The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-05-29
CHAPTER XIII.
death to MIN who FORCES

klndllng eye.
"Hear WHAT" asked her surprise
and wondering companion, who ha
heard nothing to warrant SO sudden
change in the others demeanor.
THAT sound from the forest yor
der" answered Sabrey, pointing owe
to the wood bordering the opening t
the south. "But hush listen /! it ma
be repeated. There-didn't you hea
it them"
~ heard nothing but the hooting c
an owl over there. What do you max
out of that?" responded Vine stl
susroirsed and doubtful.
81 make much out of it; but let u
listen further" answered the other.
They did SO ; and presently the sam
slow, solemn boot of the bird jus
named rose more loud and distinc
than before. And scarcely had tn
last sound died away its peculiar mel
ancholy cadence, when the solitary re-
over the valley from the forest il
the opposite direction,
There! the story is told, 'exclaimet
Sabrey, exultingly. "Three boots o
the owl is the secret watchword of thu
Rangers The admirable imitation W,
have just heard was doubtless giver
by him who communicated to me thiG
fact, and gave me specimen of hi.
faculty of making the sound as We
%ere coming through the woods in oul
recent fight. 1t here shows, unless
greatly err, that his regiment is pass
ing round to the rear of the enemy
while the gun we have just heard must
proceed, | think, from some other force
going round through the woods on the
opposite sde-these sounds being a
concerted interchange of signals to ap-
prise each other and General Stark OF
the progress they have made towards
the appointed station. In Is minutes,
this camp may discover itself sur
rounded and assailed on all sides by
men who know what they are fighting
for. Then, Vine, then comes the strug-
gle we have been praying to witness.
O may Heaven prosper the defenders
of their homes, and enable them to tri
umph over their naughty foes.
The coniectures of Miss Haviland
respecting the plan of attack which
the Americans had adopted were we'll
founded. Colonel Herrick, with his
brave and spirited regiment Of Rang
ers, had been despatched through the
woods to the rear of the enemy, where
he was joined by nearly an equal force
of militia under the command Of Colo
mel Nichols, coming through the forest
also, in an opposite direction while the
remaining and larger portion of the
army was to advance in front, in time
to commence with the former the gen
eral attack. And, in short time. the
long, deep roll of drums, swelling loud
er and louder on the breeze announced
that Stark, with the main body, was
in motion, and rapidly approaching
along the road from the east.
Quickly every part of the British
camp was in lively commotion. And
the hasty mounting of field officers
the flying of the scattered troops to
their respective standards, the furious
beating of the drums to arms, and the
deep, stern words of command, mingling
with the rafting of steel, and the
SOUNDS of hostile preparation, all plain
ly told that they were at length
aroused to the conviction that their OPP
ponents in front were coming down in
full force upon their encampment; and
that something more might now be
required to insure their safety, than
the empty Wanting, and the supposed
intimidating display, of British uni
forms and brass cannon, which had
thus far marked the expedition, and
constituted its only achievements.
And scarcely bad the different divis-
ions of their motley army become ar
rayed and fixed in their line of battle,
which consisted of the regulars within
their strong field works on the eleva
ted plain on the left. and the Cana
dams and tories behind their more i'm
perfect defences stretching from the
former across the meadow on the right
-scacrely had this been done, before
their line of pickets, which had been
placed among the trees at the astsrn
termination of the field, suddenly
broke from their station, and came dis
orderly rushing back of the encamp.
ment. Presently dark body Of men
in motion began to be perceptible
through the openings of the wood
along the line OF the winding road and,
in moment more, Stark's noble little
brigade of sturdy and resoute peasant
came pouring into the field.
Wheeling in beautiful ORDER into
battle array, they came to halt in the
open plain near the border of the
woods. Stark, then advancing, rode
slowly along the front of the line, ana,
at length pausing, ran his practised
sye collectedly over the firmly stand
ing ranks and dauntless faces before
him when, raising his massive form to
Is full length, he raised his glitter
ng sword, and pointed to the hostile
ines.
"Yonder, my men," he said, in a
,oice whose clear, deep, and ringing |
ones in the stiffness which at the mo-
nent prevailed, distinctly reach the
lttent organs of our fair listeners
'yonder my brave men stand the red |
oats your own and your country's foe |
their army mongrel crew of Hes |
ian hirelings fighting for eight pence a |
lay or thereabouts :of tories who come |
% ravage and enslave the land that |
rave them birth and lastly of Indians
ireaming of scalps and plumber Are
'ou not better men? Have you not no.
,ler object? Call you not yourselves
reemen with hearts to defend your
homes and country? If SO then let
,our deeds this day prove it to the
world AS for myself my resolution is
field and foe are ours by set
# sun or Molly Stark this night will
De a widow"
sThe scene introduced is drawn from
In incident belonging TO the local his.
ory of the battle of Bennington and
s but one among the many sad and
ouching occurrences which tradition