The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-01-03

that" muttered Gale, turning Il
Patterson
1T means he is going to turn tail,
as ! always thought he would, the
cursed cowardly traitor!'' replied the
latter, crashing his teeth. But let
him, and that pitiful poltroon of a
Reddjng, go where they please. We
will see TO matters ourselves. | don t
believe it is anything more than a
mere mob, who will scatter at the first
fire. So follow me, Gale; and all the
rest of ye, that amt afraid of your
own shadows, follow me, and III soon
know what can be done ~
And, while lawyers and suItors were
hastily snatching up their papers.
and all were making a general rush for
the door, in the universal panic which
had seized them, the boastful sheriff,
attended by his assistants and the
tiger tempered Gale, pushed his way
down stairs, shaking his sword over
his head, and shouting with all his
might
To arms! Every friend to the court
and king, to arms. Stand to your
guns there below, guards, and shoot
down every rebel that attempts to
enter.'
But when he reached the front en-
trance, the spectacle which there
greeted his eyes seemed to have an
instant effect in cooling his military
ardor. There, to his dismay, he be-
held drawn up, within thirty PAGES of
the door, an organized and well armed
body of more than three hundred men;
while small detachments, constantly
arriving, were falling in on the right
and left, and extending the wings
round the whole building. And as the
discounted loyalist ran his eye along
the line of the broad breasted and
fierce looking fellows before him, and
recognized among them the Hunting
tons, the Knights, the Stevenses. the
Baieys, the Brighams, the Curtises,
and other stanch and leading patriots,
! from nearly every town bordering on
| the Connecticut. and saw the deter
mined look and the indignant flashing
, of their countenanees, he at once read
not only the entire overthrow Of his
party in this section of the country,
but the individual peril in which he,
and his abettors in the massacre. now
stood before an outraged and excited
populace.
what alls your men, Squire
Sheriff." cried Barty Burt, now grown
to soldier in the ranks of the assail-
ants, as he pointed tauntingly to the
company of tory guards who had been
stationed in the yard, but who now.
shaiing in the general panic, had
thrown down their arms, and stood
huddled together near the door; why
don't they pick up their shooting
irons, and blaze away at the id
rebels, as | think | heard you order
just now?''
And if that won't ditter do, cX
claimed the wcll-known voice of Tom
Dunning from another part of the
ranks, suppose you ditter read another
kings proclamation at us no knowing
but we might be ditter done for. en-
tirely.
The sheriff waited to hear no more,
but hastily retreated into the house,
followed by a shout Of derisiyc laugh
ter: and his place was the next mo-
ment occupied By Chandler. who
hustled forward to the steps, and, in
f1ustered, supplicatory manner, asked
leave to address his respected fellow
citizens.
short speeches, Judge impatient
ly cried Colonel Carpenter, who seemed, I
from his position on horseback among
the troops and other appearances, to be
chief in command-''sh short speeches, if
any. We have come here on IA business
which neither long speeches nor smooth /
ones will prevent us from executing.
The Judge. however, could not afford /
10 take this as "A repulse and. with .
his doubtful license, he went on to say,
that on hearing, in the morning, as he .
did with establishment and horror of .
the unauthorized proceedings of last
night. he had denounced the outrage,
in an address at the opening of the
court; and not finding himself sup
ported, he had resigned. and left his
seat on the bench.
And now, he added in conclusion,
being freed from the trammels OF my
oath of office, which have lately be
come so painful to me, | feel myself
again one of the people, and stand
ready to cooperate with them in any
measurer required by the public wei
fare.
Avery faint and scattering shout of
applause, in two or three places
with Kisses and murmurs in
others, was the only response with
which this address was received. But
even with this equivocal testimony of
public feeling towards him, this de
3picable functionary felt gratiiied. Il
am safe. said he 10 himself, with
long drawn breath. as he descended
the steps, to watch an opportunity TO
minglc with the party with whom he
was now especially anxious to be seen,
and to whom he was ready to say, in
the words of the satirist,- Il
'Im all submission, what you'd have me, make
The only q lestion is, sirs, will you take me:"
At this moment a sash was thrown /:
up, and the prisoner. Herriot, appeared
at window of the courtroom above.
Il have been brought up here this
morning, he said. shaking back his 1
gray locks and raising his stern, {
solemn voice to n pitch clearly audible 5
to all in the grounds below-''1 have I
been brought here from my dungeon to
answer to the charge of foul crime s
and both my accusers and triers, flee |
ing even bore any one appeared to
pursue. have left their places, having /
neither tried nor condemned me. But
to follow their example, /
now appear. TO submit myself for a
verdict, to the rightful source of all 1
people. (
Neither will We condemn thee. !