The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-06-08

latner, ~ why, lad, the thlng's 1mpo SSH
| BILE. Abercrombie lost two thousand
men there in '58, aud young Lord Howe
was killed. WASN'T ten feet from him
when he fell. The forts impregnable
But what in the world put the thought
in your head2 Who is there to take it."
'T don't know, fatl Jr, but ever since
we heard of the battle of Lexington be-
| tween the redcoats and our farmers,
have been thinking how old III might be
taken. You don't know how careless
they are. There were no sentinels on
| duty this afternoon, and the soldiers
were drinking and gambling"
"That may be, but Ticonderoga ism t
a gal tc be taken by the first wooer.
'Twould De a great stroke for liberty,
but no, no, there's nobody to do it."
And Farmer Beman, who was thor
oughly patriotic American, shook his
head firmly.
But as the former and Nathan were
milking the cows that night, tramp,
tramp, tramp, came the sound of many
feet, and rising with their filled pals to
see what the matter might be, they saw
the road filled with more than three
hundred armed men.
"They are not redcoats, but who can
they be9" asked the elder Beman with
honest surprise.
He was answered by the appearance of
two officers of rank-one a large, tall
man of Herculean cast, dressed in high
heavy boots, buff breeches aud waistcoat,
and high collared white shagcoat; the
other slighter man, but well made and
of noble bearing, whose garments were
Both were on horse back and wore swords,
epaulettes and other insignia of rank.
Gas I'm alive, its Colonel Ethan AL.
len !" exclaimed Farmer Beman, address
ing the colossal figure.
"And you are Ebeuezer Beman," cried
the famous Green Mountain hero. "This
is Colonel Arnold, and we are on our way
to take old IT."
"You must be mad, Colonel Allen, "
cried the farmer aghast. "General Aber-
crombie had fifteen thousand men and
failed"
"But am not General Abercrombie,
nor does insanity run in my family" an
swered Allen, sturdily. "Yonder fort
will be in the hands of free men to-mor-
row morning, or Ethen Allen will be no
more among the living"
Young Nathan Beman stood looking
with all his eyes upon the stalwart figure
of the Green Mountain hero, who to him
was the personificaton of everything
great and glorious in the world. The
looks of Arnold he did not like as well,
The had a reckless air and proud, con-
emptuous expression of countenance, but
those flashing eyes and sinister lips did
not then foretell the ill fame that was to
come to this brave and gifted man.
81 suppose you have made provision
for boats to transport your troops across
the lake, Colonel Allen" said the farmer
~ have sent a party to secure what
boats they could above here, and another
party has gone to Skenesboro, but /
trusted to find certain craft at this place."
answered Allen. "Could I have been
mislnformed9"
"There is an excellent scow half-mlle
above here, and there are dozen skiffs
down yonder that you are welcome to-"
"And now, Mr.. Beman," said Allen,
bending upon him the steady gaze of his
stern blue eyes, "do you know of any
one that we can depend on as a guide,
some one that knows all about the fort
and its approaches9 l wish to avoid if
possible any danger from the salute of a
charge of grapeshot or canister from the
war dogs of old IT,"
"I don't know of any one that knows
old III better than my son Nathan here.
He goes over there as often as once
week"
"And can you, young man, conduct
9uartersl Are you sure
you can do it2" Colonel Aliens voice
was stern and decisive, for it was an i'm
portant task that was required, and the
person that served him must not fail
him.
"I know the fort as we'll as l know
our house yonder," declared Nathan
boldly. "I've been all over it by day
light, sir, and l think l could find my
way over 1t by night.
''Aud do you know where the COM
nandant's quarters are3" inquired
Arnold.
''Ive been there a dozen times, sir,
and should know the place blindfolded,"
the lad.
"Thon you are the boy for u.s." re-
turned the other. "Colonel Allen, if we |
ret the boats, the morning sun will see
.he red flag of England pulled down
from yonder ramparts.
"Aye, and we will hope that it will
never float there again, responded Allen,
'olemnly.
During the next few hours the soldiers
we're busy gathering the boats of the
and it was little after
that Allen and Arnold and
lbout eighty of the troops crossed to the
western shore of the lake. The boats
hey expected from Skenesboro and Pan
on did not arrive, but neither of the
great leaders dared delay any longer. In
he last boat that crossed went Nathan
Beman, the boy guide of the expedition.
After landing their passengers the
boats were sent back for another load,
while their companions waited on the
hore of the lake. 1t was soft May
hight, bright with starlight. The frogs
lept up their chorus through all the
light hours, and at intervals the sharp
all of the whippoorwill sounded dia-
,ason. The first streak of the dawn ap-
,eared in the east.
Ethan Allen gazed anXiously across