White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-05-18

pose and stopped in time, or that shell
of hemlock would have been his tomb.
Only a bit of dust fell on his head.
He waited few minutes before re-
Stunning his work. The sun was low
when the last rank of bateaux in the
vast caravan passed him. It's many
voices grew dim in the distance as
the light of that long day faded into
gloom. He had counted nearly eight
hundred of them and had a fairly
correct estimate of the fighting men
eight thousand. He wondered at
the number Of women and children.
There were some twelve hundred Of
them and more than hundred musi-
clans.
Night was falling. Stiff and sore he
came out of his hiding place, hauled
his boat into water and put his
strength on the oars. He thought Of
Pat and the ladies with her and Of
the unexpected perils and hardships
ahead Of them-swamps, log-strewn
forests, briers, black flies, mosquitoes,
savages, some Of whom would. surely
be infected with smallpox. He was
opposite the center of the long flotilla
when he reached Aliens point at nine
o'clock. In the missionary's house he
wrote report to General Washington
and half an hour later was in his sad
die hurrying southwark. In the morn
ing he mounted fresh horse at a
farm, arranging for his own to be
sent on to Bennington. That night
he arrived at Stark's headquarters
and within ten minutes a mounted
courier was on the south road with
Collins dispatch.
After a few days training with
General Stark he received an order
from the Commander in Chief to go to
Fort Ticonderoga and report as soon
as possible on the plans of the Brit
ish. On his journey he spent night
at Skenesborough, where he found a
force of Americans. He learned that
Burgoyne's army was advancing to
invest the fort. There he met the
scout Israel Sapp, who told him that
Mrs. Bowlby had sent her children to
friend in Albany and was earning
big wages driving an OK team for the
enemy. Was it her interest in ro-
nance which had taken her to the
British camp? The inn was closed
and Sergeant Sapp had found accom-
mediation in the house of one-armed
mill-hand of the name Of King. Colin
spent the night there. While he sat
at the breakfast table next morning
there came an abrupt change in the
situation.
HAS st. Clair fortified Sugar hi1l7"
he asked.
"No," sapp answered. "Not men
enough there to do it,
"Then Ticonderoga will fall. The
hill commands the fort"
Congress has not provisioned 1t for
a SIEGE"
Their talk was interrupted by the
roar of cannon. sssss
tits the British gunboats,' said
King. II don't know what we will
do. My wife is near her time and
sick in bed. I cannot move until she
is out of the straw"
The cannonading increased. King
arose from the table to go out-of-
doors. Suddenly cannon ball bound
ed through window and against the
leg of Sergeant Sapp, breaking it and
crashing through door.
"My G-d!" said Sapp. eff it was a
battle wouldn't mind, but I hate to
lose leg eating breakfast"
Colin helped King to set the bone
and put splints on the leg Of the
wounded man. That done he mounted
his mare and set out for the fort.
Soon he came upon st. Clair's little
army in retreat. Congress had failed
to provision them. They would have
been starving within week. So they
had to quit the fort.
Colin set out for Stark's camp with
"a heavy heart. He wrote his dispatch
when he halted to give his mare an
hour Of rest that evening and rode
on until he came to log inn at mid
night. He was up and of at day
light. Before he had put his horse tc
hay at Stark's camp an express rider
was Gathering down the road with his
dispatch toward the first relay twenty
miles beyond. So the disheartenine
news went on to Washington. Soor
John Adams was saying: "We shall
never succeed until we hang a few
generals" 1t was hasty remark
He would better have threatened the
necks of a few politicians. '
A few days later an address to thu
| troops came from General Washing
ton. 1t was posted at headquarters
and read to officers and men on Sun
| day by Parson Allen. "Our situation
before, has been unpromising and ha:
| changed for the better" it said. "I
| new difficulties arise we must keel
our courage and put forth new exer
I tons N aaa S-gss
| A"Thus the uncomfortable spirit O.
| orr great Commander has come III