The Coolidge examiner., 1933-05-12
CHAPTER V-Continued


hour after sunrise he was to meet
Colonel Bolts at the village of New
Milford. There the colonel had as
sembled and organized a force Of
nearly three hundred armed men.
The fall work of harvesting and
threShing being finished, Bolts, with
The aid of two able young lawyers,
had made excellent progress in the
west. With tents and other equip
ment in heavy wagons. they set out
on their march 10 Cambridge. stop
ping here and there 10 pick up re-
cruits. who had signed for service
on the westward journey.
The regiment. growing as it pro-
ceeded. was a force of more than
four hundred men when it joined
the army. Battalions were coming
in on the north and south roads.
The Commander in Chief was in
better spirit. Still there was no
money To pay officers or men. They
were complaining bitterly. For two
days there had been no meat in
camp and for three days no bread.
Colonel Bolts and Captain Cabot
arrived at general headquarters at
eight o'clock In the evening. The
Chief listened with his usual dig
nifty and calmness while Colonel
Bolts sent up a whirling. prolegOm-
enous flight Of words as II In search
az an Orbit for his patriotic emo
tions. He was in bewildering
maze when the General interrupted
him saying:
Colonel. this is interesting and
perceive that your report will re-
Quire more leisurely consideration
that ! can now give to il. There
fore. please accept my thanks and
compliments for your excellent
work and submit your report in
writing"
He arose and gave the colonel his
hand and walked with him TO the
door. The orator had been so gra-
ciOusly and cOurteously silenced
that Colin smiled with gratitude
and admiration. When the Chief
returned 10 his Office he brought
with him the great Doctor Franklin.
who had come with q committee
from congress 10 confer with Gen.
eral Washington. He was a stout
old gentleman OF medium height
with large head bald at the crown,
white hair and n countenance beard
less and amiahle. Turning to Colin.
the Chief said:
Here is young man to whom /
gladly lend my ears
ITS a kind of lending that pays
II you get interest" Doctor Frank
lin answered with a benevolent
smile.
As they sat down the General
asked the young captain to give
them an account of his adventures.
The distinguished patriots were in
terested and amused by his vivid
recital. They shook with laughter
at the gentle humOr with which GER
tain parts of it had been favored.
Without mentioning his name
Colin described the oratory of one
Of his co-workers. Franklin. sitting
near the fire. mopped his smooth
shaven face with a large. colOred
handkerchief and moved his chair,
saying:
when mans head is filed with
nothing he is eager to get rid of it.
We mustn't blame him. He is only
obeying a law of Nature. A vac
uum can make a lot of noise. A
whirlwind is a great spinning bot
tleful of nothing and in hot haste
TO get rid of it,"
'Yet it is very capable" said
Colin.
Most energetic! !" Franklin agreed.
''Our people have no need of being
convinced. ANY kind of noise will
serve TO remind them of their duty.
a fife and drum is enough. / think
that their souls have heard a voice
more convincing than yours or mine.
They are preparing for hunger and
hardships and disappointment. We
must rub along as best we may un-
I'll we come to better going. Pow
der is arriving and we shall soon
be able to pay a part of the sum
we owe"
Meanwhile the chimney-corner
heroes are everywhere criticizing
our inactivity" said the General. II
wrote to Robert Norris of my feel
ing about that. His answer has
amused me-"
he read from letter on his desk :
Heaven has blessed you with a
firmness of mind, a steadiness of
countenance and a patience in suf-
1erings that give you infinite advan-
tage over other men. You are not
to depend on other peoples exer-
ti0ns being equal to your own
HE feels the need of more op-
limistic reports from me. He seems
20 think that with all these flatter-
Ing qualifications ] should be able
70 shoot without powder and TO
feed the men without bread and
meat"
Franklin was laughing as he sug-