The Press., 1893-11-16


 sent forward as fast as they enlisted, while Colonel Dyer remained to continue raising recruits.
 One dark, sultry night of this memora- ble year the long looked for and dreaded crisis seemed at hand. Late in the even- ing an excited alarm was given by the village parsons slave. The negro was badly scared and rushed from house to house, wildly shouting: "The French are coming. The French are coming"
 The excited villagers ran to their win dows and doors and were met with din and roar that filled them with amaze ment and terror. Such shrieks! Such wells! The very heavens seemed filled with nnearthly sounds. The earth seemed to quake beneath the tread of the coming enemy.
 s.We will have Kernel Dyer. And El-der-kin too. We will have Kernel Dyer. And El-der-kin too. Kernel by CT Elderkin, too," shrielzed the hideors voices in unison. Colonel Dyer and Squire Elderkin had been particularly active against the French. The whole village jumped to the conclusion that the French and Indians were anxious to cap ture these two leaders. As the outland- ish shrieks seemed to increase i'll volume, and to grow nearer and nearer, the last doubt that the savages were upon them passed from every mind.
 | Colonel Dyer hurried to the village green when the alarm was given, and the changing church bell soon called the villagers together. Squire Elderkin, badly frightened, promptly responded, we'll armed with a trusty flintlock. Very soon the ablebodied men of the town were in line, and Colonel Dyer was unan- imously chosen commander.
 The old feud that few hours before divided neighbor from ncighbor was for gotten. All united like brothers to Ge- fend their common homes.
 Orders were immediately given to ad- vance, and the Windham villagers marched up the hill to the east to check the enemy. The shout. for "Colo-nel Dyer and El-der-kin, too," steadily grew stronger and stronger, and the gallant colonel was reported to have shown un- usual caution on this occasion, while Squire Elderkin, who had never had military experience, implored the colonel to halt his command on the hill and wait until day break before he proceeded, as everything seemed to indicate over whelming odds in favor of the enemy.
 The last half of the night was one of terror The villagers who had been left behind waited to hear the roar of battle, but as the hours dragged their tedious length along without the discharge of a single piece all gave way to the fear that some great horror was impending. The night, however, finally wore away; the east began to grow gray, and the light was slowly creeping over the hills when the c1amor for "Colonel Dyer and Elder kin, too," began to subside. Daylight quellcd the hideous sounds.
 The morning brought q strange story to the little army and the panic stricken villagers.
 A mile and half to the west of the village was large millpond, which fur. nished water for power to grind the grain for the surrounding country. The miller reported that he had been awak ened by the outlandish noises in early evening and on going to the pond found the frogs in a great state of commotion but owing to the intense darkness noth ing could be seen. In the morning many dead frogs were found upon the shore.
 No wounds were visible; no marks o1 violence could be seen; no cause for the strange commotion could be found Some argued that there had been bat tie, but there was never any evidence tC support this theory. Others advanced the idea that some mysterious, malaria contagion, some deadly epidemic, ha( broken out and caused the cries of dis tress which had driven terror to tn, hearts of the the Windham villagers This theory, too, has been laughed at and the truth is that the cause of th' great disturbance has always been ; dark, impenetrable mystery.
 The state of mind of the townspeoplt the next morning can better be imagined than described. All seemed sick witt humiliation at the ludicrous ending O. their frantic fright of the evening before Squire Elderkin was particularly 1norti fled and is reported to have suffered ; two weeks sickness and confinement t. his chamber, during which he was sait to have frequently stated that he hat much rather have lost his scalp than t. have been the victim of such a huge joke } It was wonderful how the story of tn , Windham frogs sought out and fount every little nook and corner of the coun , try. There were no railroads, no tele graphs or newspapers in those days , The stagecoach was the only means o intercommunication. Yet the story l greatly exaggerated and elaboratel, t dressed up by the imagination, was toll in almost every tavern in the land.
 The Windham wits had been famou F for years. Those who had suffered a , their hands now eagerly seized the op 3 portunity to pay back old scores wit l usurious interest. Ballads were written songs were composed and sung, and ev l cry chance for practical joke was util l ized. Colonel Dyer was delegate to tn 8 first congress held in New York. Du1 ing his journey to that city some wa : tied an immense frog to the rear of hi = carriage. His arrival is said to hay e been greeted with shouts and laughter S and the joke became the talk of the city @ On one occasion Squire Elderkin wa J. said to have been making very learne j. and eloquent plea, when some buffoo : raised the shout of "Colonel Dyer an
 Elderkin, too," in the long drawn tone
 which the frogs had made famous. Tn
 judge lost his gravity, the jury laughed and the audience shouted in the mos
 boisterous manner. The squire, famou