. Hamlin. "He's as -straightforward a man as ever I met." - -"He has a little shed back of the house where he keeps some dogs," -explained the other. "The children say that he cures these dogs of -broken bones by magic. They say they've seen him do it; take a stray cur -who limps and say a few words they can't understand, and soon the dog -doesn't limp any more. And the three afflicted children say that he -makes them suffer instead of his wounded pets." - -"They've been put up to this!" exclaimed Mr. Hamlin. "They'd never have -thought of all this for themselves." - -"Maybe," agreed Mr. Glover. "But you know how such matters go. Speak a -word or two against a man or woman, never mind how honest they may be, -and folks seize on it, and before you know it they have a dozen ill -stories to tell against them." - -"The schoolmaster a witch! I'll not believe it!" declared Mat. - -"Nor will I," said Joe. - -Mr. Hamlin smiled. "That's right, boys. Stand to your guns. Mr. Appleton -has some skill at setting broken bones, probably, and that's how he -mends these wounded animals. It's those who believe these charges of -witchcraft who are crazy, in my opinion; not the folks they charge with -having dealings with the Evil One. As for calling Mistress Swan a witch -because of what those children said, any woman might accuse a neighbor -of being a witch because her milk wouldn't churn into butter while that -neighbor happened to be chatting with her." - -"That's about what they have said of some of their witches in Boston," -put in Mr. Glover. "Yet, absurd as this may seem to us, it's likely to -prove fairly serious to Mistress Swan and Mr. Appleton. People don't -stop to use their wits in such affairs nowadays. Call man or woman a -witch, and you're two-thirds of the way to proving him or her one." - -"But the schoolmaster!" protested Mat. He looked at Joe. "In trouble -because those three little rats don't like him! Well, you and I'll stand -by him, won't we, Joe? We'll show people that he's no more a witch than -the minister is, or than Jonathan Leek himself." - -"We will," assented Joe. "I didn't like that Mr. Leek much anyway." - -"And I'll help you," said Mr. Hamlin. Mr. Glover nodded his head. -"Here's four of us at least who'll stand by the schoolmaster," said he, -"and by Mistress Swan too," he added, "for she's likely to be as -guiltless as Thomas Appleton." - - -II - -There were a great number of people in Massachusetts in 1692 who -believed in witches, and quite as many in Salem as in any other town. -Usually there was some old enmity under each charge of witchcraft, -though not always, for in some cases people made their charges -recklessly, apparently enjoying the prominence it brought them, and -thinking little of their victims. In those cases where there was some -old score being paid off, however, the populace usually gave little -attention to that side of it, but were only interested in the facts -brought out to prove that the accused person was a dealer in the Evil -Arts. As Mr. Glover said, "Call a person a witch, and you were -two-thirds of the way to actually proving that he or she was a witch." - -There was school next day, as usual, and Thomas Appleton tried to -appear unconcerned about everything but his scholars' lessons. The three -afflicted children, the two girls and the boy, were not there, having -been kept at home by their parents; and the others, who had all heard -the story about the schoolmaster by now, could see that he had something -on his mind. When school was over Mat and Joe waited until Mr. Appleton -was ready to go, and then joined him on his walk home. At first they -talked about all sorts of things, but presently Mat said, "We wanted you -to know that we're friends of yours, no matter what people may say about -you." - -The schoolmaster smiled, and put his hand affectionately on the boy's -shoulder. "You've heard then that people are saying that Mistress Swan -is a witch, and that I'm another?" - -Both boys nodded. - -"It's the most absurd story in the world," the man went on. "Mistress -Swan is kindness itself to every one, and especially to children. When -she hears of any boy or girl who's ill she takes them jellies and -puddings. I know a thousand things she's done that shows how much she -loves them." - -"And we know how you care for dogs and cats and birds," put in Joe. "And -every one in school, except those three, would follow you anywhere." - -Just then two women, coming along the lane, saw the schoolmaster, and -deliberately crossed to the other side so as to avoid meeting him. -Thomas Appleton reddened, and looked hurt. Then he snapped his fingers, -and muttered, "I'd like to play on my pipe, like that Pied Piper of -Hamelin Town we hear of, and dance away, taking all the children and -animals after me. It would serve you right, you evil-minded folk of -Salem!" - -Presently they came to Mistress Swan's door. "Might we see the shed -where you keep your dogs?" asked Mat. - -"Certainly," said the schoolmaster, and he led them to the little -building back of the house. Inside were half-a-dozen dogs, and those who -could leaped up about Appleton, licked his hands, and showed their -devotion to him. "These two," said he, pointing to a couple of collies, -"need exercise. Would you boys like to go for a walk with the three of -us?" - -The boys said they would, and soon they were out in the open country -back of Salem, master and boys and dogs racing along in the nipping air. -They passed some of their school-fellows playing in a field, and these -joined them, so that presently there was quite a crowd tramping with the -schoolmaster and his dogs, and all enjoying themselves. - -The schoolmaster whistled and sang and laughed as if he had quite -forgotten what people were saying about him in Salem; but when they were -back at Mistress Swan's gate, and all but Joe and Mat had left, he -frowned. "Poor Mistress Swan!" he said. "She can't throw off her -troubles as easily as a man can. And I doubt if any of the neighbors -have come in to see her." - -"We'll come in," said Joe; and as soon as the dogs were housed again -they went in with Mr. Appleton. They found Mistress Swan, a pink-cheeked -woman with soft gray hair, working on a sampler at a window. "I'm right -glad to see you, Mat, and you too, Joe," she said. "Thomas, will you -fetch some apples from the pantry?" - -The schoolmaster brought the apples, and the boys sat near the window, -eating them, and told her of their tramp in the country. Neither Mat nor -Joe could see anything that made them think of a witch in this -sweet-faced woman. - -While they were chatting a resounding thump came at the front door, and -when Mr. Appleton opened it, three grim-faced men walked in. One was the -town clerk, and the other two were constables of Salem. They marched -into the room, with never a bow or "By your leave," or smile of -greeting. Mistress Swan grew a trifle pale, and the boys stood up. "What -do you want?" demanded the schoolmaster in a low voice. - -"We want Mistress Swan," answered the town clerk, his eyes very stern -and forbidding. "She stands accused of dealing in Black Arts and other -evil business. She must go with us to the jail, there to await -examination of the charges brought against her." - -"It's an infamy," cried the schoolmaster, "and a lie! You've known -Mistress Swan for years, and you know her to be as innocent as your own -wives!" - -The town clerk glowered at Thomas Appleton. "Have a care," said he, his -voice like steel scraping on iron. "Have a care lest it be your turn -next, Master Appleton." - -"I care nothing for that," hotly retorted the master. "Gladly would I go -with you in Mistress Swan's place. But to think that you charge her, the -soul of gentleness and kindness to every one, with such an infamous -thing! What can you be thinking of? How can any man or woman or child in -Salem bring such charges against Mistress Swan?" - -"They have been brought, nevertheless," responded the clerk. "There are -three children claim to have been bewitched by her, and there is a man, -Jonathan Leek, who tells of strange happenings." - -"Jonathan Leek?" exclaimed Mistress Swan. "He? Why, 'tis he who claimed -my husband owed him money, and has tried to get payment from me. But we -owed him no money. He's an evil, tale-bearing man; but he knows I am not -guilty of such wicked things as these." - -"All that you can answer to the court," said the clerk. "My business is -only to see you taken into custody." - -"Is there no way by which she may stay here?" asked Appleton. "I will -promise that she will be here when you want her. Or take me as hostage -for her." - -"She must come," said the clerk. "There's been enough talk, and to -spare. Get your cloak and come." - -Mistress Swan rose, folded the sampler and put it away in a closet, and -got out her cloak and hood. She held out her hand to the schoolmaster. -"You've stood by me like an honest man, Thomas. God grant they don't -drag you into this!" - -He took her offered hand and his eyes glowed as he looked into her face. -"If they do you a wrong they shall suffer for it," said he. "There are -honest men in Salem as well as knaves." - -She smiled at the two boys, who were taking in every incident of the -strange scene, and walked out through her doorway, followed by the three -grim-looking men. - -Mr. Appleton paced the floor. "Infamous!" he exclaimed. "The lies of -three wicked children and a villain to stand against the spotless life -of such a woman as she! What is Salem coming to? It should hide its head -in the ocean for very shame of such a crime! Witchcraft! Yes, there must -be witchcraft to make people believe such lies!" He stopped and looked -at the boys. "What was the name of this man who brought the charges?" - -"Jonathan Leek," answered Mat. "Joe and I heard him talking yesterday at -the smithy. A tall black man from Boston, who seemed to know a great -deal about witches." - -"I will find him," said Appleton. "I will make him take back these words -about Mistress Swan, or I will cram them down his throat!" - -"But, Master Appleton," said Joe, "suppose he should make the same -charges against you. He's a dangerous man. And then you would be -arrested, and couldn't be of any help to Mistress Swan." - -The schoolmaster stared at Joe. "That's true," he answered slowly. "I -must keep my head, and tread right warily. Yes, I must not tell these -rascals what I have in my mind about them. But Mistress Swan must be -saved. And, to speak the truth, I don't know where I can go for help to -save her." - -"Joe's father and mine will help," said Mat eagerly. "They both know -Mistress Swan. And the children at school will help, and perhaps their -fathers too. We'll go home now, and tell what has happened." He picked -up his hat, and ran out of the house, Joe at his heels. - -They went straight to Mr. Hamlin's house, and, finding him and his wife -at home, told them of the arrest of Mistress Swan. "I expected as much," -said Mat's father. "All Salem is talking witchcraft to-day, and they -tell the most outrageous stories of Mistress Swan, and worst of all, -half the people seem to believe them." - -"I heard a woman say to-day that Ann Swan gave her baby the croup last -December," said Mistress Hamlin. "They're laying every ache and pain -their children ever had at her door now. It's scarcely to be believed -that people can be so wicked against a kind woman they've known all -their lives." - -"But what's to be done?" said Mr. Hamlin. "As matters stand the court -may find Mistress Swan guilty of witchcraft without any to say a word -on her behalf." - -"Would they listen to me?" asked Mat. "I could tell them how mean and -cruel and hateful John Rowley and Mercy Booth and Susan Parsons are, and -what the rest of us at school think about them." He thought a minute. -"And as to that man, Jonathan Leek, I'd say that both Joe and I thought -him much like a snake." - -"Jonathan Leek?" said Mr. Hamlin. "Tell me all you know about him, Mat." - -Mat, aided by Joe, told what he had heard Mr. Leek say at the smithy, -and also what he had heard Mistress Swan say about him that afternoon. -Mr. Hamlin got paper and pen and made notes, and then they planned what -might be said in answer to the charges against Mistress Swan. "You bring -Master Appleton here after school to-morrow, Mat," said his father. -"Then we'll see what can be done to clear Mistress Ann's good name." - -School met next morning, but there was more excitement than on the day -before, for all the boys and girls had heard how Susan Parsons and Mercy -Booth and John Rowley were telling the most remarkable stories about -being bewitched. The schoolmaster tried to teach the lessons, but it was -plain that he was worried, and that his thoughts were not on the work. -Just before the noon recess, Joe, who was reciting, saw Master Appleton -look up and then stare at the door at the farther end of the room. Joe -turned round to see what was the matter. In the doorway stood the town -clerk, with the same two men who had been at Mistress Swan's. - -The clerk walked down the passageway between the benches, while all the -children stared. He went up to the master's desk, stepped up on the low -platform, and laid his hand on Master Appleton's shoulder. He was -smiling, as though he took a certain pleasure in the work on hand. -"Thomas Appleton," he said, "I arrest you in the name of the court of -Salem. You are charged with witchcraft." - -The schoolmaster pulled his shoulder away from the clerk's hand. He -looked very proud and unconcerned at the charge, as though he were -defying all the officers of Salem. "Very good," said he. "You have -arrested better people than me for such hocus-pocus. I should feel -honored." He shut the school-book that lay open on his desk, and smiled -at the children on the front row of benches. "I suppose, Master Clerk," -he said, "that you chose this hour, when you knew I would be busy with -my scholars, to come to arrest me, so that they might all see the -entertainment, and thus make my arrest as public as possible." - -"It is some of your own scholars who bring part of the charges against -you," retorted the clerk. - -"Aye, I know," said Master Appleton. "But they are not here now. Those -who are here know me better." He looked at the boys and girls, who were -watching intently. "I'm sorry to leave you," he said. "There will be no -school for several days, not until they can find another master to take -my place. They say I deal in witchcraft, that I take wounded animals and -cure them by sending their aches into children, that I can bewitch you -so that you do strange things you couldn't do otherwise. These are just -fairy tales, nonsense, the most absurd of stories. I know no more of -witches than any one of you. There are no such things as witches, there -is no such thing as the Evil Eye. But people in Massachusetts are -believing in them, men and women here in Salem are letting themselves -believe such nonsense. None can say what they will do next. Yet you boys -and girls know there are no such evil spirits; you must stand for the -right and the truth, and deny such falsehoods. You will, I know. You -must help to save Salem such disgrace." - -The children were still for a moment, and then Mat spoke up. "Of course -there are no witches," he said. "We're old enough to know that." He -looked round the room. "All who think as the schoolmaster does, stand -up," he commanded. - -Every boy and girl stood up. - -"I knew it," said the schoolmaster. He turned, smiling, to the clerk. -"The children are wiser than their elders," he said. "There is some hope -for Salem." - -"A very pretty scene," answered the clerk, sarcastically. "But the court -may take a different view of it; they might even think you had the -children bewitched so's they'd do exactly what you tell 'em to." - -"Yes, they might," agreed Master Appleton. "They might use anything -against me. To some minds innocence is always the best proof of guilt. -Yet I didn't bewitch the children; I have only taught them their -lessons, as I was paid to do." He took his hat and cloak from the peg -behind his desk. "I am at your service." - -Smiling at his scholars, Master Appleton walked down the aisle to the -door. As he passed Mat he said, "See to the dogs for me, will you? I -shouldn't like them to go hungry." - -Mat bobbed his head. - -The schoolmaster went out into the lane, with his three guards, while -the children crowded to the door and watched until he turned the corner. - - -III - -The fear of witches, like the fear of the plague in the Middle Ages, -spread over Massachusetts with amazing rapidity in that winter and -spring of 1692, and found one of its chief centers at Salem. Men and -women of standing and education were arrested, as well as those who had -few friends and little learning, and the wildest and most improbable -stories about their actions were told and were believed. As day followed -day the three "afflicted children," John Rowley, Susan Parsons, and -Mercy Booth, told more and more fantastic tales about Mistress Swan and -Master Appleton, and Jonathan Leek spread these stories so thoroughly -that soon there was not a man, woman, or child in Salem, or in the -neighboring country, who had not heard how the accused schoolmaster and -Ann Swan had bewitched the three. To hear a story about witchcraft at -that time was usually to believe it, and many people had condemned the -man and woman in their own minds long before the court took up the case -against them. - -Mat's family, and Joe's family, however, started out with the -determination to save Mistress Swan and Thomas Appleton if it could be -done. Then these two boys urged their schoolmates, none of whom could -believe that the teacher they were so fond of was a witch, to ask their -parents to speak kindly of the two accused persons, and so there was -soon quite a little party in Salem who protested that the two were -innocent. Of course there were many, largely of the more ignorant class, -like Jacob Titus, the blacksmith, and people who had listened to -Jonathan Leek and fallen under his influence, who felt certain that the -schoolmaster and Ann Swan were able to ride about on broomsticks when -they had a mind to. Strange to say, some of the ministers of Salem took -this view too. - -Mr. Hamlin went to the jail and talked with both the prisoners, he -visited the houses of the three "afflicted children" and watched their -strange performances, and he sought out Jonathan Leek, who had suddenly -become a very prominent person, and listened to his oily and mysterious -speeches. Then he wrote letters to friends in Boston, and after a while -he began to find out facts that were scarcely creditable to Mr. Leek's -reputation. He had been driven out of Boston because of the falsehoods -he had uttered about people there; he was described as a cheat, a -swindler, and a man who tried to get money from men and women by -threatening to accuse them of various crimes. Mr. Glover helped in this -work, and so did the two boys, and in addition the boys looked after the -dogs in the schoolmaster's little hospital and reported to Master -Appleton how his charges were getting on. - -People were being condemned and hung as witches in Salem Village and -other places, and things did not look too cheerful for Mat's two -friends. Yet they were both full of patience and courage, and when -people came to them and tempted them to admit that they had ill-treated -the children, had used magic on them, or worked some spell over them, -they always indignantly denied the charges and said such stories were -utterly absurd. "I never raised a finger against a child in my life," -said Mistress Swan at one such time, "and I never will, no matter what -those three may say about me, or what you may do to me." And Master -Appleton would say, "Yes, it is true I have cured a number of dogs, but -not by sending their ills into these children. Surely you must know that -I care as much for children as for animals! Otherwise you'd make me no -better than an ogre." - -"He is an ogre!" cried Jonathan Leek, when he heard what Master Appleton -said. He pointed his lean hand at the crowd who had gathered around him. -"Many a schoolmaster is an ogre in disguise, and chooses that work so -that he may prey on children! I know; I have seen such men before." And -his manner was so impressive as he said this that many people nodded -their heads and murmured to each other that doubtless he was right. - -So matters stood when the two prisoners, whose cases were so much alike -that they were to be considered together, were put on trial in Salem. -Mr. Hamlin and Mr. Glover were there, and their sons, and a lawyer they -had engaged to represent them. The court room was full to overflowing, -and very warm, for it was midsummer. - -"How could any one believe those two guilty of such evil deeds?" said -Mr. Hamlin to his friends, as he looked at the kind and gentle Mistress -Swan and the frank-faced Thomas Appleton. - -"People have believed such charges of men and women who look full as -innocent," answered Mr. Glover. - -Many there in the court room believed that these two were witches as -they listened to the stories the three "afflicted children" told, and -heard Jonathan Leek and other grown men and women testify as to strange -doings they had witnessed. Through all this the two prisoners simply -looked at their fellow-townsfolk, as if wondering that such stories -could be told of them, and when they were asked by the judges if they -had done any of these things, each simply denied all knowledge of such -events. - -Then Mr. Hamlin's lawyer rose, and he had neighbors of Mistress Swan -tell how they had always respected her and how highly they thought of -her, and how kind she had always been to their children. After that Mr. -Hamlin told what he had discovered about the man Jonathan Leek, how Leek -had demanded money from Mistress Swan, and how she had refused to give -him any money, saying that her husband had never owed Leek anything as a -result of their business dealings. Here the lawyer presented an -account-book that showed that, as an actual fact, Jonathan Leek had owed -Richard Swan money, instead of the account standing the other way about. -Leek looked very angry and indignant as Mr. Hamlin and the lawyer -related all these affairs to the court, and when the account-book was -shown he jumped up, protesting loudly, saying, "Figures have nothing to -do with the fact of this woman's being a witch!" But the lawyer retorted -very quickly, "These figures have much to do with the reason why you -charged this woman with witchcraft!" - -When Mr. Hamlin told what he had learned of Jonathan Leek's leaving -Boston the man in black squirmed in his seat, and grew so yellow of face -that Mat whispered to Joe, "He looks like a witch himself now, doesn't -he?" There wasn't much left of the stranger's character when Mr. Hamlin -had finished with him, and even those people who had believed most -implicitly in him began to murmur their doubts to each other. - -Then came the chance for Mat to tell what he knew of Mistress Swan and -Master Appleton. He told how the other children in school had never -liked the three "afflicted children." "Those three liked to hurt -animals," said he. "They stoned cats and dogs, they caught young birds, -and hurt them, and when Master Appleton told them not to be so cruel -they made faces at him and told false stories about him behind his back. -Sometimes he would rescue birds and dogs from them, and try to mend -their hurts, and he has a lot of dogs now in a shed back of Mistress -Swan's house, poor dogs that nobody else would look after, and most of -them he's cured of some hurt. None of us boys in school would believe a -word those three others would say, least of all about Master Appleton, -and we'd all expect them to say ill things about him whenever they got -the chance." Mat said more about the schoolmaster, and Joe followed him, -and then other children, and they were all so evidently sincere, and -showed such affection for the teacher that people began to look more -kindly at him, and to whisper that they'd always heard he was popular at -school. "Against the word of one boy and two girls, who had their own -reasons for disliking this master, we have the witness of these other -children, who all respect and admire him," said the lawyer. "True it is -that he has an almshouse for maimed and neglected animals in his yard, -but should that not rather speak to his credit than against his honesty? -He may know more than most of us about curing sores and broken bones; -but would you accuse a physician of dealing in witchcraft or evil arts -because he helped the suffering who came to him? If you would, then -there must be evil in all men who help their neighbors!" - -Here Jacob Titus, standing in the back of the court room, murmured -behind his hand to the man next him, "I always had my doubts of those -who deal in herbs and such like. There's something magical in the best -of it. And when it's a matter of dogs, why----" he shrugged his -shoulders, meaning clearly enough that that was carrying magic pretty -far. - -There were others who thought as the blacksmith did, for many, having -once got the notion that Mistress Swan and Master Appleton were witches, -couldn't find any way to get that idea out of their heads. Others were -wavering in their opinions, however, and thinking that there might -perhaps be as much truth in the words of this woman whom they had always -known and this schoolmaster of such former good repute as in the words -of three spoiled children and a man who had been driven out of Boston -for misdeeds. - -"There may be witches," the lawyer said, "though it happens that I've -never met with any such myself. There are rumors of witchcraft all -through this province of Massachusetts to-day, and many stories are told -that could scarcely be understood as following the course of nature. But -if we let ourselves suspect such evil things of our neighbors so -readily, who knows when others may suspect such dealings of us as -easily? You," he said, and by chance he was looking at a stout man in -front of him, "may be accused to-morrow because your neighbor's cow -sickened on the day you helped him harvest his crops. You," he looked at -a forbidding-featured woman in a great gray bonnet, "may be called a -witch next week because your suet puddings were too rich for the stomach -of your maid. Or you," and his glance fell on a minister, who sat with a -Bible clasped in his hand, "may be charged with dealings with the Evil -One because your chimney smoked and the sparks frightened a horse upon -the road so that he ran away. This is how such easy suspicions go. -Within a month we may all be witches and warlocks, each man and woman -accusing their nearest neighbors." - -A murmur of protest rose; the idea was not to be put up with; and yet -every one there knew that there was much truth in the speaker's words. - -"It happens that three children and a man from Boston have hit upon -these two prisoners as their victims," went on the speaker, now looking -at the judges, "instead of aiming their shafts at you or me. Yet are -you or I any more honest than this woman who has befriended others, or -this man who teaches and cares for maimed dogs? Are we to be their -judges? Then, as we consider the charges against them, let us remember -that men might bring charges of evil against us also, and consider -whether we know ourselves to be more innocent than they. Look at -Mistress Swan! Look at Thomas Appleton! Are these two witches? Why, men -of Salem, the very children laugh at such a charge!" - -The speaker sat down amid a tense silence. The judges withdrew, -considered the matter in private, and then, returning, announced that in -their opinion the charges of witchcraft against Mistress Swan and Master -Appleton had not been proved by the evidence, and that the two prisoners -might return to their homes. There was a buzz of excited talk for a few -minutes, then neighbors and friends crowded round Mistress Swan and the -schoolmaster and said they had never really believed the evil reports of -them. - -So these two innocent people returned to their home, and men and women -who had been in doubt before as to whether they should believe the tales -of magic now said they had always considered the three "afflicted -children" mischievous brats and wondered that their parents hadn't -whipped them for telling such monstrous falsehoods. As for Jonathan -Leek, when he found that he had no chance to injure Mistress Swan, and -knew that people in Salem were beginning to hear the true story of his -earlier career in Boston, he departed from Salem in haste, probably to -carry his ready-made charges of witchcraft to other towns, where there -might be people against whom he cherished grudges. - -Thomas Appleton returned to his school, and the children liked him -better than ever, and brought him so many lame and footsore dogs to care -for that he said he should have to take the largest building in town to -house them all. The three "afflicted children" didn't go back to school, -though no one knew whether that was because their parents thought they -wouldn't be popular there after what had happened, or because they still -considered that the schoolmaster might bewitch them. - -Naturally enough it took Mistress Swan and Master Appleton some time to -forgive their townsfolk for treating them so badly. But the people did -their best to show them how sorry they felt that they had ever suspected -them of evil dealings, and in time the two returned to their old -attitude of friendliness toward all their neighbors. Neither of them was -the kind to cherish a grudge. - -Other people in Massachusetts, however, who were charged with being -witches were not so fortunate as Ann Swan and Thomas Appleton. Some were -found guilty and were executed for witchcraft. Then, when this strange -and inhuman superstition had run its course, popular feeling changed -quickly. Men and women became ashamed of what they had said and done. -The fear of witches passed into history and became only a strange -delusion of the past. But it had been a very real fear in Massachusetts -in 1692. - - - - -VII - -THE ATTACK ON THE DELAWARE - -(_Pennsylvania, 1706_) - - -I - -Jack Felton, coming back to his home from the woods that lay north of -the town of Philadelphia, on a day in May, 1706, stopped at his -friend's, Gregory Diggs, the shoemaker, to ask for a bit of leather for -a sling he was making. There was an amusing stranger there, a round, -red-faced man, lolling back in his chair, one knee crossed over the -other. Small, sharp-featured Gregory was driving pegs into the sole of a -boot while he listened to the other's talk. The stranger nodded to Jack. -"Howdy-do, my fine young Quaker lad," said he. "Do your boots need -mending?" - -"I want a piece of leather for my sling," said Jack. - -"Oho, so you're playing David, are you? Well, I tell you what, this -settlement of Penn's is going to need all the Davids it can muster one -of these fine days. And that day's not so far off, my friends." - -"What do you mean?" asked Jack, sitting down in the doorway. - -"I mean," said the stranger, "that you simple folk along the Delaware -are like fat sheep that the wolves have sighted. Sea-wolves, they are." -He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his plump knees. "Have you ever -heard of a Frenchman named De Castris?" - -"I have," said Gregory. - -"I haven't," said Jack. - -"Well, the Frenchman has four fast frigates, and he's been cruising up -and down the coast between Long Island and the Chesapeake capes, looking -for English prey. He chased two small English corvettes up the Delaware -almost to Newcastle. He's captured over a score of merchant ships, and a -week ago he landed at Lewes for water and provisions, and carried off -the pick of the live stock there." - -"And what would you have us do, Mr. Hackett?" asked Gregory, picking up -another boot. "Arm, and march up and down the river bank? We're -peaceable people. We try not to make any enemies, and so we don't expect -any enemies to come against us. See how friendly we've lived with the -Indians, while the Virginians have been fighting them all the time." - -The other man smiled, that superior, much-amused smile of the wise man -arguing with the ignoramus. "And the sheep don't make enemies of the -wolves either," said he. "The sheep are peaceable beasts, tending to -their own concerns. But that doesn't keep the wolves from preying on -them, does it? Not by a long chalk, my friend Diggs. As for the Indians, -it's only your good fortune that you haven't stirred them up to attack -you. You don't think they care any more for you because you make -treaties with them, and give them beads and trinkets for their land, and -smoke their pipe of peace?" - -"We've been thinking that," answered Gregory. "We thought we'd been -treating them as good Christians should." - -"Oh, you foolish Quakers!" said Hackett. "You're worse than sheep; -you're like the ostriches that stick their heads in the sand. Look here. -Suppose the Indians should drink too much fire-water some day and make a -raid on your farms; where would your treaties be then? Or -suppose,--what's much more likely,--that this French privateer captain -should take it into his head to sail up the Delaware and levy a ransom -on your prosperous people, and maybe carry off some of your fine Quaker -gentlemen as prisoners. What would you do then?" - -Gregory scratched his head. "I suppose we'd try to fight them off," he -concluded. - -"But you wouldn't be ready. You wouldn't have enough guns, and powder -and shot. And you wouldn't know what to do with the guns if you had -them." - -"Well," the shoemaker repeated patiently, "what would you have us do, -Mr. Hackett?" - -"I want you to prepare, Diggs, I want you to prepare. That's what His -Majesty's other colonies have done. I want you to make sure you have -enough guns and ammunition on hand, and know how to use the muskets. I -want you to set sentries along the river and outposts through the -country to give you warning of any possible attack. And above all I want -you to get rid of this Quaker notion that you can go on getting rich and -prosperous without rousing envy in your neighbors." - -"You don't see much riches right here," said Gregory, glancing round at -his simple, meagrely-furnished shop. - -"No, not here, my honest old friend," agreed Hackett, and he got up and -slapped the shoemaker on the shoulder in a friendly fashion. "But most -of the Philadelphia people aren't like you. They're fat and easy-going, -and they wear good clothes and live in fine houses. They like their -comfort, these people of William Penn." - -"They look more like you than like me," said Gregory, smiling. - -The stout man laughed. "Why, so they do, so they do. But don't put me -down for one of them! I'm no Quaker, Diggs. I'm a good Church of England -man, and I believe in musket and powder-horn." He picked up his -walking-stick, which leaned against his chair, and flourishing it round -his head shot it forward toward Jack Felton as if it had been a -dueling-sword. "There, my young friend," said he, "how would you parry -that? But I forget, Quaker lads aren't taught how to fence." - -Jack laughed at the attitude the stout man had struck. "I know how to -shoot with a bow, even if I can't fence," he retorted. - -"Shoot with a bow--faugh, that's Indian warfare. Sword and musket's -what we want, Master--I don't know your name." - -"Jack Felton," said Gregory. "And he's the son of one of those very -prosperous Quakers you were speaking of, Mr. Hackett." - -"So?" said Hackett. "Well, I trust, Master Felton, that you see the -common sense of my argument, and will persuade your father that it's not -unlikely this French buccaneer De Castris may take it into his head to -visit Philadelphia some day." He put on his hat and picked up his cloak. -"I'm on my way to visit my old friend Governor John Evans, and tell him -of the reports I bring from Chesapeake Bay." - -Jack stood up to let Mr. Hackett pass him, and then stepped into the -shop. "Is what he says about Philadelphia and the Quakers true?" he -asked the shoemaker. - -"I hardly know, Jack. The Friends don't believe in fighting, and maybe -we're not as well prepared for defense as most of our neighbors. We've -kept peace with the Indians by treating them fairly. Charles Hackett -comes from Maryland, where they've had lots of trouble with Indians and -every man goes armed." - -"Suppose that French captain came up the Delaware and did what Mr. -Hackett thought he might?" suggested Jack. - -Gregory shook his head. "I don't know what we'd do. I take it I'm like -most of the others; I don't like to borrow trouble, Jack." - -Jack got the leather for his sling and started home. The stranger's -words stuck in his mind, however. He didn't like to think an enemy might -come up the Delaware and do as he pleased with Philadelphia. It seemed -to him that Mr. Hackett might be right, that the people ought to be -prepared to defend themselves. - -Mr. Felton lived in a big house at the corner of Second and Pine -Streets. He was a well-to-do Quaker and a friend of John Evans, the -Deputy Governor who represented William Penn in the province. After -supper Jack told his father what he had heard at the shoemaker's. -"That's idle talk," said his father. "The Frenchman wouldn't think of -coming to Philadelphia, and if he did we've plenty of men here to -protect the town." - -"But how do you know they'd do it?" Jack asked. "Friends don't believe -in fighting, the stranger said." - -"We don't unless we have to," agreed Mr. Felton. "Don't you bother about -such things, Jack. Leave it to Governor Evans." - -Mr. Felton, however, thinking the matter over, decided that perhaps the -governor ought to know that people were talking about a possible attack -by the French privateers, and so he wrote a note and sent it over by -Jack that evening to the governor's house. - -Jack thought he would like to speak to the governor himself, so he gave -the servant his name, but not his father's note. The servant reported -that Governor Evans would be glad to see Master Felton in his private -office. - -In the office sat the governor and Mr. Charles Hackett. The governor -read Mr. Felton's note. When he looked up he saw that Hackett was -smiling at Jack. "So you've met before, have you?" he said. "It's odd -that this note should be on the very matter we were discussing, -Charles." He handed it to his guest, who read it rapidly. - -"So you told your father of our little chat at the shoemaker's, did -you?" said Hackett. "What did he say to it?" - -"He didn't say very much," Jack answered. "He told me not to bother -about it." - -"You see," said Hackett, looking at the governor. "He said not to -bother. That's what all your good Quaker folks will say, I dare -venture." - -Governor Evans looked very thoughtful. He stroked his smooth-shaven -cheek with his hand. "You may be right," he said finally. "They are a -hard people to rouse, beyond question. I think we'd better try the plan -you and I were talking of, the messenger from New Castle arriving in the -morning with news of what happened there." - -"Make the message strong," advised Hackett. "Burning, plundering, and -pillage." - -Governor Evans nodded his head. "To-morrow will be weekly meeting-day," -he said thoughtfully. "That'll be as good a time as any to try the -plan." He turned to Jack. "Thank your father for his message, and tell -him that I've already heard the news of the French frigates he speaks -of. Good-night." - -Jack bowed to the governor and to Mr. Hackett, who beamed at him and -waved his hand in friendly salute. - -Mystified at the governor's words about a messenger from New Castle and -at Mr. Hackett's mention of burning, plundering, and pillage, Jack went -home, and gave his father the governor's answer to his note. He went to -bed, wondering if it was possible that this quiet little town of -Philadelphia, so peaceably settled on the shore of the Delaware, could -possibly be the object of an enemy's attack. - -Next day was meeting-day, and as Jack, his father and mother, his -younger brother and sister, went to the red brick meeting-house, -Philadelphia was calmly basking in the sunshine of a bright May morning. -As Mr. Hackett had said, most of the people looked prosperous. William -Penn, the proprietor of the province of Pennsylvania, had been generous -in his dealings with the settlers. Land was plentiful, and farms, with -average care and cultivation, produced splendid crops. The houses in the -section near the Delaware, which was the central part of town, stood in -their own gardens, with carefully kept lawns and flower-beds. People -gave each other friendly greetings in passing. It would have been hard -to find a more peaceful-looking community. - -Jack sat quietly through the meeting, and then hurried out of the -meeting-house to join some other boys. A change had come over the street -outside. People were hurrying along it; some were talking excitedly on -the corners. Two stout men, who looked as if they rarely took any -exercise, were going at a double-quick pace toward Chestnut Street. - -"What are they hurrying for?" Jack asked the two other boys who had come -from the meeting-house. - -"I don't know," answered George Logan. - -"Let's go see," said Peter Black. - -The three started for Chestnut Street, a couple of squares away. As they -ran along other boys and men joined them, people who were talking -stopped and headed after the crowd, almost all those who had been to -Meeting showed their curiosity by walking in the same direction. The -quiet street was filled with bustle and noise. - -There were many people at the crossing of Third and Chestnut Streets; -indeed it looked as if most of Philadelphia was there. Jack caught -snatches of sentences. "A messenger from down the river." ... "Word from -New Castle." ... "Going to attack us." ... "The French ships":--such -were some of the words. - -The boys made their way through the crowd until they looked up Chestnut -Street. People were flocking down there too. Jack didn't know there -were so many people in the town as he saw in the streets. Then out from -Fourth Street rode three men on horseback and came down Chestnut toward -the thickest of the crowd. The riders were Governor Evans, his -secretary, and Charles Hackett. - -The governor reined up and held out his gloved hand to silence the babel -of voices. "I have news for you!" he cried. The crowd quieted. "A -messenger has come from New Castle with word that a French squadron is -sailing up the Delaware! They have chased two English ships up the bay! -Their crews landed at Lewes, burned the town, plundered and pillaged, -and carried off prisoners and cattle! To arms, lest we share the same -fate! To arms, to defend our homes and families! Get your arms and make -ready to obey the orders I shall issue later!" He drew his sword and -pointed it toward the Delaware. "Let us show the enemy we are ready for -him!" - -There was a moment's silence, then a few shouts, then the crowd began to -make away by the side-streets, talking excitedly, gesticulating, very -much startled at the governor's news. They knew that the English and -Dutch settlements along the Atlantic Ocean had often had to defend -themselves against enemies, both white and red, but here in Pennsylvania -there had practically been no need of defense; they had always been on -good terms with their Indian neighbors, and no other enemies had -appeared. Now the French privateers meant to treat their town as they -had already treated Lewes. Burn, plunder, and pillage! There was no good -reason for such an attack. They had done nothing to harm the French. -They couldn't understand why any one should wish to make war on them -when they were such peaceable people, always strictly minding their own -business. Yet there were the governor's words that the French frigates -were sailing up the Delaware, and word had already reached the town -through other channels telling of the attack on Lewes, though the other -reports hadn't made the matter out as bad as had the governor's -messenger. Well, it looked as though, Quakers or not, they would have to -do as Governor Evans bade. - -Jack ran all the way home. Everywhere people were telling each other the -news. Even in front of the meeting-house there was an excited group. -Philadelphia was no longer peaceful; there was an entirely new thrill in -the air. - -Jack's family had not yet returned. He hurried into the house, and up to -the attic where his father's musket hung on the wall. He took it down, -he found a powder-horn in a chest, he pulled out a sword from behind -some boxes in a corner. With musket and sword and powder-horn in his -arms he went down-stairs. The family were just coming in from the -street. He held out sword and musket. "Here are our arms, father!" he -exclaimed. - -Mr. Felton could not help smiling at the excited face of his son. "You -don't intend to be caught napping, do you, Jack?" said he. "Well, I -don't think the French will attack us before dinner. You'd better put -the weapons away for a while." - - -II - -There were not many people in Philadelphia who took the governor's call -to arms as lightly as did Mr. Felton. Most of them were scared half out -of their wits, and pictured to themselves the French raiders marching -into their houses and carrying off all their valuables, to say nothing -of ill-treating themselves. They did not stop to consider that the men -of Philadelphia must greatly outnumber the raiders, and that, properly -armed, they ought to have little trouble in keeping the enemy at bay. -All they appeared to think of was that the enemy were fierce, fighting -men, and that they must hand over their precious household goods at the -pirates' demand. - -Many households had no firearms at all, for the province had had small -need of them. But even where there were muskets the men seemed very -little disposed to make them ready for use. The Quakers didn't want to -fight, that was the long and short of it. Wherever men did get out their -muskets and prepare to obey the governor's summons to defense they were -in almost all cases men who were not Quakers. But the Quakers did not -intend to hand over their valuables if they could possibly help it. - -Some bundled their silver and other prized possessions into carriages -and wagons and drove their families out into the country, far from the -Delaware. They took shelter in farmhouses and even in barns, intending -to stay there until the French frigates should have come and gone. -Others simply took their possessions out of town and hid them in the -woods, returning to their homes in town. Every one seemed to be busy -hiding whatever they could; much more concerned about that than about -preparing for defense, as Governor Evans wanted. - -Though his father was inclined to go slowly both in arming and in hiding -their valuables, Jack Felton was not. The boy who lived in the next -house, Peter Black, had a talk with Jack right after dinner. Peter -Black's mother was a widow, and Peter felt that it was his duty to save -the family heirlooms, as he saw the neighbors planning to save theirs. -So Peter and Jack hurried out into the country north of Philadelphia. -Since the French ships would come from the south they thought the -northern country would be the safer. Their road took them by Gregory -Diggs' shop, on the outskirts of town, and they stopped there for a few -minutes. - -The little shoemaker had his gun lying on the table. "Well, Master -Jack," he said, grinning, "I hear the governor's given the alarm. I got -out my gun so as not to disappoint Mr. Hackett if he comes along." - -"We're going to look for a good place to hide things," said Jack. "What -are you going to do with the things in your house?" - -Gregory looked round his shop, at the unplastered walls, the plain, -home-made furniture, the few pots and pans that stood near his hearth. -"I don't think there's much here for me to hide," said he. "The French -can take all my goods if they want to. I could make boots out under a -tree if they care to burn my house. You see that's one of the advantages -of being poor, you don't lose any sleep thinking about robbers." - -"Peter's mother has a lot of things the raiders might take," explained -Jack. "Do you know a good hiding-place?" - -"There's a place up in the woods, along a creek, that ought to be pretty -safe," said Gregory. "I'll go along to show you." - -Shouldering his musket, which seemed to be his one valuable possession, -the shoemaker led the two boys along the road to the woods. There he -took a path that presently brought them to a little stream. The banks -were covered with violets right down to the water's edge. "There's a -cave in the bank a little farther up-stream," he said. "I'll show you -some stepping-stones." - -They crossed by the stones and found the place where the bank revealed -an opening. It was quite large enough to hold all that Peter wanted to -stow away. "I'll make a door so no one will suspect it's there," said -Gregory. - -He took out his knife, and hunting among the trees found several where -the bark was covered with gray-green lichens. Stripping off these pieces -of bark he brought them back to the cave. Then he took some narrow -strips of leather from his pocket, such strips as shoemakers use for -lacing, and making eyelets near the edges of the bark, he fastened them -together with the lacings. This made a bark cover more than big enough -to close the opening in the bank. Gregory set it in place, then trimmed -the edges so that it fitted neatly. He dug up some of the clumps of -violets and replanted them at the base of the bark door. "Now I'll defy -any one to find that cave," he said. "It's the safest hiding-place in -the province of Pennsylvania." - -"I'll mark a couple of trees so I can find it again," said Peter. With -his knife he cut some notches in a couple of willows that bordered the -stream. As they went back through the woods both boys noted the trail -carefully, so that they might readily find it another time. - -On the road wagons and carriages passed them, people flying out of town -through fear of the enemy. The shoemaker, his musket perched on his -shoulder, in spite of his small size was the most martial figure to be -seen. "I'm afraid our good folk are more bent on hiding than on -fighting," Gregory said with a chuckle. "Well, perhaps I'd be the same -if I had something to hide." - -"Do you think Mr. Hackett was right about our people not being ready to -fight?" Jack asked. - -"I think it looks very much that way," said Gregory. "I've seen a lot of -people on this road to-day, but not one with a gun." - -Leaving Gregory at his house, Jack and Peter walked east to the river -and followed the foot-path along the Delaware. Skiffs, filled with -household goods, were being rowed up-stream. Families were seeking -refuge in the country north of town. Men and boys along the shore were -calling words of advice or derision to the rivercraft. At one place a -man was shouting, "There's the French frigates coming up on the Jersey -side!" The rowers paddled faster, glancing back over their shoulders to -see if the alarm was true. The man who had shouted and the others within -hearing on the bank laughed at the rowers. The only boats on the -Delaware appeared to be those manned by frightened householders. - -"Nobody's doing anything to build defenses in case the French frigates -do come," said Jack. And indeed there was not a sign of defense anywhere -along the shore. If the frigates came they could fire at Philadelphia -without an answering shot. - -When they reached the center of the town the boys found the same -confusion. People were talking on street-corners; some were reading the -notices that Governor Evans had posted, calling on the men to meet him -next day with arms and ammunition. He stated that he wanted to organize -a well-equipped militia in case there should be any need of defense. -But the boys heard none speak with enthusiasm of the governor's plan. - -When he got home Jack told his father what he and Peter had done. "Would -you like me to take some of our things there too?" he asked. "I'm sure -no one could possibly find the place." - -"No," said Mr. Felton, "I think we'll keep our things in our own house. -I'm not going to be driven into hiding just because of a rumor." Even -Mr. Felton, intelligent man though he was, did not seem inclined to look -with favor on the notion of armed defense. - -After supper Jack saw the man who lived across the street putting some -boxes into a cart before his door. Jack watched him cord and strap the -boxes in the cart. "I'm taking my wife and baby into the country for a -few days," the neighbor explained. - -"And you're coming back yourself?" Jack asked. - -"I don't think so." The neighbor shook his head. "I'm not a fighting -man; I don't believe in shedding blood. I'm sure no good Quaker could -approve of warfare. I'll stay away till the town's quiet again." - -"But suppose the French take the town and hold on to it," said Jack. -"Perhaps you couldn't get your house again." - -"Well, there's plenty of country for us all," answered the other. - -"I suppose you're right," said Jack. "Most people seem to think as you -do. But somehow I can't understand how so many people are willing to -give in to so few. Aren't our men in Philadelphia as big and strong as -the Frenchmen?" - -"Why yes, of course they are, Jack. But the French come with firearms, -and we don't approve of firearms. We'd be glad to reason with them, if -they'd listen to us. But men with guns don't generally want to listen to -reason." - -"And because they won't listen we run away," said Jack. "I can't -understand that." - -"You will when you're older," said the man, and went indoors for another -box. - -Jack went to Peter Black's, and helped him put his mother's silverware -and valuables, securely tied in a sack, into a small hand-cart. Together -the boys pushed the cart through the town and in the direction of the -hiding-place. They secreted the sack in the cave beside the brook, and -trundled the cart back to Gregory's shop. The night was fair and warm, -and the shoemaker was sitting outside his house. "The town must be -pretty empty by now," he said. "I've seen so many people hurrying away. -Soon there'll be nothing left there but the governor and some stray cats -and dogs. All our good citizens seem to prefer to spend the spring in -the country." - -"Come down to the Delaware with us, Mr. Diggs," urged Jack. "We wanted -to leave Peter's cart here and go back by the river. It's fine at -night." - -"I know what you want," said Gregory, nodding very wisely. "You want to -catch the first sight of the French frigates. Very well, I'll go along -with you. Only you must let me get my pistol. I'm not going to be caught -unarmed by the enemy." - -The shoemaker, his pistol stuck in his belt, and the two boys struck -across for the river. The sky was full of stars, and when they reached -the bank they could easily make out the low-lying Jersey shore across -the Delaware. All shipping, except a few small skiffs, had disappeared. -"The big boats have run before the storm," said Gregory, "and the little -ones are ready to make for the creeks at the first alarm. The French -won't find any shipping here at any rate." - -They went along the shore until they came to the southern end of the -town. Even on the wharves there were very few men. "I think we'll have -to be the lookouts," said Gregory, with a chuckle. "Here's a pile of -logs. Let's sit here and watch for the frigates." - -Down the three sat, the little shoemaker in the middle. "I think," said -Jack thoughtfully, "that you're the only person in town who'd want to -fight the enemy, unless perhaps Governor Evans would. I think I'd hate -to run away as soon as we saw his ships. Wouldn't you hate to, Peter?" - -"Now we've hid those things," said Peter, "I'd like to stay and see the -fun." - -"Of course you would," agreed Gregory. "I'll tell you how it is, my -lads. There aren't many adventurers in this sober town of ours, only a -few boys and an old shoemaker." - -Jack glanced at the little man, and caught the glint of starlight on the -barrel of his pistol. "I shouldn't think you'd care for adventures as -much as some other people would,--well, as my father would or the man -who lives across the street from us." - -Gregory clapped his hand on Jack's knee. "That's just the puzzle of it," -he said. "You never can tell who are the real adventurers. Most boys -are; but when they grow up they forget the taste and smell of adventure. -They don't want to think of any pirates stealing up the Delaware. They -don't want to have any pirates anywhere." - -"I like pirates," announced Peter. - -"Of course you do," said Gregory, clapping his free hand on Peter's -knee. "So do I. I like to think there's a chance of those frigates -pointing up the river any minute. But most of the people in town would -say I was mad if I told them that. They'd say it was because I hadn't -anything to lose. It's riches that make folks cautious." - -"I see a light down there!" exclaimed Peter, pointing down the shore. - -All three jumped up and peered through the darkness. The light proved to -be a lantern in the bow of a small skiff skirting the bank. "That's not -the frigates," said Gregory. "I almost hoped it was. Well, I don't -suppose the safety of Philadelphia depends on our keeping watch any -longer to-night. It's getting late. Come on, my brave adventurers." - -Back to town they went, and said good-night to Gregory. As Jack passed -the governor's house he saw a familiar figure standing at the front -gate. The stout Mr. Hackett likewise recognized Jack. "So you've not -fled from town like the rest?" said the man from Maryland. "The -governor's called the men to meet him to-morrow in the field on Locust -Street; but I misdoubt if there'll be many left to join him." - -"There's one who will be there," answered Jack, pointing down the street -after Gregory. - -"Who's that?" inquired Mr. Hackett. - -"Gregory Diggs, the shoemaker. He's got a gun and a pistol, and he won't -run away." - -"The little shoemaker?" said Mr. Hackett. "So he's a fighting man, is -he? I've always liked him, but I didn't know he had so much spirit." - -"He's a real adventurer," declared Jack. "He thinks it may be because -he's poor and hasn't any family; but I don't think that's it. I think he -couldn't help being that way anyhow. I want to be like him when I grow -up." - -"Good for you!" exclaimed Mr. Hackett. "Then I suppose we may count on -having you at the governor's muster to-morrow." - -"I'll be there," said Jack. "I'm big enough to handle a gun." - -"I'll be there too," put in Peter, who had been listening to the talk -with the greatest interest. - -"Good enough," said Mr. Hackett. "Gregory and you boys ought to put some -of these smug people to shame. I'll look for you at the meeting in the -morning." - - -III - -Jack and Peter were at the meeting-place on Locust Street next morning, -although each only brought a heavy stick as his weapon of defense. -Jack's father had refused to let his son have the musket, saying that he -would be much more apt to harm himself with it than to injure an enemy. -Mrs. Black had not only forbidden Peter to handle anything that would -shoot, but had intimated that she thought Governor Evans and all the -people who went to his militia meeting were behaving much more like -savages than like good Christians. So the boys had to put up with the -hickory sticks for weapons, though each carried a sling and a pocketful -of pebbles, which might be useful for long-distance fighting. - -Gregory was there with his gun, and the three friends stood under the -shade of a maple and waited for the rest of the volunteer army to -appear. A few men and boys were lounging out in the road, apparently -more interested in watching what was going to happen than in taking part -in it. "Where are our gallant soldiers?" said Gregory, with a grin. - -Jack counted the men who had come, with their muskets, into the field. -"Six besides us," he announced. - -"That'll make a good-sized army," said Gregory, a twinkle in his eye. - -There were only the six others at the meeting-place when Governor Evans, -his secretary, and Mr. Hackett arrived. The governor looked disgusted. -He muttered to his two companions. Then he beckoned the seven men and -the two boys toward him. "So this is Philadelphia's volunteer militia, -is it?" he said. "These are the troops I could count on to defend our -homes from an enemy?" Then his angry brow softened. "I don't blame you, -my good friends. You are doing your best. But I shouldn't like to -express my opinion of your fellow-townsfolk." - -The governor turned to Hackett "I might as well disband the militia, eh? -The night-watchmen of the town will furnish as good defense." - -"Unless you choose to keep your army of seven men and two boys to shame -the worthy citizens," suggested Hackett. - -"You can't shame them!" snorted Governor Evans. "Their heads are made of -pillow-slips stuffed with feathers; and goose-feathers at that!" He -looked again at the volunteer soldiers. "My secretary will take your -names," he said, "and I'll know who to call on if I need help. Many -thanks to you all." - -As they were leaving the field Hackett came over to Gregory and the two -boys. "I suspected your good people would act like this," said he. -"Though I'd no idea that only seven men would put in an appearance. I'll -have to wash my hands of your Quaker colony. I never saw anything to -equal it. The Saints keep you from trouble! I doubt if you'll be able to -keep yourselves out of it." - -Now Gregory was a little nettled at the other's superior manner. "We've -been able to keep out of it so far," he retorted, "and I don't see but -what charity toward others mayn't keep us out of it in the future. -William Penn is a just man, and has bade us act justly toward all -others. We hoped to leave fighting and all warlike things behind us when -we left Europe. Because there's been fighting in Massachusetts and -Virginia is no reason why there should be such matters here." - -"So you think Penn's colony is different from the others, do you?" asked -Hackett. - -"I think you and your Cavalier friends in Maryland are more eager to -draw your swords than we are here," said the shrewd shoemaker. - -"Now, by Jupiter, I think you're right!" agreed Hackett, with a laugh. -"Every man to his own kind. I much prefer Lord Baltimore to your good -William Penn. I've seen enough of your worthy Quaker tradesmen. I must -get back to Chesapeake Bay." - -Jack and Peter, sitting on the steps of Mr. Felton's house that -afternoon, saw a number of men who worked on the river-front go past in -the street, guns in their hands. There were five or six in the first -group, then a few more, then a larger number. There were small farmers -from the southern side of the town, there were servants, there were -negroes. None of those who went by appeared to be of the wealthy, Quaker -class. "Where are they going?" Jack asked presently. - -"Let's go find out," suggested Peter. - -The boys followed the groups, which grew in size as men from other -streets joined in the current. They went to Society Hill on the -outskirts of the town. There a crowd had already gathered, some with -firearms, some without. The boys pushed their way through the crowd -until they reached the front edge. There they heard one speaker after -another addressing the throng. The speakers all declared that they would -go to the governor, ask for weapons, and tell him they were ready to -march against the enemy whenever he should give the order. - -Nearly seven hundred men met on Society Hill that day and volunteered -for military service. Perhaps the word had gone around that the leading -men of the colony had failed to meet the governor, and these men meant -to show that there were some at least he could rely on. However that -was, this gathering shamed the other meeting, and when it broke up it -sent its delegates to report to Governor Evans. - -The boys stopped to tell Gregory Diggs what they had seen. - -"Aye," said Gregory, when he had heard the type of men who made up this -second meeting, "wealth and position make men timid. And then Quakers -are over-cautious folk. I know how it is. I found it hard enough to -shoulder my gun and make up my mind to join the militia. Like as not I -wouldn't have volunteered at all if you two boys hadn't seemed to shame -me into it. But that's the way it is, our good, respectable folk won't -fight, and the only ones the governor can rely on are the poor and the -down-at-heels, and a penniless shoemaker and two boys. Master Hackett -was right about Penn's province." - -At his home Jack told his father of the day's happenings. "And I'm very -much surprised our friends and neighbors didn't help Governor Evans -better," he concluded. - -"Only seven at one meeting, and a great many at the other?" said Mr. -Felton. "Well, that shows our friends aren't very warlike, doesn't it, -Jack?" - -"But I think they ought to be," protested the boy. - -"So does Governor Evans," agreed Mr. Felton. "And it's my opinion that -he and that truculent friend of his, Charles Hackett, planned this whole -scare just to see how warlike the people of Philadelphia are. I think he -arranged to have that messenger arrive from Maryland with that story -about the French frigates. It's true enough they landed at Lewes, but -they did little harm there beyond taking a few cattle and some wood and -water they needed. I don't believe they had the slightest intention of -coming up the river to Philadelphia. But it gave the governor a good -chance to see what the people would do if the French had been coming." - -"Most of the people believed it, or they wouldn't have hidden their -valuables, and so many of them run away," said Jack. - -"Oh, yes, they believed it," assented Mr. Felton. "And I guess the -governor is thoroughly out of temper with most of us. But as a matter of -fact he didn't need any militia to protect us from a raid." - -That was the truth of the situation, as Philadelphia found out a few -days later. The governor had laid a plot to find out what the people -would do if their town were threatened with attack by an enemy. He -thought that the Delaware River was insufficiently protected. He wanted -to form a strong militia. His ruse had worked; but to his disgust he -found that the more respectable and wealthy part of the community, the -Quaker portion, had no wish either to strengthen the defenses of the -Delaware or to enroll in a militia. His stratagem had at least taught -him that much about them. - -The Quakers brought the goods they had hidden back to town; those who -had gone into the country returned to their homes as soon as it was -known that the French frigates had sailed down the Delaware to the sea -instead of up it to Philadelphia. They did not like Governor Evans for -the trick he had played on them. As the governor himself said, "For -weeks afterward they would stand on the other side of the street and -make faces at me as I passed by." - -As a result of the governor's stratagem most of the Quakers in -Philadelphia signed a petition to William Penn, who was then in England, -urging him to remove Evans from the governorship. William Penn did not -like to do this. He had appointed Evans at the suggestion of some very -powerful men at the English Court, and he did not want to antagonize -them, or Evans himself for that matter, for so slight a cause. He wrote -a letter to Evans, however, mildly reproving him for the trick he had -played, and making it clear that he himself was no more in favor of -warlike measures than were the Quakers in his colony. Governor Evans -held his office for almost three years after this event, and was finally -called back to England for very different reasons. - -Penn's province did have less warfare than the neighboring colonies, -partly because of the just way in which Penn and his settlers dealt with -the Indians, partly by good fortune. No enemy attacked Philadelphia. But -as men pushed out into the country west of the Delaware they began to -come into conflict with the Indians. Often these settlers were able to -protect themselves, but sometimes they felt that the men living securely -in Philadelphia ought to help them in their effort to enlarge the -province. After the defeat of the English General Braddock by French and -Indians in western Pennsylvania the settlers found the Indians more -difficult to handle. So the men of the frontier formed independent -companies of riflemen and fought in their own fashion. They demanded, -however, that the governor and General Assembly at Philadelphia should -aid them with supplies, if they were unwilling to furnish soldiers. - -The Assembly in Philadelphia refused to send the supplies. The news -spread along the border, and the settlers, the mountaineers and -trappers, set out for the Quaker city on the Delaware. Four or five -hundred of them marched into town, men clad in buckskin, their hair worn -long, armed with rifles, powder-horns, bullet-pouches, hunting-knives, -and even tomahawks they had taken from Indians. Philadelphia was used to -seeing a few of such hunters on her streets, but the good people grew -uneasy at the appearance of so many of them at one time. The -mountaineers swaggered and blustered as they passed the quiet Quakers. -They let it be known that if the Assembly refused to vote them the -supplies they wanted they would take supplies wherever they could find -them. - -Pressed by the frontiersmen, the Assembly finally voted the supplies. -Then the men in buckskin went back to hold the borders against the -Indians. - -Later, however, Philadelphia received another visit from much more -unruly mountaineers. A large number of these men, known as the Paxton -boys, met a battalion of British regulars at Lancaster, demanded the -latter's horses and ammunition wagons, and told them that "if they fired -so much as one shot their scalps would ornament every cabin from the -Susquehanna to the Ohio." - -The regulars didn't fire, and the mountaineers helped themselves to -everything they wanted and set out for Philadelphia. Some Indians were -being held as prisoners in the town, and the Paxton boys, growing -insolent with power as they saw British regulars and Quaker farmers -yielding to their orders, determined to make the people of Philadelphia -give the Indians to them. The mountaineers marched to the high ground of -Germantown, north of the town, nearly a thousand in number, and sent -their envoys to the town officers. The officers knew, quite as well as -Governor Evans had known before, that there was no militia sufficient to -take the field against the frontiersmen, and that the citizens would -never arm against them. The leading people of the town went to talk with -the Paxton boys, trying to persuade them to leave peacefully. Finally by -agreeing to give the mountaineers everything they asked, except only the -opportunity to massacre the captive Indians, the townspeople succeeded -in persuading their unwelcome visitors to leave. For long, however, the -men of the frontiers and the mountains looked on the people who dwelt -along the Delaware as a cowardly race, who had to be bullied before -they would do their share in protecting the province. - -The governors of Pennsylvania were not always as fair in dealing with -their neighbors as the people were. When John Penn, grandson of William -Penn, held the office of governor he sent a gang of rascals to attack -men from Connecticut who had settled in the Wyoming Valley, which was -claimed by Penn as part of his province. The settlers had built homes -and planted crops in the Wyoming Valley, and they had no intention of -letting John Penn's mercenary troopers despoil them without a fight. -They built a fort, and defied the governor's soldiers. John Penn's men -had finally to retreat before their stubborn resistance. - -The attack on the Wyoming settlers was in 1770, and only five years -later the men of Lexington and Concord fired the shots that were to echo -from New Hampshire to Georgia. In the war that followed Pennsylvania did -her part. Philadelphia, then the leading city of the colonies, became -the home of the new government. In the very street where Governor Evans -had urged the townsfolk to organize a militia to fight a few French -frigates, men went to Independence Hall to proclaim a Declaration of -Independence against the king of England. No one could have accused -Philadelphia in July, 1776, of a lack of patriotic spirit. The Liberty -Bell rang out its message to all, to the Quaker descendants of William -Penn's first settlers as well as to those of other faiths who had come -to his province since, and all alike responded to its appeal to proclaim -liberty throughout the world. - - - - -VIII - -THE PIRATES OF CHARLES TOWN HARBOR - -(_South Carolina, 1718_) - - -I - -Antony Evans was rowing slowly round the southern point of Charles Town, -the bow of his boat pointing out across the broad expanse of water that -lay to the east. It was early morning of a bright summer day, and the -harbor looked very inviting, the breeze freshening it with little -dancing waves of deep blue, tipped with silver, and bringing the salt -fragrance of the ocean to the sunlit town. Deep woods ringed the bay; -here and there tall, stately palmettos standing out on little headlands, -looking like sentries stationed along the shore to keep all enemies -away. - -Antony loosened his shirt at the throat and rolled his sleeves higher up -on his sunburned arms. He had finished school a few days before, and was -to have a fortnight's holiday before starting work in his father's -warehouse. He loved the water, the two rivers that held his home-town in -their wide-stretched arms; the little creeks that wound into the -wilderness, teeming with fish and game; the wide bay, and the open -ocean. His idea of a holiday was to fish or swim, row or sail, and he -meant to spend every day of his vacation on the water. In the bow of his -boat was a tin box, and in that box were bread and cold meat and cake, -and a bottle of milk--his lunch, and possibly his supper too. - -Slowly the town receded across the gleaming water. It grew smaller and -smaller as Antony watched it from his boat, until it looked to him like -a mere handful of toy houses instead of the largest settlement in His -Majesty's colony of South Carolina. He half-shut his eyes and rested on -his oars, letting the wind and the waves gently rock his boat. Now -Charles Town became a mere point, a spot of color on the long, level -stretch of green. He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at the -wide expanse of blue. Then he pulled toward the southern shore, planning -to follow it for a time. There would be more shade there as the sun grew -warmer. - -The depths of the woods looked very cool and inviting as he rowed along -close to them. Great festoons of gray moss hung from the boughs of the -live-oaks, festoons that were pink or pale lavender where the sun shone -on them. He paddled along slowly, letting the water drip from the blades -of his oars, until the town had disappeared around the curve of the -forest and he was alone with the waves and the trees. - -The sun, almost directly overhead, and his appetite, presently suggested -to him that it was time for lunch. He chose a little bay with a sandy -beach, and running his boat aground, landed, carrying the precious tin -box with him. There was a comfortable mossy seat under a big palmetto, -and here he ate part of his provisions, and then, rolling his coat into -a pillow, prepared to take a nap. The air was full of spices from the -woods, warm and sleep-beguiling; he had slept an hour before he waked, -stretched his rested muscles, and went back to the boat. - -He had a mind to do a little exploring along this southern shore. The -water was smooth, and he felt like rowing. Rapidly he traveled along the -shore, peering into bays and inlets, covering long stretches of thick -forest, while the sun made his westward journey, the air grew cooler, -and the shade stretched farther across the sea. There would be a moon to -see him home again, and he was weatherwise enough to know that he had -nothing to fear from the wind. - -The sun was almost setting when the rowboat rounded a wooded point and -swung into a bay. Antony was following the shore-line, so he did not -bother to look around, but pulled steadily ahead, keeping about the same -distance from the bank. Then, to his great surprise, a voice directly -ahead hailed him. "Look where you're going, son! Ease up a bit on your -oars, and you'll get to us without bumping." - -He looked around and saw three men fishing from a boat. They must have -kept very quiet not to have attracted his attention. He slowed the -speed of his boat by dragging his oars in the water, but even so he -swept pretty close to the fishermen, and one of them, with a quick turn -of his own oar, brought the larger boat side-on to Antony's. - -"Pull in your oar," the man ordered. To avoid a collision Antony obeyed. -The man caught the gunwale of Antony's boat, bringing the two side by -side. - -All three of the men were grinning. "Well, now, lad," said the man at -the oars, "where were ye bound at such a pace? Going to row across the -ocean or down to St. Augustine? Bound out from Charles Town, weren't -ye?" - -Antony smiled. "I was doing a little exploring," he answered. "I didn't -know there were any fishermen down along here." - -The man's grin widened. "Ye didn't, eh? Well, there's quite a lot of us -fishermen down along here. Take a look." He gestured over his shoulder -with his thumb. Antony turned and saw that at the other end of the bay -were a number of boats, men on the beach, and that the hull and spars of -a good-sized ship stood out beyond the trees of the next headland. - -The man in the bow of the other boat, a slim, dark fellow with a -straggling black mustache, pulled in his fishing-line. "An' now you've -done your exploring, you'll make us a little visit. It wouldn't do to go -right back to Charles Town to-night." He stood up, and with the agility -of a cat stepped from his boat to Antony's and sat down on the -stern-seat. - -Antony had plenty of nerve, but somehow neither the words of the man at -the oars nor the performance of the dark fellow was altogether -reassuring. The two men now in the other boat were big swarthy chaps, -with many strange designs tattooed on their brawny arms; and the one who -sat in the stern wore gilded earrings and had a good-sized sheath-knife -fastened to his belt. They didn't look like the men he was used to -seeing about Charles Town. - -They weren't disagreeable, however. The man at the oars gave Antony's -boat a slight shove, which sent them some distance apart, and then -dropped his fishing-line into the water again. "See you two later," he -said, still grinning. "Keep an eye on the lad, Nick." - -Nick sat leaning forward, his arms on his knees, his black eyes -twinkling at Antony. "Don't you be feared of this nest," said he. "I -don't say that some mightn't well be, but not a lively young limb like -you. What's your name?" - -Antony told him. "And why might some be afraid?" he asked, his curiosity -rising. - -"Because," said Nick, "that sloop round the point belongs to old man -Teach, and she flies a most uncommon flag at her masthead." - -"Blackbeard!" exclaimed the boy, his eyes wide with surprise and sudden -fear. - -"Now don't be scared," said Nick. "Some do call him Blackbeard, but he -don't make trouble if he's handled right." - -"They said he was down around the Indies, after Spanish ships," said -Antony. - -"He's been in a good many places," said the other. "Spanish galleys pay -well, but trade's trade, wherever you find it." - -This Nick was a pleasant fellow, with nothing piratical-looking about -him, unless you considered the skull and crossbones tattooed on his -right forearm as a sign of his trade. He smiled in a very friendly -fashion. "We've got a little matter on hand now that brings us up to -Charles Town. Some of the crew's sick, and we want drugs and other -things for 'em." He chuckled, as though the notion was amusing. "Pirates -get sick just like other folks sometimes," he added. He pointed to the -beach ahead of him. "Row us up there, Tony." - -There was nothing for Antony to do but obey, and somewhat assured by the -mild manner of Nick, he pulled at his oars until the boat grounded in -shallow water. "Don't mind a little wetting, do ye?" said Nick, stepping -over the side. Antony followed, and they drew the boat high and dry on -the shore. "Come along," said Nick, and he turned to lead the way. - -[Illustration: NICK TURNED TO LEAD THE WAY] - -Men were working on a couple of overturned skiffs, men were lounging -about doing nothing, men who looked nowise different from the fellows -Antony saw in his own town. They paid no particular attention to him, -and Nick led him along the shore through the woods that covered the -headland, and out on the other side. Here was a snug harbor, with a -good-sized ship at anchor, men on the shore and more men on the ship's -deck. - -Nick shoved a small boat into the water, motioned to Antony to climb in, -and with a few strokes brought them to the ship's side. He made the boat -fast, and climbed a short rope-ladder to the deck. "Don't be scared," he -muttered; "he don't eat boys." He led the way to where a stocky man with -a heavy black beard sat in a chair smoking a long pipe. - -"Here's a lad," said Nick, nodding to the chief, "we picked up as he was -rowing down along the coast from Charles Town. He wanted a taste of salt -air, and something better to do than what he'd been doing. And we didn't -want him to go back home and tell what he'd seen down here." - -Blackbeard was certainly black, and there was a scar on one side of his -face that didn't add to the beauty of his appearance, but he wasn't -ferocious-looking, not as fierce in fact as several men Antony knew at -home. He puffed at his pipe a minute before he spoke. - -"We're going up to the town to-morrow morning," he said. "What's the -talk about us there?" - -"They thought you were chasing Spanish ships from Cuba and St. -Augustine," answered Antony, "and I think they were pretty glad you were -doing it." - -"They were, eh?" snorted Blackbeard. "That's always the way of it! -Fight the enemy and you're a hero, but don't for the love of Heaven come -near us. Smooth-faced rascals all! Keep an eye on him, Nick," and he -jerked his head to show that the audience was over. - -"Not so terrible, was he?" said Nick, as they went aft. "Now I'll show -you some folks you know." They came to the window of the cabin, and he -indicated that he wanted Antony to look inside. Half a dozen men and a -couple of small boys were in the cabin, a most disconsolate-looking lot. -To his great surprise Antony recognized the nearest as Mr. Samuel Wragg, -a prominent merchant of Charles Town. The faces of all the others were -familiar to him. "What's Mr. Wragg doing there?" he demanded. "He isn't -a pirate, too?" - -"No, he's no pirate," chuckled Nick. "He's what you might call a -hostage. You see, all that merry-looking crowd sailed from your town a -few days ago, bound for England, but we met their ship when she reached -the bar and we asked 'em to come on board us. Thought we might be able -to accommodate 'em better, you see. We overhauled eight ships within a -week out there, and that's pretty good business, better than what we've -done with your Spanish Dons lately. But there's no denying the Dons do -carry the richer cargoes." - -"And what are you going to do with them?" asked Antony. - -"That's for old Teach, the chief there, to make out. I've a notion your -friend Mr. Wragg and the others in there are going to help us get that -store of drugs and supplies I was telling you of. Let's be going ashore. -I don't want those mates of mine to eat all the fresh fish before we get -back to 'em." - -Blackbeard's men--pirates and desperadoes though they were--seemed no -rougher to Antony than any other seafaring men he had met at Charles -Town. They carried more pistols and knives perhaps than such men, but -though he listened eagerly he heard no strange ear-splitting oaths nor -frightening tales of evil deeds they had committed. Nick looked after -him almost like an older brother, saw that he had plenty to eat, helped -him gather up wood for the fire they lighted on the shore after supper. -There were a number of these small fires, each with a group of -swarthy-faced men round it. As Big Bill, the man who had first hailed -Antony and caught the gunwale of his boat, explained, "Blackbeard's men -were glad to stretch their legs ashore whenever they got the chance." - -Their pipes lighted, the pirates sat about the campfires as the moon -flooded the sea with sparkling silver. Nick told Antony how he had run -away from his English home in Devon when he was a boy, and had shipped -on board a merchantman out of Bristol. He had followed the sea year in, -year out, until one day the captain of his ship had suddenly given up -being a peaceful merchantman and had begun to hold up and rob any -well-laden vessels he happened to meet. There was more profit in such a -life, he said, and a great deal more excitement. Then he went on to tell -Antony that many great sea-captains had really been pirates, and that -both the people in England and the American colonists really liked the -pirates as long as they preyed on Spanish commerce and the ships of -enemies. King Charles the Second of England, he said, though he -pretended to frown on piracy, had actually made Morgan, the greatest -pirate of them all, a knight, and appointed him governor of his island -of Jamaica. "In most seaport towns," said Nick, "the townsfolk are glad -enough to have us walk their streets, spend our Mexican doubloons, and -sell them the silks and wine we bring in, without asking any questions -about where we got 'em. We're as good as any other traders then; maybe -better, because we don't haggle so over a bargain. But when we hold up -one o' their own precious ships they sing a song about us from t'other -side their mouths." - -So he talked on, boastfully enough, about the doings of the sea-rovers; -but the boy, listening intently, thought that every now and then it -sounded as if the dark man were making excuses for himself and his -mates. - -The fires burned down, and most of the men hunted soft beds under the -forest trees. The summer night was warm, and the air was fresher here -than in the close bunks on the ship. Big Bill and Nick and Antony found -a comfortable place for themselves. "You might take it into your head to -run away," said Nick, "but Big Bill and I always sleep with one eye -open, and there's a couple of men by the boats that'll see anything -stirring, and there's a big marsh through the woods, so you'll do better -to stay where you be. And if they should catch you trying to take French -leave, I'm afraid they'd put you in that stuffy cabin along with your -friend Mr. Wragg and the others. So my advice to ye is, get a good -night's sleep." - -Antony took the advice so far as lying still went, though it was not -nearly so easy to fall asleep. He watched the moon through the -tree-tops, he listened to the lapping of the water on the shore, and he -thought how strange it was that he should actually be a prisoner of the -pirates. He thought of his father and mother and hoped they weren't -worried about him; he had stayed away from home overnight before, -camping out in the woods, and probably they wouldn't begin to worry -about him until next day. Then he fell asleep, and when he woke the sun -was rising over the water, and the woods were full of the early morning -songs of birds. - -"Yeo ho for a swim!" cried Nick, jumping up. He and Antony plunged into -the water, swam for half an hour, came out and lay in the sun, drying -off, put on their clothes, and went on board the ship, where, in the -galley, they found the cooks had breakfast ready. - -Soon afterward there was work to be done preparatory to weighing -anchor. The small boats were brought on board, the crew set the sails, -orders rang from bow to stern. Blackbeard was no longer a quiet man -smoking a pipe in a chair. He was very alert and active, overseeing -everything, and when he snapped out a word, or even jerked his thumb -this way or that, men jumped to do his bidding. The anchor was hoisted -aboard, the ship slowly turned from her harbor and sought the channel. - -With a fresh favoring wind the ship set in toward Charles Town. Antony, -on the forward deck with Nick, watched the shore-line until the bright -roofs of the little settlement began to stand out from the green and -blue. Farther and farther on Blackbeard sailed until they were in full -view of the town. Then he called a half-dozen men by name, among them -Nick, and gave them his orders. "Man the long-boat," said he, "and row -ashore. Send this note to the governor. It's a list of drugs I want for -my crew. And tell the governor and Council that if the drugs don't come -back to me in three hours I'll send another boat ashore with the heads -of Samuel Wragg and his son and a dozen other men of Charles Town. Their -heads or the drugs! Look to the priming of your pistols." Blackbeard was -a man of few words, but every word he spoke told. - -As the others swung the long-boat overboard Nick stepped up to the -chief. "I'll take the boy along," said he. "He might help us ashore, as -he knows the people there." Blackbeard nodded. - -An idea occurred to Antony, and whispering to Nick, he darted to the -galley. He found a scrap of paper there, and scrawled a couple of lines -to his father, saying he was well, and begging his parents not to worry -about him. As he ran back by the cabin he couldn't help glancing in at -the window, and saw Samuel Wragg and the other prisoners whispering -together, their frightened faces seeming to show that they had heard -what was in the wind, and knew that Blackbeard meant to have their heads -in case their friends in Charles Town should refuse to let him have the -drugs he wanted. - -The long-boat was now manned and floating lightly on the bay. At a word -from Nick, Antony swung himself over the side of the ship by a rope and -dropped into the boat, "You steer us," said Nick, "and mind you don't -get us into any trouble, or overboard you go as sure as my name's -Nicholas Carter." - -The harbor was smooth as glass and the long-boat, pulled by its lusty -crew, shot along rapidly. Nick was pulling the stroke oar, and presently -Antony, who sat opposite him, took the little note he had written from -his pocket. "If you go ashore, won't you give this paper to somebody?" -he begged. "My father's name's on the outside, and everybody knows him. -It'll make his mind easier about me." - -Nick bobbed his head. "Slip it into my pocket," he murmured, nodding to -where his jacket lay on the bottom of the boat. - -The town was right before them now, its quays busy with the usual -morning life of the water-front. To Antony, however, it seemed that more -men and boys than usual were standing there, some watching the -long-boat, and others looking past her at the big ship far down the bay. -He saw faces he knew, he saw men staring at him wonderingly, he even -felt rather proud at the strange position he had so unexpectedly fallen -into. - -"Easy now, mates," sang out Nick, looking over his shoulder at the near -water-front. He gave a few orders, and the long-boat swung gently up to -an empty float, and he and the man next to him, slipping on their -jackets and making sure that their pistols slid easily from their belts, -stepped lightly to the float. - -By now a large crowd had gathered on the shore, all staring at the -strangers. Nick and his fellow-pirate, cool as cucumbers, walked up the -plank that led from the float to the dock. There Nick made a little -mocking bow to the men and boys of Charles Town. "Who's governor here?" -he demanded, with the assurance of an envoy from some mighty state. - -Several voices answered, "Robert Johnson is the governor." - -Nick took from an inner pocket the paper Blackbeard had given him. "One -of you take this message to Governor Robert Johnson. It comes from -Captain Teach, sometimes known as Captain Blackbeard. He entertains -certain merchants of your town on board his ship, Mr. Samuel Wragg and -others. And should any of you harm me or my mates while we wait for the -governor's answer Captain Teach will feel obliged, much to his regret, -to do the same to your worthy townsmen on his ship." - -There were murmurs and exclamations from the crowd, and whispers of -"It's Blackbeard!" "It's the pirates!" and the like. - -As no one stepped forward Nick now pointed to a man in a blue coat who -stood fronting him. "Take this message," he said, and spoke so -commandingly that the man stepped forward and took it. Then he beckoned -a boy to him and gave him Antony's note. "For Mr. Jonas Evans," he said. -"Make sure he gets it." After that he sat down on a bale of cotton, -pulled out a pipe, filled it with tobacco, and lighted it. The other -pirate did the same. The bright sun shone on the brace of pistols each -man wore in his belt. - -The man in the blue coat hurried to Governor Johnson with the message -from the pirate chief. The governor read the message, demanding certain -drugs at once, on pain of Samuel Wragg and the other merchants of -Charles Town losing their heads. The governor sent for the Council and -read the message to them. They would all have liked to tear the message -to shreds and go out at once to capture this insolent sea-robber, but -there was danger that if they tried to do that their worthy -fellow-citizens would instantly lose their heads. - -Meantime the news had spread through the town, and there was the -greatest excitement. The people longed to get their hands on Blackbeard -and pay him for this insult. But they dared not stir now; they dared not -even lay finger on the two insolent rascals who sat on the bales of -cotton on the water-front, smiling at the crowd. The families and -friends of Samuel Wragg and the other prisoners, all of whom were named -in Blackbeard's message to the governor, hurried to the house where the -Council was meeting, and demanded that the drugs should be sent out to -Blackbeard at once. - -The governor and Council argued the matter up and down. They hated to -yield to such a command, and yet it would be monstrous to sacrifice -their friends for a few drugs. Then Governor Johnson made his decision. -He reminded them that he had time and again urged the Proprietors and -the Board of Trade to send out a frigate to protect the commerce of -Charles Town from just such perils as this; and added that it was his -duty to protect the lives of all the citizens. He would send the drugs, -and then the Council must see to it that such a situation shouldn't -occur again. - -All the medicines on Blackbeard's list were carried down to the float -and put on board the long-boat under Nicholas Carter's supervision. "I -thank you all in the name of Captain Teach," Nick said, smiling and -bowing in his best manner. Among the crowd on shore Antony had caught -the faces of his father and mother, and waved to them, and called out -that he would soon be back. - -The long-boat left the shore amid angry mutterings from the people. The -tide was low now, and presently Antony, by mischance, mistook the course -of the channel, and ran the boat aground. He showed so plainly, however, -that he hadn't meant to do it, that Nick forgave him, and said he -wouldn't throw him overboard. It took some time for the crew to get the -boat afloat again, and when they finally reached the ship they found -Blackbeard in a terrible rage at the delay and almost on the point of -beheading Mr. Wragg and the other prisoners. - -The sight of the drugs calmed his anger somewhat, and he ordered his -captives brought out on deck. There he had them searched, and took -everything of value they had with them, among other things a large -amount of gold from Mr. Wragg. Some of their clothes he took also, so -that it was hard to say whether the poor merchants were shivering more -from fright or from cold. Then he had them rowed in the long-boat to a -neighboring point of land, where they were left to make their way home -as best they could. - -Antony had asked Nick if he couldn't be set on shore with the others, -but Nick, drawing him away from the rest of the crew, had whispered, -"Stay with me a day or two more. I'm going to leave the ship myself. -I'm tired of this way of living, and I'd like to have a friend to speak -a good word for me when I land. I'll see no harm comes to you, boy. I -got that note to your father, and--one good turn deserves another. We'll -leave old Blackbeard soon." - -Antony liked the dark man. "All right," said he. "I think we can get -into Charles Town without any one knowing who you are. I'll look out for -you." - -"Much obliged to you, Tony," said Nick, with a grin. - -So when the pirate ship sailed out to sea again, Antony was still on -board her. - - -II - -Five days Antony stayed on board the pirate ship, while Blackbeard -doctored the sick men of his crew with the medicines he had obtained in -Charles Town. The boy was well treated, for it was understood that he -was under Nick's protection, and moreover, although the pirates could -show their teeth and snarl savagely enough in a fight, they were -friendly and easy-going among themselves. It was a pleasant cruise for -Antony, for the weather held good, and Nick taught him much about the -handling of a ship. Then, after five days of sailing, Blackbeard -anchored off one of the long sandy islands that dot that coast, and -those of his men who were tired of their small quarters on the ship went -ashore and spent the night there. Among them were Nick and Antony, and, -as on that other night ashore, they made their beds at a little distance -from the others. - -Just before dawn Antony was waked by some one pulling his shoulder. It -was Nick, who signaled to him that he should rise noiselessly and follow -him. The boy obeyed, and the two went silently through the woods and -came out on another beach as the sun was rising. They walked for some -time, watching the wonderful colors the sun was sending over sea and -sky. Then said Nick, "We're far enough away from them now. They won't -hunt for us; they've more than enough crew, and old Teach ain't the man -to bother his head about a couple of runaways. Five minutes of curses, -and he'll be up and away again, with never a thought of us. I'll beat -you to the water, Tony," and Nick started to pull his shirt over his -head. - -They swam as long as they wanted, and then they followed the shore, -growing more and more hungry as they went along. "There must be -fishermen somewhere," said Nick. "A little farther south, and we'd have -fruit for the taking; but here"--he shrugged his shoulders--"nothing but -a few berries that rattle around in one like peas in a pail." - -After an hour, however, they came to a fisherman's shanty, and found the -owner working with his nets and lines on the shore. He was a big man, -with reddish hair and beard, and clothes that had been so often soaked -in salt water that they had almost all the colors of the rainbow. "We'll -work all day for food and drink," said Nick, grinning. - -The fisherman grinned in return. "Help yourselves," said he, waving his -hand toward his shanty. "You're welcome to what you find; I got my gold -and silver safe hid away." - -They found dried fish and corn-meal cakes and water in an earthen jar. -When they came out to the beach again they told the man their names, and -learned in turn that his was Simeon Park. They went out with him in his -sailing-smack, and fished all day, and when they came back they felt -like old friends, as men do who spend a day together on the sea. - -There followed a week of fishing with Simeon, varied by mornings when -they went hunting ducks and wild turkeys and geese with him over the -marshes and the long flats that lay along the coast. Antony had never -had a better time; he liked both of his new friends, and, except for his -father and mother, he was in no hurry to go back to Charles Town and -work in the warehouse there. At the end of the week Simeon Park -suggested that they should take the smack for a cruise, fishing and -gunning as chance offered. So they put to sea again, this time in a much -smaller vessel than Blackbeard's merchantman. - -They met with one small gale, but after that came favoring winds. -Presently they found themselves near Charles Town harbor again. They -camped on shore one night, and Antony told Nick that he must be heading -for home shortly. - -Next morning the boy was waked by the big fisherman, who pointed out to -sea. Three big ships were standing off the coast, and even at that -distance they could see that the "Jolly Roger" of a pirate, the skull -and crossbones, flew from the masthead of the biggest vessel. Guns -boomed across the water. "The two sloops are after the big fellow," -exclaimed Simeon Park. "Let's put out in our boat, and have a look at -the game." - -They put off in their smack, and with the skilful fisherman at the helm, -stood off and on, tacked and ran before the wind, until they came to a -point where they were out of shot and yet near enough to see all that -was taking place. - -"I can read the names of the sloops," said Park, squinting across at -their sterns; "one's called _Sea Nymph_ and t'other the _Henry_, and -they both hail from Charles Town." - -Nick chuckled. "That governor of yours," he said to Antony, "didn't lose -much time. He's got two sloops of war now for certain, and he means to -try a tussle with the rovers." He too squinted at the vessels. "I don't -think she's Blackbeard's, howsomever. No, there's her name." And he -spelled out the words _Royal James_. - -The two sloops, each mounting eight guns, had swept down on the pirate, -evidently planning to catch her in a narrow strait formed by two spits -of land. But the pirate ship, undaunted, had sought to sail past the -sloops, and by her greater speed to gain the open sea. Then the two -sloops bore in close, and before the _Royal James_ knew what she was -about she had sailed out of the channel and was stuck fast on a shoal of -sand. Then the _Henry_, too, grounded in shoal water, and some distance -further, her mate, the _Sea Nymph_. - -This was a pretty situation, all three ships aground, and only the -little fishing-smack able to sail about as she liked. "Lucky we don't -draw more'n a couple of feet of water," said Simeon Park, at the helm. -"If we only had a gun of our own aboard we could hop about and pepper -first one, then t'other." - -"And have one good round shot send us to the bottom as easy as a man -crushes a pesky mosquito," observed Nick. "No, thankee. If it's all the -same to you I'd rather keep out of gun-fire of both sides to this little -controversy." - -Antony, crouched on the small deck forward, was too busy watching what -was going on to consider the likelihood of his boat going aground. - -The tide was at the ebb, and there was no likelihood of any of the three -fighting-ships getting off the shoals for hours. The _Royal James_ and -the _Henry_ had listed the same way, and now lay almost in line with -each other, so that the hull of the pirate ship was turned directly -toward the Charles Town sloop, while the deck of the latter was in full -view of the pirate, and only a pistol-shot away. - -"They're more like two forts now than ships," said Nick. "There she -goes!" - -Antony was yelling. The _Henry_ had opened fire on the pirate ship. But -instantly the _Royal James_ returned the fire with a broadside, which, -on account of its position, raked the open deck of the _Henry_. - -"Those lads have got grit to stick to their guns!" cried Park, keeping -his smack bobbing on the waves at a safe distance. "They're using their -muskets, too!" Antony cheered every time shots blazed from the _Henry_ -and held his breath to see what damage the answering fire of the pirate -did to his own townsmen. - -The other Charles Town sloop, the _Sea Nymph_, was aground too far -down-stream to be of any help to her mate. Her crew, like the crew of -three in the fishing-smack, could only watch from a distance, and cheer -as the battle was waged back and forth. - -And waged back and forth it was for a long time, while men were shot -down at the guns, and parts of each ship shot away, and the sea -scattered with wreckage, and the air filled with smoke and the heavy, -acrid odor of powder. "The pirate's getting the best of it," shouted -Simeon Park, after some time of fighting. It looked that way; her crew -were yelling exultantly, and her captain had called to the sloop, -demanding that the latter's crew haul down their flag in surrender. - -At length, however, the tide began to turn, and with it the chance of -victory for the pirates. The _Henry_ floated from the shoal first, and -her captain prepared to grapple with his enemy and board her. Then the -_Sea Nymph_ floated, and headed up to aid her consort. The pirate chief, -seeing the chances now two to one against him, yelled to his crew to -fight harder than ever; and the _Royal James_ blazed again and again -with broadsides, making a desperate stand, like a wild animal brought to -bay. The rail of the _Henry_ was carried overboard, and to the three in -the fishing-smack it looked as if some of the crew had gone over with -it. - -Antony forgot the sea-fight; he was calling directions to Park to steer -his boat so as to near the wreckage. He saw a man with his arm thrown -over a piece of the railing, and he called encouragement to him. The -fisherman sent his boat dashing ahead, and the man in the water, hearing -Antony's voice, tried to swim in his direction. "Easy now!" cried the -boy, and the boat swept up to the wreckage, and lay there, with loosely -flapping sail, while Antony and Nick leaned far over her side and drew -the man on board. They laid him on the deck, while Park, at the tiller, -brought his boat about and scurried away from the line of fire. - -The man was not badly hurt; he had a flesh wound in one shoulder, and -was dazed from having been flung into the sea with the railing. "Never -mind me," he said. "Look for others." The three looked over the water, -but though they saw plenty of floating wreckage, they spied no other -men. - -"She's striking her flag!" cried Park. They all looked at the fighting -ships, and saw that the pirate had hauled down his flag, and heard the -cheers of victory from the _Henry_ and the _Sea Nymph_. Antony jumped up -and down and yelled with the best of them; the men of Charles Town were -having their revenge on the sea-rovers who had so openly flouted them a -short time before. - -"That's the end of Blackbeard!" cried the wounded man, sitting up and -watching the crews of the two sloops as they prepared to board the other -vessel. - -Nick shook his head. "Not Blackbeard," he said. "Whoever that rover may -be, he's not old Teach, I know." - -The gun-smoke drifted away across the water, and Park, at Nick's -suggestion, headed his boat for shore. The dark man had no wish to sail -up to the sloops from Charles Town just then, thinking it not unlikely -that some of the crew might remember him as Blackbeard's agent at the -Charles Town dock. So they skirted the shore till they reached a good -landing-place. There they camped, binding the sailor's wounded shoulder -as best they could, cooking dinner, for they were all ravenously hungry, -and resting on the sand. There the sailor, Peter Duval, told them how -angry Governor Johnson and the men of Charles Town had been when -Blackbeard had sailed away with his medicines, leaving Samuel Wragg and -the others, plundered and almost stripped, to find their way home; and -how Colonel Rhett had sworn that with two sloops he would rid the sea of -the pirate, and had sailed forth to do it. In return Antony told the -sailor who he was and they planned that in a day or two they would -return home. "And Nick there is going back with me," added Antony, -nodding toward the dark young fellow who sat on the beach with them. - -Now Duval had heard how Blackbeard or some of his men had kidnapped the -son of Jonas Evans, and he had his own suspicions concerning what manner -of man this dark-haired fellow might be. Yet he could not help liking -the man, who had certainly helped to do him a good turn; and even if he -had been a pirate there was no reason why he shouldn't have changed his -mind about that way of living and have decided to become an honest -citizen. So he nodded his head approvingly, and said, "That's good. The -old town needs some likely-looking men," and shifted about so that the -warm sand made a more comfortable pillow for his wounded shoulder. - -Next day they sailed back to Simeon Park's cabin, and there Nick -discovered a pair of shears and cut his black mustache and cropped his -hair close, so that he looked more like one of the English Roundheads -than he did like a sea-rover. "Now, mates," said he to Antony and Duval, -"I'm a wandering trader you happened to meet in the woods. Tony stole -away from Blackbeard's men one night, and found Park's cabin here. Then -I came along, and a day or two later the three of us picked Duval out of -the sea. What d'ye say to that, mates?" - -"I say," said Duval, winking, "that with the lad and me to speak up for -you, they'll be glad to have you in Charles Town, whatever you may be." -He added sagely, "Folks aren't over particular in the colonies about -your granddaddy. Many of 'em came over from the old country without -questions asked as to why they came. No, sir; if a man deals square by -us, we deal square by him." - -The following afternoon Simeon Park's boat tacked across the bay, and -zigzagged up to the Charles Town docks. At sundown his three passengers -landed, and bade him a hearty farewell. Few people were about, and none, -as it chanced, who knew them, so that the three walked straightway up -the street along the harbor, Nick in the middle, looking as innocent as -if he had never seen the town before. - -The Evans family lived in a small frame house on Meeting Street, and -husband and wife were just sitting down to supper when there came a -knock at the street door. Jonas Evans opened the door, and his son -sprang in and caught him around the shoulders. "Here I am, dad!" he -cried. "Safe and sound again!" After that bear-like squeeze he rushed to -his mother, and gave her the same greeting, while she exclaimed, and -kissed him again and again, and called him all her pet names. - -"And I've brought a friend home with me, Nicholas Carter," said Antony. -"I met him along the coast, and he's been very good to me, so you must -be good to him. He's a splendid fellow," he added loyally. "And he and a -fisherman and I pulled Peter Duval out of the water after the big -sea-fight the other day." - -"Any friend of my boy's is my friend," said Mr. Evans, and he caught -Nick by the hand and drew him into the house. Then he shook hands with -Duval, and so did Mrs. Evans, almost crying in her delight at having her -son home again, and they both urged the sailor to stay and have supper -with them, but he said that now that he had seen his two mates safely -home he must dash away to his own family. - -Antony and Nick sat at the supper-table and ate their fill while Jonas -Evans told them the news. Colonel Rhett had sailed out from Charles Town -with his two sloops and after a great battle had captured the pirate -ship. He thought he had captured Blackbeard, but found he was mistaken. -The pirate had turned out to be a man named Stede Bonnet, a man who came -of a good family and owned some property, a gentleman one might say, a -man who had been a major in the army, and a worthy citizen of -Bridgetown. Once he had repented of his pirate's life, and taken the -King's pardon, but he had gone back to his lawless trade, and been one -of the fiercest of his kind. No one in Charles Town could understand why -such a man had a liking for such a business. Mr. Evans supposed that it -must be because of the wild adventures that went with the career of the -sea-rovers. Here Antony caught a smile on Nick's face, and knew that his -friend was thinking there were many reasons why respectable fellows -turned outlaws. Some drifted into it, as Nick had done as a boy, and -found it easier to stay in than to leave. - -Colonel Rhett, Jonas Evans added, had returned to Charles Town with the -_Royal James_ as a prize, and with Stede Bonnet and thirty of his crew -in irons. Eighteen of the men of Carolina had been killed in the -sea-fight, and many more badly wounded. - -Then, when he could eat no more, Antony told his story. "And I hope, -dad," he finished, "that you can find a place for Nick in the warehouse. -And on Sundays," he added to his friend, "we'll get out on the water, -and go gunning and fishing." - -"Any honest work," said Nick, with his familiar smile, "till I can get -my bearings, and see what I'm best fitted for." He thought he might -endure the warehouse for a week or so, but already he felt the call to -the old free life of the rover. - -Jonas Evans agreed to try to find a place for his son's friend. They -talked till the tallow dips sputtered and went out, and then Nick and -Antony climbed to their two bedrooms up under the eaves. "It's the first -time I've slept in a house for years, Tony," said Nick. "I don't know -how I'll like it." - -He found that he liked it very well, and the ex-pirate slept -comfortably under the roof of the respectable Charles Town merchant. - - -III - -Jonas Evans was as good as his word, and when Antony went to work in the -warehouse Nick was given a place there too. The dark-haired man had some -pieces of silver in his pocket, and he bought himself quiet-colored -clothes and a broad-brimmed hat, so that he looked very much like other -men in the town; but his black eyes would shine and his clean-shaven -lips curl in amusement as they had done when Antony first rowed his boat -almost into his arms. However, the people of Charles Town were -accustomed to having all sorts of men settle among them, as Peter Duval -had said, and they made no inquiries as to what a man had done before he -arrived there, but only considered how he behaved now, and so they took -it for granted that Nicholas Carter was quite respectable enough, and -didn't trouble themselves about his past. And who would be likely to -think that the man with the long black hair and mustache who had landed -from Blackbeard's small-boat and insolently ordered the governor to -furnish him with drugs was the same man as this young fellow, who was -polite and friendly with every one? - -The room in the warehouse where Antony and Nick worked had a window that -looked out across the water, and often the boy saw his friend gazing at -the dancing waves with longing eyes. But when Nick would catch Antony -looking at him he would grin and shake his head, and then try to appear -very much absorbed in the job he had on hand. At such times the boy, who -had only tasted that free life of sea and shore for a few days, could -appreciate the feelings of the man who had known that life for years. - -Meantime Charles Town had been very busy dealing with the pirates it had -captured. There was no jail in the town, so most of the crew of the -_Royal James_ had been locked up in the watch house, while their leader, -Stede Bonnet, and two of his men had been given in charge of the marshal -to keep under close guard in his own house. After some time the crew -were put on trial before Chief Justice Trott, and the attorney-general -read to the court and jury a list of thirty-eight ships that Bonnet and -Teach had captured in the last six months. The prisoners had no lawyers -to defend them, but two very able lawyers to attack them, and the Chief -Justice and the other judges, as well as the jury, were convinced that -the crew of the _Royal James_ had beyond question been guilty of piracy. -Four, however, were freed of the charge, while the rest were sentenced -to be hung, the customary punishment for pirates. - -Stede Bonnet, their captain, was not put on trial. The guards at the -marshal's house had been very careless, and Bonnet had made friends with -some men in the town. With the help of these friends he had disguised -himself as a woman, and with one of his mates had escaped in a boat with -an Indian and a negro. People said that his plan was to reach the ships -of another pirate named Moody, who had appeared off the bar of the -harbor a few days before, with a ship of fifty guns, and two smaller -ships, likewise armed, that he had captured on their way from New -England to Charles Town. - -From the warehouse window Antony and Nick saw the sails of this insolent -new sea-rover, who dared stand so close inshore, waiting to pounce on -any boats that might put out from the town. - -The governor had already sent word to England, asking for aid in his -warfare with the buccaneers, but none came from England. So he told the -Council that they must act for themselves, and they ordered the best -ships in port impressed into service and armed. Colonel Rhett, the man -who had captured Bonnet, was asked to take command of this new fleet, -but he declined, owing to some difficulty he had had with Governor -Johnson. Thereupon the governor himself declared he would be the -admiral, to the great delight of Charles Town. Four ships, one of them -being the captured _Royal James_, were armed with cannon, and a call was -sent out for volunteers. - -Nick and Antony, going home one night, read the governor's call posted -on a wall. They went down to the harbor and saw the big ships ready to -sail. "This looks like a chance to set myself right again," said Nick, -slowly. "I wouldn't fight my old mates or Blackbeard; but I don't see -any reason why I shouldn't help to clear the sea of Moody or any other -rascal. I'm going to volunteer." - -"The governor might want a boy on board," said Antony. "There are lots -of things I can do about a ship." - -That night he asked his father to let him volunteer, and though Jonas -Evans and his wife were very loath to lose their son again, he finally -won their permission. Their friends and neighbors were volunteering; -there was no good reason why they should refuse to do their share. - -Next day three hundred men and boys volunteered for the little navy of -Charles Town. Then word came that Stede Bonnet and his companions when -they had reached the bar had found that Moody was cruising northward -that day, and so had put back and taken refuge on Sullivan's Island. -Colonel Rhett, who was very angry at the escape of his captive, -volunteered to lead a party to capture Bonnet again. A small party went -in search, hunting the fugitives. The sand-hills, covered with a thick -growth of stunted live-oaks and myrtles, offered splendid protection, -and the hunt was difficult, but at last the men were sighted, shots were -fired, Bonnet's comrade was killed, and the pirate chief himself was -taken prisoner, and once more brought back to Charles Town by Colonel -Rhett. - -While this search and capture were going on Antony and Nick were busy -on Governor Johnson's flag-ship, making ready to put to sea. Lookouts -caught sight of the pirate Moody's vessels returning, sailing closer and -closer in, actually coming inside the bar, as though they meant to -attack the town itself. But inside the bar they stopped, and casting -anchor, quietly rode there, while the sunset colored their sails, and -men and women of Charles Town, on the quays and from the roofs and -windows of their houses, watched them and wondered what might be the -pirate's plans. - -That night Governor Johnson, from his flag-ship, gave the order to the -other ships of his small fleet to follow him, and they all slipped their -moorings and stole down the harbor to the fort, and waited there. - -At dawn next day the four ships from Charles Town, with their guns under -cover and no signs of war about their decks, crossed the bar, heading -toward the sea. The pirate supposed them to be peaceful merchantmen, and -let them sail past him, and then had his ships close in on their track, -in order to cut off their retreat. What he had often done before with -merchantmen he did now; he ran up the black flag and called to the ships -to surrender. - -But Governor Johnson had planned to get his enemy into just this -position. The pirate fleet now lay between his own ships and the town. -He hoisted the royal ensign of England, threw open his ports, unmasked -his guns, and poured a broadside of shot into the nearest pirate ship. -Antony, from the deck of the flag-ship, could see the sudden surprise -and alarm on the faces of the pirate crew. - -The pirate chief was a clever skipper, however. By wonderful navigating -he sailed his ship straight for the open sea, and actually managed to -get past Governor Johnson. The latter followed in swift pursuit, and as -the ships were now somewhat scattered, the flag-ship signaled the _Sea -Nymph_ and the _Royal James_ to look out for the pirate sloop. - -Soon these ships and the sloop were close together, yard-arm to -yard-arm, and a desperate fight under way. The men of Charles Town -fought well; they drove the pirates from their guns, they swarmed aboard -the pirate ship, and killed the pirates who resisted them. Most of the -pirates fought to the last inch of deck-room, refusing to surrender. A -few took refuge in the hold, and threw up their hands when the enemy -surrounded them. Then the crews of the _Sea Nymph_ and the _Royal James_ -sailed the captured sloop back to the harbor, where the men and women -who had been listening to the guns cheered wildly. - -In the meantime the governor's flag-ship was chasing the pirate -flag-ship. Antony and another boy stood near Johnson, ready to run his -errands whenever needed; Nick was of the crew that manned one of the -forward cannon. It was a long stern chase, but Johnson slowly drew up on -the other. The buccaneers threw their small boats and even their guns -overboard in an attempt to lighten their ship, but the ship from Charles -Town was the faster, and at length overhauled the rover. A few -broadsides of shot, and the black flag came fluttering down from the -masthead; the governor and part of his crew went on board and the -pirates surrendered. - -Antony, dogging the governor's steps, was by him when the hatches were -lifted; to his great astonishment he saw that the hold was filled with -frightened women. The governor turned to the captured rover captain. -"What does this mean?" he demanded, pointing to the women, who were now -climbing to the deck with the help of the Charles Town crew. - -"When we captured this ship," said the rover, "we found she was the -_Eagle_, bound from England to Virginia, carrying convicts and -indentured servants. We'd have set them ashore at the first good -chance." - -It was true. There were thirty-six women on board, sailing from England -to find husbands and homes in the new world. The pirates had changed the -name of the ship, and taken her for their own use, but had had no chance -to land the women safely. - -The governor had another surprise that day. He found that the captain of -this fleet of pirates was not Moody, as all Charles Town had supposed, -but an even more dreaded buccaneer, Richard Worley. This Richard Worley -had been on board the sloop, and had been killed in the fierce fighting -on her deck that morning. - -Antony and Nick were of the crew that brought the captured _Eagle_, -with her cargo of women, back to shore. There kind-hearted people of -Charles Town took care of the frightened passengers. In the town that -night there was great rejoicing over the defeat of two of the rovers who -infested that part of the seas, Stede Bonnet and Richard Worley. It was -true that Blackbeard and Moody were still at large, but it might well be -that the fate of their fellows would prove a warning to them that the -people of Charles Town meant business. Governor Johnson and his crews -went back to their regular business, and the town grew quiet again. - -Neither Moody nor Blackbeard again troubled the good people there. Weeks -later it was learned that Moody had heard how Charles Town was prepared -for him, and that he had gone to Jamaica, and there taken the "King's -pardon," which was granted to all pirates who would give up their -lawless trade before the following first of January. Afterward word came -that Blackbeard had been captured by a fleet sent out by Governor -Spotswood of Virginia, and commanded by officers of the Royal British -Navy. - -Stede Bonnet's crew had already been tried and found guilty of piracy. -The judges had now to consider the case of that buccaneer chief himself. -Every one in Charles Town knew that he had sailed the seas time and -again with the "Jolly Roger" at his masthead, but he was a man of very -attractive appearance and manners, and many of the good people of the -town thought that he really meant to repent and lead a better life. The -judges and jury, however, with Bonnet's past record before them, saw -only the plain duty of dealing with him as they had already dealt with -his crew. Then Colonel Rhett, the gallant soldier who had twice captured -Bonnet, came forward and offered to take the pirate personally to -London, and ask the king to pardon him. The governor felt that he could -not consent to this request; he knew how Bonnet had taken the oath of -repentance once before, and had immediately run up the "Jolly Roger" on -his ship at the first chance he found. Bonnet was a pirate, caught in -the very act. The law was very clear. So Bonnet was hanged, as were the -forty other prisoners who had been found guilty. - -Nick stayed with Antony at Mr. Evans's warehouse until the excitement of -the war with the pirates had blown over. He and Antony were almost -inseparable, and the people who met the slim, dark fellow liked him for -his good-nature and ready smile. Whenever they found the chance Antony -and he went sailing or hunting or fishing. - -"Tony," he said one day as they sailed back from fishing, "I'm going to -leave the warehouse. No, don't look put out; I'm not going back to my -old way of living. Besides, there aren't any of the rovers left for me -to join. But I was made for the open air, and the work there in the shop -can't hold me. The governor wants soldiers for his province of South -Carolina, and I've a notion the life of a soldier would suit me. I take -naturally to swords and pistols." - -Antony smiled. "You'll make a good one, Nick. I shouldn't wonder if you -got to be a general. Yes, you'll like it better. But Dad and I'll hate -to have you go." - -So, a few days later, Nicholas Carter, who had once been one of -Blackbeard's crew, offered his services to Governor Johnson and became a -soldier in the small army of the province. He did well, and rose to be a -colonel, and one of the most popular men of Charles Town. But sometimes, -when he and Antony Evans were alone together, Colonel Nicholas Carter -would wink and say, "Remember the day when you and I sailed away on -Blackbeard's ship? Yeo ho, for the life of a pirate!" - -"The day you kidnapped me, you mean," Antony would remind him. "That was -a wonderful holiday, to be sure!" - -For respectable men turned pirates, and pirates reformed and became -worthy citizens and soldiers, in the days before the little settlement -of Charles Town became the city of Charleston in one of the thirteen -states of the American Union. - - - - -IX - -THE FOUNDER OF GEORGIA - -(_Georgia, 1732_) - - -I - -There was a man in England in the first half of the eighteenth century -who became so impressed by the misfortunes of men thrown into prison for -debt that he resolved to do what he could to help them. The man was -James Oglethorpe, and the result of his resolve was the founding of the -colony of Georgia, which in time became one of the original thirteen -colonies of the United States. - -To owe money was regarded as a most serious crime in England in those -days, at least four thousand men were sent to prison every year for -inability to pay their debts, and many of these debtors spent their -lives in jail, since it was next to impossible for them to secure any -money while they were imprisoned. The prisons, moreover, were vile dens -of pestilence, where smallpox often raged, jailers treated their -prisoners barbarously, and the man who had stolen a few shillings was -kept in the same pen with the worst of pirates and murderers. A man -named Castell, an architect and writer, was arrested for debt, and -thrown into a prison where smallpox was rife. In spite of his protests -he was kept there, and caught the disease and died. James Oglethorpe -knew Castell, and the story of the architect's imprisonment roused -Oglethorpe to action in aid of others who might be similarly treated. - -Oglethorpe was a man of influence in England. He had studied at Oxford, -served in the army, and was a member of Parliament. He had a committee -appointed to investigate the prisons, and, acting as its chairman, he -unearthed so many cases of barbarities and showed that so many of the -jailers were inhuman wretches that Parliament interfered and righted at -least a few of the most crying wrongs. But his plans went farther than -that; he wanted to give men who had the misfortune to be in debt a -chance to start new lives, not simply to stay in jail with no chance to -better their condition, and to this end he looked across the ocean to -the great, unsettled continent of America, and planned his new home for -debtors there. - -Oglethorpe succeeded in interesting some of the most prominent men of -England in his plan, and on June 9, 1732, King George II granted them a -charter for a province to be called Georgia, which was to consist of the -country between the Savannah and the Altamaha Rivers and to extend from -the headsprings of these rivers due west to the Pacific Ocean. The seal -of the patrons of the new province bore on one side a group of silkworms -at work, with the motto, "_Non sibi, sed aliis_,"--"Not for themselves, -but for others,"--showing the purpose of the patrons, who had agreed not -to accept any grant of lands or profit from them for themselves. On the -other side of the seal were two figures representing the boundary -rivers, and between them a figure of Georgia, a liberty cap on her head, -a spear in one hand, a horn of plenty in the other. Some of the patrons -were content with the lofty ideals expressed in the seal and the -charter, but James Oglethorpe meant to see the noble project carried -out. - -With a commission to act as Colonial Governor of Georgia, Oglethorpe -sailed with about one hundred and twenty emigrants for America in -November, 1732. In fifty-seven days he reached the bar outside -Charleston. There the colonists of South Carolina welcomed the new -arrivals warmly, for they were glad to have a province to their south to -shield them from their Spanish enemies. The governor ordered his pilot -to conduct the ship to Port Royal, some eighty miles to the south, from -whence the emigrants were to go in small boats to the Savannah River. -Oglethorpe meanwhile went to the town of Beaufort and then sailed up the -Savannah to choose a promising site for his new town. The high cliff -known as Yamacraw Bluff caught his eye, and he chose for his site that -high land on which the city of Savannah stands. - -Half a mile away dwelt the Indian tribe of the Yamacraws, and their -chief, Tomochichi, sought the white leader and made gifts to him. One -gift was a buffalo skin, painted on the inside with the head and -feathers of an eagle. "Here is a little present," said the chief, -offering the skin. "The feathers of the eagle are soft, and signify -love; the buffalo skin is warm, and is the emblem of protection. -Therefore love and protect our little families." We may be sure that -Oglethorpe promised to live in friendship with them. - -On February 12th the colonists reached their new home, and camped on the -edge of the river, glad to escape from their long stay on shipboard. -Four tents were set up, and men cut trees to provide bowers for their -immediate needs. Four pines sheltered the tent of Oglethorpe, and here -he lived for a year, while men laid out streets and built houses and his -city of Savannah began to take shape. - -Much good counsel the leader gave his people in those first days, -warning them often against the drinking of rum, which would not only -harm themselves, but would corrupt their Indian neighbors. "It is my -hope," said he, "that, through your good example, the settlement of -Georgia may prove a blessing and not a curse to the native inhabitants." - -It was a lovely country, and the emigrants, harassed by debts and -misfortunes in Europe, were delighted with the groves of live-oak, bay, -cypress, sweet-gum, and myrtle, and the many flowers that grew profusely -in the wilderness. While they worked gladly in their new fields -Oglethorpe, knowing their security depended in part on their neighbors, -did his best to make friends of the red men. He invited the chiefs of -the Muskohgees to make an alliance with him, and they came down the -river and through the woods to his tent. Long King, chief of the Oconas, -spoke for the others. "The Great Spirit, who dwells everywhere around, -and gives breath to all men," said he, "sends the English to instruct -us." He bade the strangers welcome to the land that his tribe did not -use, and as token of friendship, laid eight bundles of buckskins at -Oglethorpe's feet. "Tomochichi," he said, "though banished from his -nation, has yet been a great warrior; and, for his wisdom and courage, -the exiles chose him their king." Then Tomochichi expressed his -friendship for the white men. The chief of Coweta rose and said, "We are -come twenty-five days' journey to see you. I was never willing to go -down to Charleston, lest I should die on the way; but when I heard you -were come, and that you are good men, I came down, that I might hear -good things." A treaty of peace was then signed, by which the English -claimed title over the land of the Creeks as far as the St. Johns River, -and the chiefs departed with many presents. - -Later a Cherokee came to the settlement. "Fear nothing," said -Oglethorpe, "but speak freely." The red man from the mountains answered -proudly, "I always speak freely. Why should I fear? I am now among -friends; I never feared even among my enemies." Friends were then made -of the Cherokees. - -In July Red Shoes, a Choctaw chief, arrived to make a treaty. "We came a -great way," said he, "and we are a great nation. The French are building -forts about us, against our liking. We have long traded with them, but -they are poor in goods; we desire that a trade may be opened between us -and you." - -Other people than the poor debtors of England soon came to the province. -The Archbishop of Salzburg by his cruel persecutions drove scores of -Lutherans from his country, and many of these prepared to cross the -ocean to the new settlement on the Savannah River. They traveled from -their Salzburg home through part of Germany, past cities that were -closed against them, through country districts where they were made -welcome. From Rotterdam they sailed to Dover, and from there set forth -in January, 1734, for their new home in the land across the Atlantic. -The sea was a strange experience to the Lutheran families of Salzburg; -when it was calm they delighted in its beauty, when it was swept by -storms they prayed and sang the songs of their faith. They reached the -port of Charleston on March 18, 1734, and Oglethorpe welcomed them -there, not forgetting to have supplies of fresh provisions and -vegetables from his Georgia gardens for the people who had been so long -without them. - -A few days later the colonists from Salzburg sailed up the Savannah -River and were met by the earlier colonists. A feast of welcome had been -prepared. Then Governor Oglethorpe gave the strangers permission to -select their home in any part of the province. The country was most of -it still an untraversed wilderness, and so Oglethorpe supplied horses -and traveled with his new colonists. With the aid of Indian guides they -made their way through morasses, they camped at night around fires in -the primeval forest. At last they reached a green valley, watered by -several brooks, and this they chose for their settlement and named it -Ebenezer in thankfulness to their God for having brought them safely -through great dangers into a land of rest. Oglethorpe had his own -carpenters help them build their houses and aided them in planning their -new town. - -That the land about Ebenezer was very fruitful is shown by a letter -written by the pastor of the Lutheran colonists. Said he, "Some time ago -I wrote to an honored friend in Europe that the land in this country, if -well managed and labored, brings forth by the blessing of God not only -one hundredfold, but one thousandfold, and I this day was confirmed -therein. A woman having two years ago picked out of Indian corn no more -than three grains of rye, and planting them at Ebenezer, one of the -grains produced an hundred and seventy stalks and ears, and the three -grains yielded to her a bag of corn as large as a coat pocket--the -grains whereof were good and full grown, and she desired me to send part -of them to a kind benefactor in Europe." - -His colony now well started, Oglethorpe sailed back to England in April, -1734, taking with him the Indian Tomochichi and several other chiefs, in -order that they might see the country from which so many of their new -neighbors were coming, and also that his English friends might learn how -friendly the Indians were to the settlers. He was received in London -with expressions of the highest praise. His experiment in founding a -colony for poor debtors and for those persecuted for their religion was -declared to be a wonderful success. Missionaries volunteered to go to -Georgia to work among the Indians. One of the rules of the province -forbade the importing of slaves into its borders, and this was regarded -in England with the greatest favor. Yet a little later people in -Savannah were petitioning the trustees of the province to allow them to -have slaves, and many an influential man in England argued in favor of -the slave-trade. - -To such an attractive colony many new colonists went. A company of one -hundred and thirty Scotchmen with their families sailed for Savannah, -and settled on the shore of the Altamaha, founding the town of New -Inverness, a name afterward changed to Darien. A small band of Moravians -was led across the Atlantic by their pastor to the new province, and -this youngest of the English colonies quickly gave promise of becoming -one of the most prosperous. - -Oglethorpe wanted still more colonists, and at length succeeded in -embarking three hundred persons on three ships in December, 1735. On -February 4th the cry of land was heard from the lookout, and two days -later the fleet anchored near Tybee Island, at the mouth of the Savannah -River. Landing, Oglethorpe gave thanks for their safe arrival, and -showing them how to dig a well and make other arrangements for their -comfort he went on by small-boat to Savannah, where the colonists -saluted him with twenty-one guns from the fort. - -Three years before the land beside the river had been a wilderness. -Oglethorpe now found a town of two hundred dwellings, with beautiful -public gardens, and every sign of prosperous industry. The gardens -especially pleased the governor; on the colder side were planted apples, -pears, and plums, while to the south were olives, figs, pomegranates, -and many kinds of vines. There were also coffee and cotton, and a large -space planted with white mulberry trees, making a nursery from which the -people were to be supplied in their culture of silkworms. - -The governor went back to see the new colonists at Tybee, and when he -found that some disgruntled traders had been making trouble by spreading -reports that all settlers who went south would be massacred by Spaniards -and Indians, he assured them that such stories were altogether false. -The Spaniards were at peace with them, and they had treaties of -alliance with the Indians. He wanted, however, to make the outlying -settlements as secure as he could, and so sent fifty rangers and one -hundred workmen under Captain McPherson to help the Scotch at Darien, -had men inspect the country with a view to opening a highroad, and -supplied them with Indian guides and plenty of packhorses for their -provisions. - -While Oglethorpe was at Tybee the Indian chief Tomochichi, with his wife -and nephew, came to visit the ships there. The chief brought presents of -venison, honey, and milk. When he was introduced to the missionaries who -had come with the latest colonists, Tomochichi said, "I am glad you are -come. When I was in England I desired that some one would speak the -great Word to me. I will go up and speak to the wise men of our nation, -and I hope they will hear. But we would not be made Christians as these -Spaniards make Christians; we would be taught before we are baptized." -The chief's wife then gave the missionaries two large jars, one of honey -and one of milk, and invited them to go to Yamacraw to teach the -children, saying the milk represented food for the children and the -honey their good wishes. - -He now wanted to transport the new settlers to their homes as soon as -possible; but the mates of the English ships were afraid to risk -navigating Jekyll Sound. So Oglethorpe bought one of the sloops, put -thirty old colonists, well armed, on board, and told them to sail to St. -Simons. He himself, with a white crew and a few Indians, set out for the -same place in a scout boat and traveled night and day. The Indians -showed the white men their way of rowing, a short stroke and a long -stroke alternately, what they called the "Yamasee stroke." Taking turns -at the oars the party reached St. Simons after two days' journey. They -found the sloop already there, and the governor gave a large reward to -the captain for being the first to enter that port. - -All hands now set to work to build a booth for the stores. They threw up -earth for a bank, and raised poles on it to support a roof. The booth -was thickly covered with palmetto leaves. Cabins were then built for the -families, and a fort, with ditches and ramparts, was begun. - -Next Oglethorpe went to Darien, dressing in Highland costume out of -compliment to the Scotchmen there. The Highlanders, clad in kilts, with -broadswords, targets, and firearms, gave him a royal welcome. Their -captain invited the governor to sleep in his tent on a soft bed with -sheets and curtains, a great luxury in the wilderness, but Oglethorpe -preferred to sleep in his plaid at the guard fire, sharing everything, -according to his custom, with his men. - -He found that the Scotch at Darien had already built a fort, defended by -four cannon, a chapel, a guard-house, and a store. They were on the -friendliest terms with their Indian neighbors, and hunted buffalo -through the Georgia woods with them like members of their own tribe. - -In the Georgia woods there was plenty of game, rabbits, squirrels, -partridges, wild turkeys, pheasants and roebuck. There were also -rattlesnakes and alligators, and the alligators so frightened the -settlers at first that Oglethorpe had one of them caught and brought to -Savannah, so the people might grow familiar with it and lose their fear -of it. - -He wanted now to mark out his boundaries with the Indians, and also to -learn what had become of Mr. Dempsey, a commissioner he had sent to -confer with the Spanish governor of Florida, who had not been heard -from. In two scout boats, with forty Indians, he rowed across Jekyll -Sound, sleeping one night in a grove of pines, and the second day -reached an island formerly called Wisso or Sassafras, but which -Tomochichi had now christened Cumberland in honor of the young English -prince he had met in London. Here Oglethorpe marked out a fort to be -called St. Andrews, and left a few white men to carry out its building. - -The governor rowed on through the marshes, and came to an island covered -with orange-trees in blossom. The Spaniards had called this Santa Maria, -but Oglethorpe changed its name to Amelia, in honor of an English -princess. They also changed the name of the next island they reached -from the Spanish San Juan to Georgia. Here was an old fort supposed to -have been built by Sir Francis Drake, and Oglethorpe sent one of his -captains to repair it. - -They climbed some heights and Tomochichi pointed out the St. Johns -River, the boundary line of Spanish territory. A Spanish guard-house -stood on the other side. "All on this side the river we hunt," said -Tomochichi. "It is our ground. All on the other side they hunt, but they -have lately hurt some of our people, and we shall drive them away. We -will stay until night behind these rocks, where they cannot see us; then -we will fall upon them." - -Oglethorpe tried to persuade them not to attack the Spaniards, and got -them to stay near Amelia Island while he went in one of the scout boats -to the guard-house to find out what had happened to Mr. Dempsey, the -agent he had sent to St. Augustine. He found no one in the guard-house -and so returned to the camp, where all his party were except Tomochichi, -who had gone scouting. - -That night the governor's sentry challenged a boat. Four Indians jumped -out, all of them in a rage. They said to Oglethorpe, "Tomochichi has -seen enemies, and has sent us to tell you and to help you." - -"Why didn't Tomochichi come back?" asked the governor. - -"Tomochichi is an old warrior," the Indians answered, "and will not come -away from his enemies till he has seen them so near as to count them. -He saw their fires, and before daylight will be revenged for the men -whom they killed while he was away; but we shall have no honor, for we -shall not be there." - -Oglethorpe asked if there were many of them, and the messengers -answered, "Yes, a great many, for they had a large fire on high ground, -and Indians never make large fires except when so strong as to defy all -resistance." - -This didn't suit Oglethorpe at all, and he immediately ordered all his -men into their boats, and rowed to the Indian chief's hiding-place, some -four miles away. He found the chief and his men and urged them not to -attack the Spaniards that night. Tomochichi was for going on, however. -"Then," said the governor, "you go to kill your enemies in the night -because you are afraid of them by the day. Now I do not fear them at any -time. Therefore wait until day, and I will go with you and see who they -are." - -Tomochichi reluctantly agreed to wait. "We do not fear them by day," -said he, "but if we do not kill them to-night they will kill you -to-morrow." - -At daylight the whole party started toward the foe. Soon they saw a -white flag flying on the shore and white men near it. But, to -Oglethorpe's delight, the men turned out not to be Spaniards, but one of -his own officers, Major Richards, with Mr. Dempsey and his mates, back -from Florida. - -The agent reported that his party had had many adventures, but had -finally reached St. Augustine, where Don Francisco, the governor, had -welcomed them and given them letters for Oglethorpe, asking for an -answer in three weeks. - -The expedition returned to Frederica, where the governor read his men -the contents of the Spaniard's letters. These were full of flattering -phrases, but there was also complaint that the Creeks had attacked -Spaniards, and requests that Oglethorpe should restrain his Indian -allies. The governor suspected that these requests were only a blind to -hide a future attack by the Spaniards on the English colonists, but he -was very anxious to avoid such trouble if it was possible, so he sent a -boat of twenty oars, fitted out with swivel-guns, to patrol the St. -Johns River and keep any Creek Indians from crossing to attack the -Spaniards. He also stationed scout boats at other places, and asked -Tomochichi to send word to the Creeks that their ally, the governor of -Georgia, requested them not to make raids into Florida, but to keep -guard on the mainland in the neighborhood of the settlement at Darien. - -Soon after Oglethorpe returned to Savannah he saw that trouble was -brewing with the Spaniards. He heard that a large troop of soldiers had -lately marched from St. Augustine. He knew that there was a garrison of -three hundred foot-soldiers and fifty horse at St. Augustine, with -reinforcements coming from Havana, and that he had not a single regular -soldier with which to oppose them. Then word came that a fleet of -strange ships had been seen at sea. He ordered his colonists to -strengthen their fort at once, and set out in a boat for St. Andrews to -learn exactly how matters stood. - -From Fort St. George he crossed to the Spanish side of the St. Johns -River, and climbing a hill, fastened a white flag to a pole, hoping the -Spaniards would come to a conference with him. None came, however, but -fires were seen on the Florida side that night, and the governor thought -the Spaniards were planning an attack. He ordered two gun-carriages and -two swivel-guns taken into the woods and placed at different points. The -larger guns were to fire seven shots, and the smaller to answer with -five. The latter would sound like a distant ship firing a salute, and -the larger guns would resemble the noise of a battery returning the -salute. In this way Oglethorpe hoped to make the Spaniards think that -reinforcements were coming to the aid of the Georgians. - -By this trick Oglethorpe escaped great danger. As a matter of fact the -Spanish governor had arrested Oglethorpe's messengers, and had sent a -strong force to attack the fort on St. Simons Island. The battery there, -however, drove the Spaniards out to sea again, and when they tried to -approach by another inlet they were driven off the second time by the -garrison at St. Andrews. They then decided to attack St. George, but as -they were planning this they heard the booming of the distant cannon, -thought reinforcements must be arriving, as Oglethorpe had figured on -their thinking, and decided not to make the attack at all then. - -At the same time Oglethorpe lighted fires in the woods, thereby making -his enemy believe that Creek Indians were coming to join the English. -The Spanish commander, Don Pedro, gave the order to return to the walls -of St. Augustine, and there, by his reports of the numbers of -Oglethorpe's troops, induced the Spanish governor to send back -Oglethorpe's two agents, and with them one of his own officers to urge -the Englishman to keep his Indian allies from invading Florida. - -Oglethorpe, however, did not know that Don Pedro had returned to St. -Augustine, and so, with twenty-four men, crossed the St. Johns River to -the Spanish side, hoping to get word of his agents. He saw a Spanish -boat with seventy men on board. The boat headed away at sight of the -English colonists. Then two Spanish horsemen appeared and forbade the -English landing on the soil of the king of Spain. Oglethorpe said that -he would do as they wished, but he invited them to land on English -ground if they desired and offered them wine should they come. - -The governor now learned that men in Charleston were selling arms and -ammunition to the Spaniards, regardless of the fact that the latter -meant to use them against the former's own English neighbors. He wrote -to men in South Carolina urging them not to allow this, but in spite of -his protests the men of Florida continued for some time to draw a large -part of their supplies from the colony to the north of Georgia. - -Then he returned to Fort St. George, taking with him Tomochichi and his -men in their canoes, a large barge, and two ten-oared boats with fifty -soldiers, cannon, and stores for two months. On the way he heard that -his agents were coming back accompanied by two Spanish officers. He did -not want the Spaniards to learn the strength of his garrison, so he gave -orders that they should be entertained on board his ship the _Hawk_, on -the excuse that the country was full of Indians who might otherwise -attack the Spaniards. - -Tents were set up on Jekyll Island, the Scotchmen dressed in their -plaids, the whole garrison assumed its most martial air, and Oglethorpe, -attended by seven officers, embarked for the _Hawk_, his purpose being -to impress the Spaniards with the size of his forces. The Spaniards were -impressed; they promised on their part to right the wrongs that -Oglethorpe's Indian allies complained of, and gained a promise from him -in return that he would do his best to keep the Creeks and other tribes -from molesting the Spanish settlers. Later, on his return to Savannah, -the governor made a treaty with the Spanish governor. More and more -bickering arose, however, between the settlers of the two nations, and -so Oglethorpe sailed for England in November, 1736, hoping to win aid -for his colony from the British government. - - -II - -Oglethorpe had no sooner reached England than word came that the -governor of Florida had ordered every English merchant to leave his -territory and was planning for warfare. The king of England at once -appointed Oglethorpe commander-in-chief of all his troops in Carolina -and Georgia, and ordered a regiment to be raised and equipped for -service there. Troops were sent from Gibraltar, and meantime the -governor busied himself in urging men and women to go out with him to -America as colonists. The terms he offered them were so promising that -finally he sailed from Portsmouth with five transports, carrying six -hundred men, women, and children, besides arms and provisions. - -In a little more than two months this new party reached St. Simons -Island. The settlers there, who had been fearing an attack by the -Spaniards, were delighted to welcome the general and his company. -Oglethorpe went to work at once to strengthen the forts, to build roads -between the forts and the towns, and to station scout ships to give -notice of any hostile fleet. Then he went to Savannah, where cannon -roared at his approach and the settlers crowded about to welcome their -trusted governor and general. Tomochichi and the chiefs of the Creek -nations came to assure him of their loyalty and offered to serve him at -any time against their common enemies the Spaniards. - -General Oglethorpe well knew how important the help of the Indians might -be to him, and so decided to journey through the wilderness to visit the -various tribes. This meant a long and perilous trip. It is partly -described for us. "Through tangled thickets," runs an account of the -journey, "along rough ravines, over dreary swamps in which the horses -reared and plunged, the travelers patiently followed their native -guides. More than once they had to construct rafts on which to cross the -rivers, and many smaller streams were crossed by wading or swimming.... -Wrapped in his cloak, with his portmanteau for a pillow, their hardy -leader lay down to sleep upon the ground, or if the night were wet he -sheltered himself in a covert of cypress boughs spread upon poles. For -two hundred miles they neither saw a human habitation, nor met a soul; -but as they neared their journey's end they found here and there -provisions, which the primitive people they were about to visit had -deposited for them in the woods.... When within fifty miles of his -destination, the general was met by a deputation of chiefs who escorted -him to Coweta; and although the American aborigines are rarely -demonstrative, nothing could exceed the joy manifested by them on -Oglethorpe's arrival.... By having undertaken so long and difficult a -journey for the purpose of visiting them, by coming with only a few -attendants in fearless reliance on their good faith, by the readiness -with which he accommodated himself to their habits, and by the natural -dignity of his deportment, Oglethorpe had won the hearts of his red -brothers, whom he was never known to deceive." - -A great council was held, a cup of the sacred black-medicine was drunk -by the white man and the chiefs, the calumet or pipe of peace was -smoked, and a treaty was drawn up, by which the Creeks renewed their -allegiance to the king of England while Oglethorpe promised that the -English would not encroach upon the Creeks' country and that the traders -would deal honestly with them. - -On his way home the governor fell ill of fever and had to stay at Fort -Augusta for several weeks. Here chiefs of the Cherokees and Chickasaws -came to him, complaining that some of their people had been poisoned by -rum they had bought from English traders. Inquiry showed that traders -had not only brought bad rum, but smallpox also, to the Indians, and the -governor promised the chiefs that hereafter he would only permit certain -licensed traders to come among them. - -Troubles over runaway slaves, who left South Carolina and Georgia for -Florida and were protected by the Spanish there, soon brought fresh -controversies between the settlers on the two sides of the border. -England, moreover, was preparing for war with Spain. On October 2, 1739, -the men of Savannah met at the court-house and General Oglethorpe -announced to them that England had declared war on Spain. The governor's -militia was now well armed and trained, ships guarded the coast, he had -a string of forts protecting his borders. Yet he, like the government in -England, would very much have preferred to keep the peace with the -Spaniards, and was only driven to hostilities because the latter were -constantly making trouble for his colonists and seizing English merchant -ships and imprisoning their crews. - -The southernmost outpost of Georgia was now Amelia Island, where there -was a settlement of about forty persons. They were protected by -palisades and several cannon. In November some Spaniards landed at night -and hid in the woods. Shots were heard in the fort, and the English -soldiers, searching the woods, found the bodies of two of the -Highlanders. The Spaniards had shot them, and escaped in their boats. - -At once Oglethorpe, with some of his Scotchmen and Indians, marched into -Florida. He captured Spanish boats at the mouth of the St. Johns River, -and went on toward St. Augustine. A troop of the enemy came out to -attack him, but fled before the rush of his Indians. - -He knew that he needed more troops, however, if he were to make good his -war on Florida, so he sent to South Carolina, urging the governor of -that colony to contribute as many soldiers as Georgia had supplied. This -caused some delay, but at length arrangements were completed, and -Oglethorpe was prepared to take the field. - -In May the general assembled four hundred of his soldiers, Creek Indians -under their chief Malachee, Cherokees under their chief Raven, at St. -George Island, at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Oglethorpe's object -was to cut off supplies from St. Augustine. His men crossed the river, -and a body of Indians and a few white soldiers made an attack on the -Spanish fort at San Diego. This place was defended by a number of large -guns, and the first attack on it failed. Then Oglethorpe came up with -the rest of his men and decided to try a little strategy. He ordered -some of his soldiers to beat drums in different parts of the woods and -other soldiers to march out at these places and march back again, the -same soldiers appearing again and again. The Spanish garrison, seeing so -many men at so many different points in the woods, soon concluded that -the English had an overwhelming force in the field against them. Then -Oglethorpe sent a Spanish prisoner he had captured to tell the garrison -how well he had been treated. Thereupon the garrison surrendered to the -English general. - -The troops from Carolina had not yet arrived, and Oglethorpe learned -that, while they delayed, two sloops filled with provisions and -ammunition and six Spanish galleys had reached St. Augustine. On the -eighteenth of May, however, two English ships anchored in the harbor and -two others blocked the southern entrance to the Spanish port, and soon -afterward a part of the troops from Carolina joined the general. He then -gave the order to advance on the Spanish town. - -St. Augustine was defended by 2,000 soldiers, quite as many as the -troops Oglethorpe had marshaled against it. The Spanish artillery was -vastly superior to that of the English. If the town was to be taken the -sea forces must attack at the same time as the land forces, and signals -were arranged for such a joint attack. - -The general came to Fort Moosa, three miles from St. Augustine, and -found the garrison had abandoned it. He gave orders to burn the gate -there and make holes in the walls, "lest," as he said, "it might one day -or other be a mouse-trap for some of our own people." Marching on, he -gave the signal to attack the Spanish capital, but was surprised that -the fleet gave him no answering signal. Later he learned that the -Spaniards had deployed their ships in such a way that a sea attack would -have been very difficult, and that the English commanders had decided -that if they made the attack as agreed upon they would probably be -defeated. Therefore the general determined that instead of an assault he -would attempt a blockade. - -He returned to Fort Diego, and ordered Colonel Palmer, with over two -hundred Scotchmen and Indians to march to Fort Moosa and scout through -the woods to prevent any communication between St. Augustine and the -interior of Florida. Colonel Palmer was told to camp each night in a new -place, to avoid battle, and to return at once if a larger force than his -own appeared. Another officer was sent with the Carolina soldiers to -take Point Quartell, which was about a mile distant from the castle of -St. Augustine, and build a battery there to command the northern -entrance to the harbor. - -The general himself set out to capture the Spaniards' battery at -Anastasia, and by clever maneuvers there succeeded in driving the enemy -to their boats. Oglethorpe set up cannon and sent an envoy to the -Spanish governor, calling on him to surrender. The Spaniard replied that -he should be glad to shake hands with General Oglethorpe if the latter -would come to him in his castle. In answer Oglethorpe opened fire from -his new battery, but the distance to the town was too great for his guns -and little harm was done the enemy. - -Colonel Palmer, meantime, disregarding the general's orders to camp in a -new place each night, had kept his men in the partly demolished Fort -Moosa. The Spaniards sent six hundred men to attack his small force. -Palmer's soldiers resisted desperately, but the Highlanders and the -Indians were too much outnumbered by the Spaniards; half of them, -including Colonel Palmer, were killed, a few escaped, and the rest were -made prisoners. - -The commander of the fleet also disregarded the arrangement he had made -with Oglethorpe and ordered off the war-ship stationed outside the -harbor, with the result that several sloops from Havana with new troops -and provisions stole into the channel and reached the Spanish -stronghold. The garrison at St. Augustine had begun to feel the pinch of -hunger and might soon have surrendered, but these fresh supplies tided -them over and enabled them to keep up their defense. - -General Oglethorpe, discouraged in his plan of a blockade, decided to -make one more attempt at carrying the town by assault. The British -commodore, Pearse, was to attack with his fleet while Oglethorpe led his -soldiers by land. The colonial troops and Indians were ready to open -fire, and only waited the signal from the ships. They waited in vain, -however. Instead of keeping his agreement, Commodore Pearse quietly -sailed away with all his ships, sending word to General Oglethorpe that -it was now the season when hurricanes might be expected off the Florida -coast and that he didn't intend to risk His Majesty's fleet there any -longer. - -Oglethorpe, who alone seemed really in earnest in his desire to fight -the Spaniards, deserted by the English fleet, getting very little -support from the officers and men of the Carolina regiments, found it -impossible to carry on the campaign. Even his own men from Georgia were -worn out by fatigue and the heat of Florida. Reluctantly therefore he -gave over his expedition, and returned to Savannah. The campaign, -however, had shown the Spaniards that the governor of Georgia was a man -whose power was to be respected, and they did not renew their raids into -his province for some years. - -Oglethorpe was a great builder as well as a very skilful military -leader, and he used this time of peace to improve the prosperity and -beauty of the towns he had settled in his colony. Savannah was already a -thriving place, with fine squares, parks, and wide shaded streets. Now -he turned his attention to Frederica, a town of a thousand settlers. He -meant this to be a strong frontier fort, and designed an esplanade, -barracks, parade-ground, fortifications, everything that could be of use -to protect Frederica from an enemy. - -Not far from Frederica, on the same island of St. Simons, was a small -settlement called Little St. Simons. A road connected the two places, -running over a beautiful prairie and through a forest, and at the edge -of this forest Oglethorpe built himself a small cottage and planted a -garden and an orchard of oranges, grapes and figs. Here he made his -home, where he could watch the water and keep an eye on Frederica and -its forts. A number of his officers built country-seats for themselves -near the general's cottage, almost all of them larger and more -pretentious than that of the general. Strange as it may seem, the -founder of Georgia never claimed or owned any other land in his province -but this one small place, and he lived almost as simply as the poorest -colonist, a great contrast to the elaborate state kept by the governors -of such colonies as Virginia and Maryland or the luxury of William -Penn's home at Pennsbury. - -Meantime other forts were built in the southern part of Georgia, one on -Jekyll Island, another on Cumberland Island, a third at Fort William; -and fortunately the governor saw to all this, for his province was to be -for some time the buffer between the English and the Spaniards, two -peoples who were constantly either on the verge of warfare or actually -fighting. The mother-countries of England and Spain were always at -swords' points, and those troubles on the other side of the Atlantic -were sure to bring the American colonists into the same strife. Each -country hectored the other. In the spring of 1740 the British government -decided to attack Spain through its American possessions. France also -decided to take a hand in the business, and this time joined with Spain. -Ships of these two countries set sail for the West Indies and threatened -the British colony of Jamaica. The English admiral, Vernon, was -despatched with a large squadron to attack the enemy, but instead of -sailing to Havana he turned in the direction of Hispaniola to watch the -French fleet, and so lost a splendid chance to capture the Spanish -stronghold of Havana. General Oglethorpe learned of this, and in May, -1641, he wrote to the Duke of Newcastle in England, explaining how -matters stood in that part of America and stating what the colonists -would need if they were to carry on a successful war with the Spanish -Dons of Florida and the West Indies. - -His letter was laid before the proper officers in England, but, as so -often happened in such cases, those officers, far though they were from -the scene of action, thought they knew more about conditions in Georgia -and Florida than Oglethorpe did. The government delayed and delayed, -while the general waited for an answer to his requests. Then he had to -write again to England. Either the northern colonies or the -mother-country was accustomed to supply his province with flour, but now -Spanish privateers were capturing the merchant vessels that brought it. -Only two English men-of-war were stationed off the coast, and they were -insufficient to protect it from privateers. A Spanish rover had just -seized a ship off Charleston Harbor with a great quantity of supplies on -board. When Oglethorpe heard of this he sent out his guard-sloop and a -schooner he had hired, met three Spanish ships, forced them to fly, -attacked one of their privateers and drove it ashore. Then he bought a -good-sized vessel and prepared it for service on the coast until the -English should send him a proper fleet. - -A large Spanish ship was sighted off the bar of Jekyll Sound on August -16th. The intrepid governor manned his sloop and two other vessels, the -_Falcon_ and the _Norfork_, and started in pursuit. He ran into a storm, -and when the weather had cleared the Spaniard had disappeared. The -storm had disabled the _Falcon_, and she had to put back, but -Oglethorpe sailed on with the other two, laying his course for Florida, -and a few days later sighted the Spanish ship at anchor. - -The Spaniard was a man-of-war, and with her was another ship, by name -the _Black Sloop_, with a record as a daring privateer. But Oglethorpe -was equal in daring to any Spanish captain. He ordered his small boats -put out to tow his two ships, the weather being now a calm, and as they -approached the enemy, gave the command to board. The two Spanish vessels -opened fire, but Oglethorpe's guns answered so vigorously that the -Spaniards quickly weighed anchor, and, a light breeze coming to their -aid, were able to run across the bar of the harbor. - -The English followed, and, though they could not board the enemy, fought -them for an hour, at the end of which the Spaniards were so disabled -that they ran for the town, while half a dozen of their small galleys -came out to safeguard their retreat. - -Other Spanish vessels were lying in the harbor, but none dared to attack -the two ships of Oglethorpe, and the governor spent that night at anchor -within sight of the castle of St. Augustine. Next day he sailed for the -open sea again, and there cruised up and down outside the bar, as if -daring the Spaniards to come out to meet him. When they refused to come -he sailed back to Frederica, having spread a proper fear of his small -fleet of two ships all along the Florida coast. - -Perhaps the greatest service that Oglethorpe rendered to his colony was -his retaining the friendship of all the neighboring Indian tribes. This -he did by always treating them fairly and impressing them with his -sincere interest in their own welfare. Another man might have let the -Indians see that he was merely using them to protect his own white -settlers, but Oglethorpe convinced them that he was equally concerned in -protecting both red men and white from ill-usage by the French and -Spanish. Georgia moreover needed the friendship of the native tribes -much more than the other English colonies did. It was nearest to the -strong Spanish settlements in Florida, and its neighbor to the north, -South Carolina, was able to furnish it very little assistance in times -of need, and was often barely able to protect itself. Had the Creeks, -the Chickasaws and Cherokees been allies of the Spaniards or the French -instead of allies of Georgia the English settlers would have found -themselves in hot water most of the time. - -The general had difficulty in corresponding with England and letting the -people there know what he needed. "Seven out of eight letters miscarry," -he said. Fortunately no more English merchantmen were captured by -Spanish privateers; the Dons had apparently been taught a lesson by the -vigorous attack Oglethorpe had made on their own ships. - -To keep this lesson in their mind the governor sailed again for St. -Augustine, but ran into a storm that almost destroyed his fleet. At -nearly the same time a privateer reached the bar outside St. Augustine -with large supplies for the garrison. The Spanish governor, as usual in -need of fresh supplies, joyfully hailed the privateer, sent out a pilot -with two galleys to bring her into the harbor, fired the guns from his -castle, and ordered some of his Indians to cut wood and build a -welcoming bonfire. - -Oglethorpe and his Indian allies were on the alert, however. A party of -his Creek friends attacked the Spanish Indians and captured five of -them. At the same time one of his ships reached the privateer before the -tide was high enough to float her over the bar, seized her, and took her -to Frederica. Now the settlers of Georgia, and even of South Carolina, -praised the general for his vigilance and dashing courage. A merchant of -Charleston wrote, "Our wrongheads now begin to own that the security of -our southern settlements and trade is owing to the vigilance and -unwearied endeavors of His Excellency in annoying the enemy." - -Yet, in spite of this, Carolina continued to fail in providing the men -or ships or supplies that Oglethorpe, Commander-in-Chief of His -Majesty's forces in Georgia and Carolina, requested of it. - -Presently the Spaniards, following the policy of England in trying to -annoy enemy colonies in America, took the offensive. A Spanish fleet of -more than fifty ships, with more than 5,000 soldiers on board, was -despatched to attack the English settlements. Fourteen of the ships -tried to reach Fort William, but were driven back by the battery there. -They then made for Cumberland Sound. Oglethorpe sent out Captain Horton -with white soldiers and Indians and followed with more troops in three -boats. The Spanish ships attacked him, but he fought his way through -their fleet with two of his boats. The third boat made for a creek, hid -there until the next day, and then returned to St. Simons with the -report that General Oglethorpe had been overpowered and killed. A day -later, however, the people of St. Simons were delighted to see their -general return safe and sound. He had escaped damage from the Spaniards, -but had hit them so hard with his guns that four of their ships -foundered on the way back to St. Augustine for repairs. - -At once he prepared ships and men for another conflict. His daring had -so inspired his crews that as some of them said, "We were ready for -twice our number of Spaniards." They soon had their chance. Thirty-six -Spanish ships in line of battle ran into St. Simons harbor. The forts -and the vessels there opened fire at once. Three times the enemy tried -to board the _Success_, a ship of twenty guns and one hundred men, but -each time the crew proved that they really were ready for twice their -number of Spaniards. After fighting for four hours the Spaniards gave up -the battle and sailed up the river in the direction of Frederica. - -Oglethorpe called a council of war. In view of the great number of -Spanish ships it was decided to destroy the batteries at St. Simons and -withdraw all the forces to Frederica. This was quickly done, and that -evening some of the enemy landed and took possession of the deserted and -dismantled fortifications. - -Meantime the general learned from some prisoners captured by the Indians -that the Spaniards had land forces of 5,000 men and had issued commands -to give no quarter to the English. As Mr. Rutledge of Charleston later -wrote, "The Spaniards were resolved to put all to the sword, not to -spare a life, so as to terrify the English from any future thought of -re-settling." Oglethorpe was now in a most dangerous situation. The -enemy had numerous ships, a great many soldiers, and were evidently -determined to settle matters once for all with their neighbors. The fate -of the English colonies of Georgia and South Carolina might depend on -the outcome of the next few days. - -Spanish outposts tried to reach the fort at Frederica, but were driven -back by Indian scouts. The only road to the town was by the narrow -highway, where only three men could walk abreast, with a forest on one -side and a marsh on the other. Artillery could not be carried over it, -and it was guarded by Highlanders and Indians in ambush. Yet, after many -attempts, the Spaniards managed to get within two miles of the town. - -Oglethorpe now led a charge of his rangers, Highlanders and Indians, so -fiercely that all but a few of the enemy's advance-guard were killed or -made prisoners. The Spanish commander was captured. The English pursued -the retreating Spaniards for a mile, then posted guards, while the -general returned to the town for reinforcements. - -The Spaniards again marched up the road and camped near where the -English lay hid in ambush. A noise startled them and they seized their -arms. The men in ambush fired, many Spaniards fell, and the rest fled in -confusion. As a Spanish sergeant said, "The woods were so full of -Indians that the devil himself could not get through them." For a long -time the place was known as the "Bloody Marsh." Oglethorpe marched his -troops over the road to within two miles of the main Spanish encampment, -and there halted for the night. - -The enemy withdrew to the ruined fort at St. Simons, where they were -sheltered by the guns of their fleet. Oglethorpe went back to Frederica, -leaving outposts to watch the Spaniards. There he found that his -provisions were running low, and he knew that no more could be brought -in since the enemy blocked the sound. He told the people, however, that -if they had to abandon their settlement they could escape through -Alligators Creek and the canal that had been cut through Generals -Island, and he assured his little army of 800 men that they were more -than a match for the whole Spanish expedition. - -Presently Spanish galleys came up the river; but Indians, hid in the -long grasses, prevented the soldiers from landing. When they approached -the town the batteries opened such a hot fire that the galleys fled -down-stream much faster than they had come up. - -English prisoners, escaping from the Spaniards, began to bring word that -the enemy were much discouraged. Many Spaniards had fallen sick, and the -soldiers from Cuba were wrangling with the men from Florida. Oglethorpe -therefore planned a surprise for the enemy and marched to within a mile -of their camp. He was about to attack when one of his soldiers, a -Frenchman who had volunteered but was in reality a spy, fired his gun -and ran from the general's ranks. - -The Frenchman was not caught, and the general knew that he would tell -the Spaniards how few English soldiers there were. So Oglethorpe tried a -trick of his own, hoping to make the Frenchman appear to be a double -spy. He hired a Spanish prisoner to carry a letter to the spy. "The -letter was in French," Oglethorpe later said, "as if from a friend, -telling him that he had received the money, and would strive to make the -Spaniards believe the English were very weak; that he should undertake -to pilot their boats and galleys, and then bring them into the woods -where the hidden batteries were. That if he could bring about all this, -he should have double the reward, and that the French deserters should -have all that had been promised them. - -"The Spanish prisoner got into their camp," Oglethorpe said, "and was -immediately carried before the general. He was asked how he escaped and -whether he had any letters; but denying this, was searched and the -letter found. And he, upon being pardoned, confessed that he had -received money to carry it to the Frenchman, for the letter was not -directed. The Frenchman, of course, denied knowing anything of the -contents of the letter, or having received any money or had any -correspondence with me. Notwithstanding which, a council of war was held -and they decided the Frenchman a double spy, but the general would not -suffer him to be executed, having been employed by himself." - -While the Spaniards were still in doubt as to the strength of -Oglethorpe's forces some English ships arrived off the coast. This -decided the Spaniards to leave, and they burned the barracks at St. -Simons and took to their ships in such haste that they left behind some -of their cannon and provisions. - -Hearing that ships had been sighted Oglethorpe sent an officer in a boat -with a letter to their commander. But when the officer embarked he found -no ships were to be seen. Later the general learned that one of the -vessels sighted came from South Carolina, and that the officer in -command had orders to see if the Spanish fleet had taken possession of -the fort at St. Simons, and if it had to sail back to Charleston at -once. Here was further proof that the plucky governor of Georgia could -expect little assistance from the sister colony on the north. - -By now some of the Spanish ships were out at sea, and others had landed -their soldiers at St. Andrews in a temporary camp. A couple of days -later twenty-eight of their ships sailed up to Fort William and called -upon the garrison to surrender. The English officer there answered that -he would not surrender the fort and defied the Spaniards to take it. The -latter tried; they landed men, who were driven off by the guns of -soldiers hidden in the sand-dunes, their ships fired on the fort, but -were disabled by the return-fire of the Georgia batteries. After a -battle of three hours the Spaniards withdrew from the scene and returned -to their base at St. Augustine. - -With a few ships and eight hundred men Oglethorpe had defeated a Spanish -fleet of fifty-six vessels and an army of more than 5,000 soldiers. -Small wonder that the people of his province couldn't find praise enough -for their leader! George Whitefield, a famous clergyman of Savannah, -wrote of this war against the Spanish Dons, "The deliverance of Georgia -from the Spaniards is such as cannot be paralleled but by some instances -out of the Old Testament. The Spaniards had intended to attack Carolina, -but wanting water, they put into Georgia, and so would take that colony -on their way. They were wonderfully repelled, and sent away before our -ships were seen." - -The governors of the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, -Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina sent letters to Oglethorpe -thanking him for his valiant defense of the southern seaboard and -expressing their gratitude to God that Georgia had a commander so well -fitted to protect her borders. The governor of South Carolina and most -of his officers had done little or nothing to help their neighbor, but -the people of that colony thoroughly disapproved of this failure to be -of assistance and a number of them sent a message to Oglethorpe in which -they said, "If the Spaniards had succeeded in their attempts they would -have destroyed us, laid our province waste and desolate, and filled our -habitations with blood and slaughter.... We are very sensible of the -great protection and safety we have so long enjoyed by having your -Excellency to the southward of us; had you been cut off, we must, of -course, have fallen." - -Even after this defeat, however, the Spaniards of Florida continued from -time to time to molest the Georgia borders. A party of rangers was -killed by Spanish soldiers, the settlement at Mount Venture was burned -by Yamasee Spanish Indians. Oglethorpe had to be on the watch constantly -lest the French or the Spanish should raid his territory. And the -English government, though he wrote them time and again, neglected to -send him proper reinforcements. - -In the spring of 1743 the general was again camped on the St. Johns -River. He heard that a Spanish army was marching against him, and he -resolved to attack them before they should attack him. His Indian -allies stole up on the enemy, and surprising them, drove them back in -confusion. The Spaniards took shelter behind one of their forts, and -Oglethorpe could not manage to draw them out to battle. He marched his -men back to Frederica, and there by Indian scouts, by sentry-boats, kept -an eye on the Spaniards, ready to spring out to meet them should they -renew their raids at any time. - -His soldiers never faltered in their obedience to the general's orders; -his Indian allies, though they were often tempted, never forsook their -allegiance to him. The Spaniards tried many times to buy the red men -over to their side. Similli, a chief of the Creeks, went to St. -Augustine to see what was being done there. The Spaniards offered to pay -him a large sum of money for every English prisoner he would bring them, -and showed him a sword and scarlet clothes they had given a chief of the -Yamasees. They said of Oglethorpe, "He is poor, he can give you nothing; -it is foolish for you to go back to him." The Creek chief answered, "We -love him. It is true he does not give us silver, but he gives us -everything we want that he has. He has given me the coat off his back -and the blanket from under him." In return for his loyalty to his -English friend the Spaniards drove the Indian from St. Augustine at the -point of the sword. - -The general had spent all his own money in protecting his people in -Georgia, and the English government would not send him the sums he said -were urgently needed for the province. Therefore he decided that he must -go to England and see what could be done there. He put his forts on the -border in the best possible shape for defense, appointed a deputy -governor in Savannah, and sailed for England in July, 1743. - -Was the colonial hero received with the praise his great services -deserved from England? Instead of praise he was harshly criticized for -this or that trivial matter; though a few of the wiser men came forward -to do him honor. Parliament would not vote him the money his colony -needed; he had difficulty in finding enough money to pay his personal -debts. Yet he kept on appealing for aid for Georgia, while the -government took the same attitude it had taken toward so many of the -other American colonies, and appeared of the opinion that the province -across the Atlantic must look after itself. Fortunately for Georgia, -Oglethorpe had so trained its soldiers, had so befriended its Indian -neighbors, had so protected it by forts that the colony was now able to -go its own way without English help. - -In 1744 Oglethorpe married Elizabeth Wright, the heiress of Cranham -Hall, a manor in Essex. He was also in that same year chosen as one of -the officers to defend England from a threatened invasion by France. His -services were not needed for that purpose; but in the next year he was -given the rank of major-general and took part in the suppression of the -rebellion of the "Young Pretender." This kept him in England, and he -left the government of Georgia to the care of the men he had trained -there. From time to time, however, he bestirred himself to send new -colonists across the sea to Savannah. - -When the rebellion was ended General Oglethorpe and his wife settled at -Cranham Hall. Here he lived the life of a country gentleman, delighting -in the peace and quiet after his many turbulent years in Georgia. He -lived to see the American Revolution, though he took no part in it; he -said "that he knew the people of America well; that they could never be -subdued by arms, but their obedience could ever be secured by treating -them justly;" he learned that his colony of Georgia, with twelve of her -sisters, had succeeded in winning her independence from that -mother-country he had served so long and on whose lists he was now the -senior ranking general; and he seems to have harbored no ill-feeling -against the colonists for forming a new nation. - -Georgia and America owe a great debt of gratitude to General James -Edward Oglethorpe. None of the colonies had a more unselfish founder and -governor, none were more bravely defended from enemies, and in none was -more devotion shown to making a few scattered settlements in the -wilderness blossom into the safe homes of a contented people. - - - - -X - -THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS AND THE YORKERS - -(_Vermont, 1774_) - - -I - -A young fellow, raccoon skin cap on his head, with heavy homespun -jacket, with breeches made of buckskin and tucked into the tops of -light, supple doeskin boots, was running along the shore of a lake in -the Green Mountain country on a winter afternoon in 1774. He went at a -comfortable dog-trot, and every now and then he would slow up or stop -and look about him with keen eyes. Some people would only have seen the -lake, with thin, broken layers of ice floating out from the shore, the -underbrush and woods to the other side, powdered with a light fall of -snow, and heard only the crackling of frozen twigs and the occasional -scrunch of loose ice against the bank. But this tall, slim boy saw and -heard a great deal more. He caught the hoot of an owl way off through -the forest, and listened intently to make certain that it was an owl and -not a signal call of some Indian or trapper; he saw little footprints in -the snow that told him a marten had gone hunting small game through the -brush, and he spied the thatched roof of a beaver's house in a little -scallop of the lake. Then he ran on up the shore of the lake, all his -senses alert, his eyes constantly looking for other trails than the one -he had made himself on his south-bound journey that morning. - -The sun had been set a half-hour when he came to a place where the trail -led inward a short distance from the shore. A few more yards brought him -to a small log cabin. Other ears heard him coming and as he stopped a -boy and a man looked out from the cabin doorway. "You made good time of -it, Jack," said the boy at the door. "Did you really get to Dutton's?" - -"Did I get there?" chuckled the runner. "I got there a good hour before -noon." - -"And what did they say there?" asked the man at the door. - -"That the Yorkers mean to settle this land themselves. If they can," he -added, with a grin. "That's what all the men said down at Dutton's, 'if -they can,' and they shook their fists when they said it." Jack Sloan -shook his fist in imitation of the men. "Not if the Green Mountain Boys -can help it! Not by a jugful! No, sir!" he added. - -The man grunted approvingly and stepped back into the cabin. The boy -came out. "I got a silver fox to-day," he declared proudly. "The biggest -one I ever saw, too." - -"Did you, Sam? That's fine! I saw plenty of tracks, heard a bull-moose -calling, too; but I didn't have time to stop. Gee, but my legs are tired -now! I'm going to lie down by the fire and rest a bit." - -He went inside, where the man was busy frying bacon and boiling coffee, -and taking a blanket from a bed in the corner spread it out before the -fire and stretched himself comfortably on it. "Dutton wanted to know -when you'd be sending him some more skins, Peter," he said. "He wants to -get 'em over to Albany early this year, in case there should be more -trouble with the Yorkers." - -"I can send him some next week," was the answer. "There's a dozen mink -and a dozen otter out in the shed now, an' a lot o' beavers an' martens, -and four fine foxes. Did they say anything about Ethan Allen, Jack?" - -"They said he was down at Bennington. My, but that bacon smells good! -They had corn-cake and molasses down at Dutton's, and I ate so much I -didn't think I'd ever be hungry again, but I am all right now." - -Peter Jones, the trapper, laughed. "I never saw the time when you and -Sam wasn't ready for food." - -Sam came in soon, like a bear-cub scenting food, and the three had -supper and then made things snug for the night. The weather was growing -colder. Peter, taking a squint at the sky, allowed that he thought the -lake would be frozen clear across by morning. They brought in a good -stock of wood and built up the fire, and then sat down in front of it -to hear what Jack had to tell them of the news at Dutton's trading-post. - -At that time, in 1774, there was a great dispute between the two -colonies of New Hampshire and New York as to which owned the country of -the Green Mountains. New York stretched way up on the west shore of Lake -Champlain, and New Hampshire extended from the northern boundary of -Massachusetts up along the eastern shore of the Connecticut River. Now -Massachusetts reached as far west as a line drawn south from Lake -Champlain, and the governor of New Hampshire claimed that his colony -extended as far west as Massachusetts. He quoted his colony's grant from -the king of England to prove his claim, and he sent word to Governor -Clinton of New York that he meant to settle the great Green Mountain -tract that lay between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain. - -Governor Clinton sent back word to Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire -that the province of New York claimed all that land under the charter of -King Charles II to his brother the Duke of York. - -New Hampshire settlers, however, went into this debatable land and built -homes and began to farm there. Governor Wentworth granted lands, known -as the New Hampshire Grants, to any who would settle there, and a -township was organized west of the Connecticut River, and was named -Bennington. The country was very fertile, the woods and rivers were -full of game, and it was a tempting land to take. But the New Yorkers -looked on the land as greedily as did the men from New Hampshire, and -soon both provinces were sending their sheriffs and other officers to -enforce their own laws there. - -New York appealed to the king of England to settle the dispute, and he -declared that the western bank of the Connecticut River should be the -boundary line, giving all the Green Mountain country to the province of -New York. By this time, however, there were a great many people from New -Hampshire living there, and they meant to keep their homes no matter -what the New York governor might do. What he did was to order the -settlers to give up their grants from New Hampshire and buy their lands -over again from New York, which charged twenty times as much as New -Hampshire had. A few settlers did this, but most of them refused. A -meeting of the latter was held at Bennington, and they resolved, as they -said, "to support their rights and property in the New Hampshire Grants -against the usurpations and unjust claims of the governor and Council of -New York by force, as law and justice were denied them." - -The settlers began to resist all New York officers who came to arrest -them or try to eject them from their homes. Surveyors who came to run -new lines across lands already granted by New Hampshire were forced to -stop. No matter how secretly a sheriff with a party of Yorkers, as the -New York officers were called, came to a farm in the disputed land, -there were sure to be settlers there to meet the Yorkers and drive them -away. The settlers had scouts all through the country; every -trading-post was a rallying-point. - -A military force was organized, and chose Ethan Allen, a rugged, -eloquent man, to be its colonel. The governor of New York declared that -he would drive these men into the Green Mountains, and when they heard -this Ethan Allen's followers took the name of Green Mountain Boys for -themselves. - -Peter Jones was a hunter and trapper. The two boys, Jack and Sam, were -the sons of men who had moved into the country on New Hampshire grants -and taken up farm land. The boys had wanted to learn more of the woods -than they could on their fathers' farms, and so had joined Peter at his -cabin. He had taught them woodcraft and Indian lore, how to paddle a -canoe, how to shoot straight, how to track the animals they wanted. All -three were ready at any time to go to the help of settlers who might be -driven from their land by New York officers. - -Jack told the news of Dutton's trading-post, and then the hunter and the -boys went to bed. Outside the cabin the wind whistled and sang. By -morning the wind had dropped, but the air was very cold. Peter was up -soon after dawn, putting fresh wood on the fire. The boys followed him -shortly, getting into warm clothes as quickly as they could. They ate -breakfast, and went outdoors. The lake was a field of ice, the trees -were stiff with frost, the cold air nipped and stung their faces -viciously. - -There was plenty of work to do. Soon Peter set out to visit a line of -traps to the south, and the boys went through the woods northwest to -look at other traps. They came to the frozen bed of a little stream and -a couple of beaver traps. There were no animals there. Perhaps the night -had been too cold to tempt them from their homes. "I shouldn't think any -animals would have gone prowling round last night," said Sam. - -"I know I wouldn't," said Jack, "if I was a beaver." - -They pushed on through the woods until they came to an open pasture. -They had started across it when they heard a crow calling overhead. -"Must be a fox somewhere about," whispered Jack. "Let's see if we can -find him, even if we haven't got our guns." - -They went back to the edge of the woods, making as little noise as they -could, for they knew that a fox depends more on his ears than on his -eyes. They stopped behind the trees and after a few minutes saw a big -gray fox trotting slowly along the edge of the woods. Dropping to their -knees the boys crept forward to a hummock and hid back of it. The fox -stood still, looked about, and then started at a slow gait across the -meadow. - -The fox was more than a hundred yards away from the boys when Jack -began to squeak like a meadow-mouse. No Indian or hunter could have -heard the sound at half that distance, but the air was very still and -Jack knew the fox's big ears were very sharp. True enough, the fox did -hear it, and stopping, looked around. - -Again Jack gave the squeak of the meadow-mouse. The fox came leaping -lightly over the frozen hassocks of the meadow toward the two hidden -boys. Every few yards he would stop and cock his ears over the long -grass to listen. Each time he did this Jack squeaked, lower and lower -each time, and every time the fox came on again, more and more -cautiously, as if he were afraid of frightening the game he was hunting. - -The fox got within fifty yards, and from there the boys, crouching -behind their hummock, were in plain view of him. The fox looked sharply, -distrustingly at the hummock. Had either boy moved his head or arm the -fraction of an inch the fox would have shot off like an arrow to the -woods. Neither did move, however. Jack waited until he judged from the -fox's attitude and the set of his ears that his suspicions were -vanishing, and then he squeaked again, very faintly now. The fox bounded -on, almost up to the hummock. Then he stopped short, and the boys could -see from the look on his shrewd face that he judged something was wrong. -Instead of coming on he circled round to the left, trusting to his nose -rather than to his eyes. - -Jack squeaked, but the fox went on circling; it was plain he meant to -come no farther. "What's the matter, old boy?" said Jack softly. - -At the sound of Jack's voice the fox sprang up into the air and then -bounded away to the edge of the woods, where he stopped a minute to look -back and then disappeared behind the trees. - -"We could have had him easy," said Sam, getting up. "We could almost -have caught him with our hands." - -"I don't want to try catching a big fellow like that with my hands," -said Jack, chuckling. "Give me a gun every time." - -When they got back to the cabin they found that Peter had been more -successful than they in his visit to the traps on the south, for the -skins of an otter and a mink had been added to the store that hung on a -line in the drying-shed. After dinner the hunter took from his pocket a -piece of wood he had been working over for several days. "I'm going to -see if I can't fool a pickerel with this," he announced, holding out the -little decoy for the boys to look at. The wood was cut to represent a -minnow, was weighted on the bottom with lead, and had fins and a tail -made of tin. He had painted a red stripe on each side, a white belly, -and a brilliant green back. A line fastened to the minnow would allow -Peter to pull it about in the water as if it were swimming. - -Armed with a long-shafted fish-spear and a hatchet Peter and the boys -went out on the ice. Choosing a smooth place Peter cut a square of ice. -Then through the open space the hunter dropped his wooden minnow and -made it swim about in a very lively way. In his right hand he held the -spear poised, ready to strike at any venturesome fish. - -For some time they waited; then the long nose of a pickerel showed in -the water; Peter jerked the minnow and struck with the spear. The -pickerel, however, slipped away unharmed. They had to wait fifteen -minutes before another appeared. This time the pickerel stopped -motionless, and seemed to be carefully considering the lively -red-striped minnow. Then the fish shot forward, Peter aimed his spear, -and the shining pickerel was caught and thrown out on the ice. Peter -caught two more fish before he let Sam have a try at it. Sam and Jack -each caught a pickerel, and then they brought their five trophies back -to the camp to cook for supper. - -They had just sat down to supper when there came a rap on the door -followed by the entrance of a tall man in a fur jacket with a gun slung -across his back. He was John Snyder, a hunter from the country north of -the lake, and he had met the three in the cabin several times before. - -"H-mm," said he, "that fish smells mighty good. I haven't tasted fish -for a month o' Sundays." - -"Pitch right in," invited Peter, setting out another tin plate and -pouring a cup of coffee for the new arrival. - -Snyder pulled off his cap and gloves, and threw off his fur coat, -showing a buckskin jacket underneath. He ate like a man who hadn't -tasted food for a month. After a while he said, "They say up where I -come from that thar's trouble down Bennington way. If the Yorkers want -trouble I reckon we can supply 'em good and proper. I'm on my way to -Dutton's, and thar's more of the Boys comin' on down through the woods. -Why don't you come along with me in the morning?" - -"We was planning to go when we'd got a few more skins," said Peter. "But -we've got a fair-sized stock, an' I don't know but what we might go -along with you." - -"That's what the word is," said Snyder. "Green Mountain Boys to -Bennington." He looked hardy and tough, a typical pioneer, quite as -ready to fight as he was to hunt or farm. - -That night the guest slept on the floor before the fire, rolled in a -blanket, and soon after dawn next morning the four set out, pulling two -heavy sleds to which the furs and skins were securely strapped. - -All four of the party were used to long trips on foot, often carrying -considerable baggage. There were few post-roads through that part of the -country, and horses would have been little use in traveling through such -rough and wooded stretches. So most of the new settlers, and -particularly those who were hunters, copied the customs of the Indians -and trained themselves to long journeys afoot, varied occasionally by -canoeing when they reached open water. The party of four traveled fast, -in spite of the heavy sleds. Peter Jones, not very tall but very wiry, -all sinew and muscle, and Sam, red-haired, freckle-faced, and rather -stocky, pulled one sled, and big, raw-boned, weather-beaten Snyder, and -slim, Indian-like Jack the other. - -Presently they left the lake and came into more open country, where they -could see snow-powdered hills stretching away to the clear blue horizon. -Now they made better time, for there was no underbrush to catch the -sleds and stop them. On they went until they saw a number of cabins -grouped about a larger frame building, then they broke into a run, and -dashed up with a shout before Dutton's trading-post. - -The shout brought three or four men out to see what was the matter. They -called the newcomers by name, and "Big Bill" Dutton, seeing the sleds, -told Peter Jones to bring his furs inside. Jack and Sam and Peter -unstrapped the furs and carried them into the house, where they were -spread out on a long counter, over which Dutton was accustomed to buy -whatever farmers and hunters and trappers might have for sale, and in -return to sell them provisions or clothing or guns or powder and shot or -whatever he might have that they wanted. - -There was always a great deal of haggling over the sale of furs. Peter -had to point out what unusually fine skins of otter and beaver and mink, -of marten and fox he had brought, and Dutton had to argue that this fur -was rather scanty, that other one very much spotted. But at last they -reached an agreement, Peter was paid in cash for the pelts, and they -were carefully stowed away by the trader, to be sent at the first good -opportunity over to Albany, from where they would go by boat down the -river to New York. - -Meantime Jack and Sam, outside the house, were listening to the stories -of the men who had gathered at Dutton's. They were exciting stories of -conflicts between Green Mountain settlers and the Yorkers or those who -sided with them. One man told how a doctor, who had openly talked in -favor of the Yorkers, had been swung in an armchair for two hours under -the sign of the Green Mountain Tavern at Bennington, on which sign stood -the stuffed hide of a great panther, a monster who showed his teeth at -all enemies from New York. Most of the stories were of the exploits of -Ethan Allen and his band of Green Mountain Boys. They said that Ethan -Allen had caught a surveyor marking out claims for Yorkers, and had -taken him prisoner and had ordered him out of the country on pain of -death if they caught him there again. Then Allen had marched on to the -First Falls of Otter Creek, where Yorkers had driven out some New -Hampshire settlers who had built a sawmill. The Boys had sent the -intruders flying at the point of their guns, and had burned their log -houses and broken the stones of a gristmill the enemy had built. Then -they had brought the original owners back and settled them again in -possession of their houses and sawmill. All through that part of the -country similar things were taking place. The men said they had word -that Yorkers were planning to drive settlers off their farms not very -far to the west of Dutton's. "If they do it," cried Snyder, striking his -open palm with his great fist, "I want to be there to settle accounts -with them!" So said all the rest; Ethan Allen and his men shouldn't have -all the glory there was going. - -"Big Bill" Dutton's frame house was tavern and post-office as well as -trading-post and meeting-place for the settlers of the neighborhood. -When Mrs. Dutton rang the dinner bell all the strangers trooped into the -room back of the store and sat at the long table. Jack and Sam marched -in with the others and ate their share of dinner while they listened to -the talk of the men. Some of the latter were for setting out south -toward Bennington immediately, in order to learn at first hand what was -going on. - -After dinner they all stood about the stove in the store, talking, -talking, talking. Sam and Jack went outdoors and looked about the little -group of cabins. A boy of near their own age came out from one of the -houses and talked with them about hunting moose. As they were swapping -yarns a man rode into the settlement from the southwest. At sight of the -three he flung out his right arm. "Yorkers down to Beaver Falls!" he -called out. "They're coming to drive our people out o' their homes! Are -there any Green Mountain Boys hereabouts?" - -"In there!" exclaimed Jack, pointing to the store. "Tell 'em about it in -there!" - -The horseman sprang from his saddle. "Fetch a blanket for my horse, will -you?" said he. The boy who lived there ran indoors to get a covering. -Meantime the rider strode up to Dutton's door and flung it open. He -walked up to the group of men about the stove, announcing his news -briefly. At his heels came Sam and Jack, and back of them came the boy -from the log house opposite. - - -II - -They started from Dutton's next morning, a troop of a dozen men and -three boys, bound for Beaver Falls. "Big Bill" left his store in charge -of his wife, and took command of the troop. They were all hardy and -strong, and they covered the twenty miles to Beaver Falls by the middle -of the afternoon. - -Here there stood a sawmill on the river, with a score of log houses, and -farms scattered through the neighborhood. The place looked perfectly -quiet as the fifteen Green Mountain Boys trooped up to it. But they soon -found there was plenty of excitement in the mill. There were gathered -most of the men of the Falls, and they were very glad to see the -reinforcements. - -"Yorkers been found prowling round in the woods!" "Surveyors been caught -in the act of staking claims!" "Jim Murdock found a paper stuck on his -door, saying we'd better get out peaceful-like, and let the lawful -owners have their land!" Such were some of the items of information -given to Dutton's band. - -"Let 'em come!" exclaimed Snyder, slapping his hand round the muzzle of -his gun. "This is the law of the land we'll read to them!" - -After a time Jack and Sam, having heard all there was to hear, struck -out on a line of their own. They followed the bank of the river until -they came to woods, and then skirted the forest southward. This brought -them at length to a wide trail with frozen wheel ruts. Down this road -they went, passing occasional cabins, until they came to a crossroad -where they found a man looking perplexedly about him, as if undecided -which road to take. - -"Where's Farmer Robins' place?" he asked. "The place that used to belong -to Elijah Robins." - -"We don't know," said Jack. "We're strangers here." - -"There's a maple grove back of it," said the stranger, "that's all I -know about it. I was told to stick to this road, but they didn't say -nothing about any forks in it." - -"This goes to Beaver Falls," said Sam, pointing to the one they had -taken, "and that," he added, indicating the crossroad to the right of -him, "would take you through thick woods to the river." - -"I don't reckon it's either o' those roads then," said the man, and, -bobbing his head at Sam, he stalked off to the left. - -The two boys watched until the man was almost hidden by the trees. Then -Jack turned to Sam. "You don't want to tell all you know to strangers," -he said. "Make the other man tell you what he's up to first." - -Sam's round face, not nearly so shrewd as the older boy's, looked -perplexed. "Why shouldn't I tell him about those other roads?" he asked. - -"Because I think he may be one of the Yorkers, and the less we tell them -about the lay of the land round here the better." - -"Do you really think he was?" exclaimed Sam, his tone of voice showing -that he had expected a Yorker to be a much more terrifying looking -creature than this stranger. "What did he want of Farmer Robins' place -then?" - -"I don't know," answered Jack. "But I think we might be able to find out -something more about it if we follow his tracks." - -They turned to the west, following the road where the prints of the -man's big hob-nailed boots could now and then be seen in the frozen -crust of snow. The sun was setting, and the wind was rising, and they -pulled their fur caps down over their ears and stuck their hands in -their pockets as they trudged along. It grew dark rapidly. They passed -two cabins where they looked closely for a clump of maples and then -scoured the road to find the prints of the hob-nails. The man's tracks -went on, and they followed, only speaking in whispers now lest they -should be overheard. - -At the third log house they stopped. Jack, catching Sam by the sleeve, -pointed to the back of the house, where the starlight unmistakably -showed a grove of trees. Smoke came from the chimney, and the front -door, not quite plumb in its frame, showed there was a light inside. -Jack crept round the cabin, Sam following him, each as silent as if they -were stalking moose. There were four windows, but each was securely -shuttered from the inside, and though light came through the cracks, the -boys could see nothing of what was going on inside nor catch a sound of -voices. - -Then Jack made the circuit of the house again, this time examining the -logs and the filling of clay between them with the greatest care. At -last he found a place that seemed to interest him, and he pulled out his -hunting knife from its sheath and began to pick at a knot-hole in the -wood. His knife was very sharp, and he dug into the circle round the -knot and then into the clay just below it. He worked swiftly and very -quietly. In a short time he had the wood loosened; pressing inward with -his blade he forced the knot out, and then scraped some of the plaster -away. Now he had a hole that enabled him by stooping a little to look -into the cabin. - -He put his eye to the opening and saw about a dozen men in the room. He -could hear what they said. They were, as he had suspected, Yorkers, -planning to make an attack on the people at Beaver Falls. As Jack -listened he pieced one remark to another, and caught the gist of their -plans. They meant to march down to the Falls that night, stop at each -house, rout the people out, make them prisoners in the sawmill, and take -possession of houses and farms under orders from officers of the -province of New York. - -Jack drew away from the hole, and let Sam have a chance to look into the -log-house room. When Sam had watched and listened for a few minutes he -nodded to Jack, and the two stole away from the cabin as noiselessly as -they had circled round it. - -Out on the road, as they went hurrying back by the way they had come, -they whispered to each other, telling what each had overheard. Then they -went at a dog-trot to the path along the river and came to the sawmill -at Beaver Falls. - -Peter, "Big Bill" Dutton, Snyder, and most of the other men were at the -mill, though some had been stationed on sentry-duty in the fields and -woods. Jack told his story without interruption, and then the men began -to plan how they should welcome the Yorkers. It was "Big Bill's" plan -they finally adopted, and set to work to carry it into effect at once. - -All the people at the Falls had had their supper, the women were busy -cleaning up, most of the children were in bed. The men went to the -houses, and told the women that they and the children must spend the -night in the sawmill. Children were bundled into warm clothes, and, -wondering what was happening, were hurried to the mill by their mothers. -Half a dozen men under command of Snyder were stationed at the mill, the -others were allotted to the different houses in the village. Two were -told off to each house, and it happened that Peter and Jack stood on -guard at the house nearest the Falls. - -Every house at that time had its store of firearms, its powder and -balls. Peter and Jack sat inside their cabin, muskets ready to hand. -From time to time they threw fresh wood on the fire, for the night was -cold. Jack stood at a window, looking out at the open space along the -river and the road on the opposite bank, both faintly lighted by the -stars. Midnight came, but there was no sign of the Yorkers; presently it -seemed to Jack that it must be nearly dawn. - -Peter, standing at a window on the other side of the door from Jack, -suddenly said, "Look! There, coming through the trees to the left of the -mill!" - -Jack looked and saw men coming into the road, a good many of them, more -than he thought he had seen at Farmer Robins' house. They came along the -road, crossed the wooden bridge below the Falls, passed by the mill, -evidently taking it for granted there would be no one there at this -hour, and marched into the clearing before the log houses. There they -divided into small parties, each party heading for a separate cabin. - -"Ready now!" cautioned Peter. "We've got two to handle. I'll take the -first." - -Jack stepped back from the window and laid his hand on the bolt of the -door. - -"Wait till I give the word," whispered Peter. - -From outside there came a loud voice. "Open your door in the name of the -Sheriff of New York!" There followed knocks on the door, and other -orders, all to the same intent. - -Peter waited until the owner might be supposed to rouse and get to the -door. Then he whispered, "Now!" Jack drew back the bolt and opened the -door enough for the men to enter single file. One man stepped in, the -other followed at his heels. - -Peter caught the first man in his arms, and, taking him altogether -unawares, threw him to the floor with a wrestler's trip. Jack, throwing -his arms round the second man's knees, brought him down with a crash. -Lithe and quick as an eel, Jack squirmed up to the man's chest and -gripped the Yorker's throat in his hands. In a minute or two the man -underneath was almost breathless. "Do you surrender?" panted Jack. The -Yorker tried to nod. - -Peter had wrenched his man's gun away, and was copying Jack's tactics. -His man was partly stunned by the sharpness of the fall and made little -attempt to free himself from Peter's grasp. Finding himself attacked by -a thoroughly-prepared and resolute man, he had no notion as to how many -other such men there might be in the house. It was clearly a case where -it was best to save one's skin as whole as one could. So, when Peter -said, "Keep still there, will you!" the Yorker grunted, "I will," and -made no attempt, unarmed as he was, to try further conclusions with the -sinewy hunter. - -Peter had a coil of rope ready. Now he cut two lengths of this, tossed -one over to Jack, who still kept his knee on the chest of his man, and -used the other to tie the arms of his own prisoner. Then he helped the -Yorker to his feet. Meantime Jack had followed his example with the -other, and shortly both prisoners were standing before the hearth while -their captors searched their pockets for firearms and knives. - -"I must allow," said one of the Yorkers, "you two were mighty sharp! We -figured that when you people here heard we were acting under sheriff's -orders you'd do as you were told." - -"We don't pay no more attention hereabouts to what a Yorker sheriff says -than if he was a catamount,--no, not so much as that!" returned Peter. -"What do you men mean by marching into a peaceful village an' trying to -turn people out o' their lawful homes?" - -"Well, the village certainly looked peaceful enough," said the Yorker, -"but I don't see as how we've turned many folks out o' their homes -yet." - -"And I don't think you will!" Peter assured him. "Jack, take a look -outside and see what's happened." - -Jack went out, and going from house to house, found that wherever the -Yorkers had demanded admittance the Green Mountain Boys had worked their -trick beautifully. In two or three houses it had taken some time to make -the enemy prisoners, but in each case the elements of surprise and -determination had won the day. The Yorkers had expected to meet -frightened villagers; instead they had found themselves confronting -well-prepared Green Mountain Boys. - -Under direction of "Big Bill" Dutton the prisoners, all with their arms -securely tied behind them, were marched out into the road. "You say you -came to Beaver Falls to carry out the law," said Dutton to the Yorkers; -"well, to-morrow we'll march you all down to Bennington, and see what -the law has to say about this business." Then he sent Sam to the sawmill -with word to Snyder to have the women and children return to their own -houses. When the sawmill was empty the Green Mountain Boys marched their -prisoners into it, and loosened their bonds so that they could be fairly -comfortable. - -In spite of the high feeling between the two parties, there was -practically no bad blood, for no one had been wounded in the contest, -and the Yorkers could appreciate the clever way in which their -opponents had turned the tables on them. In most respects the men were -much alike; men of the New York Grants and the New Hampshire Grants had -both gone into the wilderness and met the same problems there. Men from -both provinces had fought against the French and Indians, and this -little fight as to which province owned the land of the Green Mountains -was in a way a family affair. So prisoners and captors swapped yarns, -told hunting stories, and exchanged the news of their own neighborhoods. -Jack and Sam and the boy from Dutton's sat in a corner of the mill and -listened to the men. Dawn began to break in the east. Some women brought -hot coffee and ham and bacon from the houses, and the men, both captors -and captives, ate and drank, and then some of them stretched out on the -floor and took short naps. - -Day had come when one of the Green Mountain Boys, who had been stationed -as sentry on the road across the river, dashed into the mill with a new -alarm. He had seen some men, perhaps a dozen of them, coming down the -road toward the Falls. They might be friends or they might be enemies. -The men of the Falls must not be taken by surprise. - -"Big Bill" quickly gave his orders. Three men, armed with muskets, were -left in charge of the prisoners in the sawmill, and the rest, their guns -ready for instant use if need be, marched out into the clearing between -the mill and the bridge, ready to defend Beaver Falls from the -newcomers in case they should be Yorkers. - - -III - -The strangers had come to the head of the bridge on the opposite bank of -the river from the sawmill when they were suddenly halted by an abrupt -"Who are you--friend or foe?" They saw a big man coming round from -behind the mill, followed by about twenty others, and the light was now -sufficiently clear to show the strangers that these men were armed, and -quite prepared to use their guns if necessary. The strangers--of whom -there were ten--stopped on their side of the river. - -"Big Bill," marching his men down to his end of the bridge, so as to -prevent any attempt to cross it, now repeated his question, "Are you -Yorkers? Or are you friends? If you're looking for a fight we're the -boys as can give you one!" - -The leader of the other party saw that the big fellow who spoke for -Beaver Falls was telling the truth. There were twice as many Green -Mountain Boys as there were men of his own party, and they looked ready -for fight. In such case he instantly recognized that discretion was the -better part of valor. He grounded his musket to show that he had no -intention of using it, and smiled at the big man opposite. "We're -peaceful folks," he declared, "and not spoiling for a fight with you." - -"That's sensible talk," said Dutton, also grounding his gun, which he -had been holding ready for instant use. "All the same, I reckon you be -Yorkers, and weren't coming on any good business to the Falls." - -"We've got orders from the proper parties in New York to take possession -of this territory," admitted the other leader. - -"Well, you can go back to your proper parties and tell 'em other folks -have already taken possession here." - -"You folks haven't got the law on your side," protested the Yorker -leader. - -"That depends on what law you're talking about," retorted "Big Bill." -"We've got the law of New Hampshire, and I reckon that's as good law as -any they make in the Yorkers' country." - -The other man saw there was no more use in arguing with his opponents -than in fighting them. "You're a pretty slick lot," he said in a -conciliatory tone. "Can't catch you boys asleep, can we?" - -"Some o' your men tried to last night," said Dutton. "We've got 'em in -the sawmill now, and we're going to take 'em down to Bennington pretty -soon and see what the law there has to say about men who come around -trying to steal other folks' property." - -"Oh, you've got 'em, have you? We were wondering where they'd got to. -Well, I guess there isn't much more for us to be doing round here then." - -Dutton grinned. "No, Yorkers, I don't hardly think there is. Unless you -want to hand over those guns and join the party that's going down to -Bennington." - -"Hardly think we'd enjoy that party, neighbor," said the Yorker leader. - -"Well, some of us is going south with your friends," said "Big Bill," -"but there'll be plenty left here at the Falls to give you a pleasant -welcome any time you want to call." - -The Yorkers conferred together for a few minutes. Then the leader sang -out, "Good-bye, boys. Glad to have met you!" - -"Good-bye," Dutton called back. "Come again any time!" shouted Snyder. -The rest of the men of the Falls sent other messages flying across the -river. - -The Yorkers shouldered their muskets and marched back the road, while -the Green Mountain Boys cheered until the last of their opponents was -hidden by the trees. - -Dutton's party, including the three boys, stayed at Beaver Falls the -better part of that day, waiting to see if any more Yorkers would put in -an appearance. But no more came, and that afternoon, leaving a -sufficient number to guard the village, they set out with their -prisoners for Bennington. They spent the night at another small -settlement, where the people were only too glad to give them shelter -when they learned what the band had done. Next day they reached -Bennington, and turned their prisoners over to the sheriff there, to be -dealt with as the officers should think fit. - -In Bennington, which was a very primitive town, but the center of that -part of the country, Jack and Sam heard much about the border strife. -They heard that the governor of New York had offered rewards for the -capture of certain Green Mountain Boys, one hundred pounds apiece for -the arrest of Ethan Allen and Remember Baker, fifty pounds apiece for -Seth Warner and five others. The governor also ordered that any people -who should resist the commands of New York officers should be arrested -and taken to Albany for trial. All of "Big Bill's" party, Jack and Sam -among them, were therefore now liable to be arrested by New York -officers. - -The people of Bennington and the Green Mountain Boys, however, only -laughed at these proclamations of the New York governor. They were quite -ready to defend themselves if any came to arrest them. - -While they were at Bennington Ethan Allen and the others who had been -declared outlaws issued a proclamation of their own. They said, "We are -under the necessity of resisting even unto blood every person who may -attempt to take us as felons or rioters as aforesaid, for in this case -it is not resisting law, but only opposing force by force; therefore, -inasmuch as, by the oppressions aforesaid, the New Hampshire settlers -are reduced to the disagreeable state of anarchy and confusion; in which -state we hope for wisdom, patience, and fortitude till the happy hour -His Majesty shall graciously be pleased to restore us to the privileges -of Englishmen." - -The boys heard other gossip and rumors from the hunters and traders and -farmers who came and went in Bennington. They learned that there was a -plan on foot to settle the dispute about the Grants by joining them to -that part of the province of New York that lay to the east of the Hudson -River, and forming that whole new territory into a separate royal -province. Colonel Philip Skene, who lived in state at Skenesborough -House on his large estate at the head of Lake Champlain, was reported to -be very much interested in this new plan, and was said to be going to -England to further it, with a view to becoming the first governor of the -new province. - -The people of the New Hampshire Grants continued their defiance of the -Yorkers. When a sheriff or surveyor from the other side of the line was -caught by the people, he was, as Ethan Allen humorously put it, -"severely chastised with twigs of the wilderness." The rods used, -however, were the "blue beech" ones that the farmers used in driving -stubborn oxen, and could hardly be considered twigs. This punishment the -people of the Grants called "stamping the Yorkers with the beech seal," -and many a sheriff who tried to carry out the orders of his province in -the Green Mountain country went home with the "beech seal" on his back. - -The officers of New York protested and protested. They sent a request -to General Gage at Boston for men to aid their sheriffs in the county of -Charlotte, but General Gage declined to interfere in the border -struggle. And while the Yorkers fumed and vowed vengeance, Ethan Allen -and the Green Mountain Boys, like Rob Roy and his Highland outlaws, did -as they pleased in the debatable land. - -Peter Jones and Jack and Sam went back to their lake, ready to take the -trail to Dutton's and Beaver Falls and Bennington whenever they should -be needed. In early spring the boys left the hunter and joined their -fathers on the farms, where there was plenty of work to be done at that -time of year. There they spent the summer, planting and harvesting the -crops. - -Meantime a flame was smouldering in the country that was soon to burst -forth into fire. Some men were not satisfied with the way in which the -British government was treating its colonies in America. Conventions -were held in various parts of New York and the New Hampshire Grants. The -people of Dummerston, in the eastern part of the Grants, freed -Lieutenant Spaulding from their jail after he had been sent there on a -charge of high treason for criticizing the king of England. Troubles -grew more frequent between the more independent people, known as Whigs, -and the strict Royalists, or Tories. It flamed out when the time came -for holding the King's Court of Cumberland County at the town of -Westminster on March 14, 1775. Forty citizens of the county called on -the judge, Colonel Chandler, and asked him not to hold the court. The -judge said the court must meet. The Whigs thereupon decided to lay their -protests before the court when it was in session. Then word spread about -that the court meant to have a strong guard to prevent the citizens from -attending its meetings. About a hundred men, armed only with clubs that -they picked up from a wood-pile, marched into the court-house at -Westminster late in the afternoon of March 14th. They meant to make the -judges listen to their complaints. Meantime down the main street came -the sheriff, with a strong force of armed men and the court officers. He -halted in front of the door, and demanded admission. He got no answer -from the men inside the building. Then he read aloud the king's -proclamation, commanding all persons unlawfully gathered there to -disperse at once; and he added that if they didn't come out in fifteen -minutes he "would blow a lane through them!" - -The men in the building answered that they would not disperse, but would -let the sheriff and the court officers come in if they would lay aside -their arms. The clerk of the court drew his pistol, and swore that that -was the only way in which he would parley with such rascals. Judge -Chandler, however, found a chance when the sheriff's men were seeking -refreshments at the tavern to tell the citizens that the arms had been -brought without his consent, and added that the Whigs might stay in the -court-house until the next morning, when the officers would come in -without arms and would listen to any petitions. - -Dusk encircled the little town that lay close to the broad Connecticut -River. The Whigs stayed in the court-house, a single sentry stationed at -the door. The people shut their houses for the night, while the tavern -did a good business. Some of the Whigs fell asleep on the court-room -benches, others listened to the stories of old Indian-fighters. - -Then, about midnight, the sentry at the door saw the sheriff and his men -coming from the tavern, where they had been drinking all the evening. He -gave the word to the men in the court-house to man the doors. The -sheriff's force marched to within ten rods of the main door and halted. -The order was given to fire. Three shots answered the order. A louder -order was given, followed by a volley that killed one of the defenders, -fatally wounded another, and severely wounded a number of others. Then -the sheriff's party rushed in on the defenders, who were only armed with -clubs, and taking some of them prisoners, carried them off to jail. Some -of the Whigs escaped, fighting their way through the sheriff's force -with their clubs. - -Here, at the town of Westminster, in the Grants, the first blows were -struck that preceded the coming Revolution. - -Those of the men who escaped from the court-house carried the news of -the bloodshed to the Whigs all through the neighboring country, and so -quickly that before noon of the next day two hundred armed men reached -Westminster from the province of New Hampshire. Before that night every -one who had had a part in the shooting of the citizens at the -court-house was seized and held under a strong guard. Still more Whigs, -roused by the story of what the king's officers had done, poured into -the little town from the southern part of the county, and even from the -colony of Massachusetts, so that by the following day it was said there -were in the little village five hundred soldiers all ready for war. - -All these men met and voted to choose a committee to act for them and -see that justice was done. This committee ordered that all those who -were known to have taken part in the shooting should be put on trial at -the next court. Then the men of the Grants, and those from New Hampshire -and from Massachusetts, went back home. - -But the men of the Grants heard news later that spring of 1775 that made -them forget the affair that was called "the Westminster Massacre," and -the trial of the sheriff's soldiers was neglected in the whirl of far -more exciting events. One day in April came the word that the farmers of -Lexington and Concord had fired on the redcoats who marched out from -Boston. The spirit of revolt, smouldering so long, leaped into instant -flame at the news. All through the colonies from New Hampshire down to -Georgia men vowed to stand beside the farmers of Massachusetts and defy -His Majesty, King George the Third. The men of the Grants, who had been -resisting the orders of the royal governor of New York, the Green -Mountain Boys, who had driven Yorkers time and again from their country, -were among the first to arm for independence. And Yorker fought side by -side with Green Mountain Boy in the war of the Revolution. - -Peter Jones, and Jack and Sam, Snyder, "Big Bill" Dutton, and the others -who had made the stand at Beaver Falls, were among the men and boys who -flocked to the flag of Ethan Allen when he took the field in the Green -Mountain country. And Ethan Allen's Boys won some of the greatest -victories of the Revolution, at Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga on Lake -Champlain, and in many battles along the Canadian border. The people of -the Grants also met and declared their territory a free republic, -belonging neither to New Hampshire on the east nor to New York on the -west, and choosing for themselves the beautiful name of Vermont, which -means Green Mountain. - -Thirteen states formed the original union of the United States, and -Vermont became the fourteenth state of the Union in 1791. By that time -Green Mountain Boys had become a name of great honor, and the Yorkers -were their staunchest friends and allies. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Historic Events of Colonial Days, by -Rupert S. 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