The Hero of Ticonderoga Part 9

"Will you not go to Concord and obey the governor's mandate?"

"Not until the governor himself asks me. When he invites me I will go; when he only commands I refuse to obey. Return and tell him so."

"I dare not."

"Then stay here and you will learn what freemen think, and see how they act."

"I dare not stay."

"What a sorry specimen of a man you are. You dare not, forsooth! is that the expression of a free man?"

"You taunt me."

"Taunt you? No, I only say that I dare do aught that does become a man."

Seth Warner entered the house and was welcomed by Ethan.

The colonel told the farmer of the order received.

"Will you go?"

"No."

"I should say not, indeed. Let the governor come here if he wants to talk with you."

Talbot could make no headway, so he left the house in disgust.

He went to Faithful Quincy, the town crier, and bade him summon the men to a.s.semble at the courthouse at once.

Quincy looked at the attorney and waited until the order was given.

"In whose name am I to give the notice?"

"That of the governor."

"Then, please your honor, you must go to the sheriff and get his order."

"Is that necessary?"

"It is, if you want to have the people a.s.semble."

Talbot wished himself back at Concord.

With Quincy he went to the house of the sheriff and obtained his permission to call the men together.

Every man, it seemed, was at the meeting.

Talbot told them that he was sent by the governor of New Hamps.h.i.+re with a message for Ethan Allen.

"Then why don't you give him the message?" asked Remember Baker.

"I have done so and he refuses to accede to the governor's request."

"Then you may be sure that the governor is in the wrong."

"What is the message?" asked Peleg Sunderland.

Talbot told them all he was instructed to do, and a loud laugh went up from every man as he heard.

"So Col. Allen refuses to go?"

"He does."

"Then that is an end of the matter."

"No, it is not," answered Talbot, quickly; "you are all bound to give such military service as the governor may require."

"That is true."

"Then I call upon you to arrest and convey to Concord the body of Ethan Allen."

Seth Warner moved up to the judge's bench.

"Are you jesting?" he asked.

"No."

"You mean to insist that we shall do such service as you have outlined?"

"It is my order, acting in the name of the governor."

"Then tell the governor that there is not a man in all the grants that will lay a finger on Col. Ethan Allen."

"Thank you, my friends," Allen said, speaking for the first time; "I refuse to obey the order to go under arrest, but I will go voluntarily and tell the chief executive officer of the colony that free men are not going to be ordered about like lackeys."

"And quite right, too. We will go with you."

"No, Seth Warner, I will go alone."

"Excuse me, colonel, but we have something to say about that. We shall take a few days off and go to Concord."

And as Allen had refused to obey the governor, so the Green Mountain Boys declined to stay at home, even when their leader so requested.

On the next morning fifteen of the brave mountaineers accompanied their colonel to the seat of government of the colony.

It was not a formidable military force, but it was sufficient to show the governor that he had to deal with st.u.r.dy men.

Gov. Wentworth received the mountain heroes at ones [Transcriber's note: once?].