Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-07-02
THE CAPTURE or THE HENNE-
PIN GUN.

Ga the evening of the third of July, some
what more than fifty years ago. number Of
boys were gathered in secret council at de-
serted house on Otter Greek. The boys had
come one by one in the gathering gloom OF
the early darkness, creeping along from bush
to copse or hugging the shady side OF the
stone fences. They had come slently-no
Tilt of merry whistle or song no wanton boot
or random stone fling, had betrayed their
presence on the rond.
There are nine of us already" whispered
tall boy of fifteen as he showed aside the
hiugelesl door and peered out. THAT is
Seneca Goodyear coming across the meadow.
He is strong If he does limp. Come in, Senk,
and shut the door quick, hang your coat
over the crack aud I'll stand against the low
or part. Now, Martin, let out your lantern
just narrow slit of light aud throw it on
the door-not in our faces Go on, Ethan,
and tell the m about it,"
A heavy shouldered boy with Saxon hair
and eyes Strengthened himself up from the
cobwebby wall against which he had been
leaning and settled himself stoidly on his
feet This boys name WAS Ethan Allen and
he was descendant of the II evolutionary
hero Of the same name.
There isn't much to tell" he began.
THE Ogden county boys have stolen our
cannon old 'riconderogs' that belongs to
Hennepin county, that we have fred of every
Fourth Of July, or our folks have, ever since
there was Fourth Of July. 1t has been
stolen and carried across the county line and
in less than four hours they will be banging
it in our faces from the top of Horncliffe.
And we've got to get that gun between this
aud midnight"
How are we going to do it ?" asked SEN
eca Goodyear.
"Tnnt is what We have got to find out,
said Ethan.
why don't the men do something about
il :" asked conservative boy. II should
think it ought TO be settled by law; the gun
was given to the county by Eths grandfath-
er, and it is county property the same a.
every thing else on the court house grounds"
Eyes, it Is county property" said Seneca
Goodyear. And that is whore the point
lies. I've heard father talk about it, 1t is
some kind Of claim they set up on account of
the new boundary liue that has sliced of
miles aud miles of our county, and now they
have got the ground they want everything
that ever stood on the ground their proper
ton of county property they call il, and they
have begun by helping themselves to that
gun. But there's no right in their claim"
"Of course there's not :" said one indig-
nantly.
Ogden county is the meanest lot that live
said another.
"Well, the Ogden boys are smart enough
to steal that gun, =" said Ethan Allen, land if
Hennepiu boys are any smarter we better
show our stuff by getting it away from them. "
81 don't take 1t to be any question OF
smartness,' answered the conservative boy.
1T is quite ~ smart to keep out of a hornets
nest rs 1t is to get into it, and then fight out
half stung to death. The question is, what
are our chances for doing it? I'm not going
on fools errand. To begin with, who took
the gun = Where did they take it to Where
is it now And how do you know anything
about it, anyway?
eve have got all that straight enough, and
here is the boy that will speak for himself
Come up here, Eph said Allen.
Thus conjured, boy arose from dark
corner and with quick cat-like motion came
to the front. lie looked to be an artless little
fellow of ten years, With his quiet eyes, and
his limp white locks hanging about his small
face. But in truth he was fourteen years old,
aud the discipline Of his life had made him
shrewd and courageous. He showed very
thin aud imp-like as the ray of the lantern
fell upon him. 1t seemed as il that silver of
light would go through him like a bayonet
and come out on the other side.
There was murmur of voices. ooh, him !'
"Eph Stearns much he knows about it,"
dodge down, you little white top, nobody
wants to hear you !"
But burly Ethan Allen shouldered up to
the little fellow. go ahead, Eph," he said,
tell it to 'em just as you told it to me-
Don't be scared"
II want scared last night, and amt like
ly to be now, said Eph with a grin up at
Ethans broad face.
That's so. Shake hands. After all there
is nothing little about you Eph-except your
self"
The little fellow looked bigger after this
grip of good fellowship and he piped up and
began his story.
II was out last night" he said. TT was
near midnight reckon. Most all the lights
were out in the village and everything was
quiet. l was out-out looking for some
thin"
HE was out looking for his drunken old
father" whispered one of the boys, nudging
his neighbor. That's Eph's regular beat
nights. He is afraid the old man will get
run over, or get sun-str1ck by moonlight"
Hush up, you" said the boy addressed.
'Eph isn't to blame"
II had been down by the cross roads, "
Eph went on. You know where that is"
Il think it's likely we do-there is where
General Stark buried traitor and stsked
him down with a crowbar," said one
"For sometime l dideut hear nothing"
Eph went on. Then | heard something
coming along slow and still on the old turn
pike. 1t didn't seem like a wagon at first,
nothing about it ratified and squeaked nat
ural-like for a wagon. There must have been
lots of axle grease onto them wheels, and that
harness was oiled up and strapped up, tell
you, and if them horses bad a had smart.
weed drafts onto their hoofs they couldn't
hava aatt than Anwn nd cnfal lika
When | see that it was a wagon and there
want no signs of driver to it-for what
ever wac driving of it was fiat on the bottom
then it came over me that they was a. bring
ing home somebody dead in that wagon
"And the remains was driving itself home,
| quiet and respectable-hke, and conducting its
/ own funeral-thats accommodating now
like that, go on" interrupted Martin.
GOT course" Eph admitted, looking q lit.
| tie ''sheepish." "Of course there want nc
sense in that-not by daylight. But that's
what thought of then, and l WAS hot and
cold all TO Onct tell you, and | streaked af
ter that wagon, fer l mt ant to git home tC
mother ahead of it, got up to the court
house and lay down fiat in that clump oil
| pines by the horse block, cause all the roads
branch OF from there and could see which
way it went next. There want no moor
last night, and precious few stars,
'On come the wagon, slow aud steady
| just as if q chunk of the dark had got loOs;
from the rest of the dark and was moving oil
| by itself. 1t come close to the horse bloch
and could see it want going down any oil
the road5. Then heard gathering sound,
and knew they We're going over the round
stones of the gutter, and the off horse struck
ont spark with his hoOf, When l saw EN-
a following me upso close l thought certain
| il was me they was after. But had goO6
place for dodRing-out by the meeting house
sheds, or down the court house steps intC
the cellar, or round the wood pile-good
places all of them, aud l thought l would
chance it. But there want no call for dodg
ing. The wagon Just rolled quietly on a few
steps and then stood stock still and six blaol
shadows ris up one by one and got out on Il
the ground, and when see that why coult
have squealed right out a.lRughing.
81 meant to see what they was after, so
dragged myself along like a worm in thu
shadow of that bad-smelling green stuff tina
edges the driveway, and l found out they
was boys from over the line and they hal
come for our gun. Phil Bassett was bossinl
around-same as he tried to when he came Il
the academy, before Ethan settled him. HI
was wheeling away like the Group, talking il
big whispers full of wind telling every body
! else to keep still, and where to put the crow