Ticonderoga, Battle of, N.Y., 1758 -- Fiction; Vermont -- History -- To 1791 -- Fiction
“Shut yer head an’ come down out o’ that mighty quick,” Job commanded in
a low voice.
“Me no onstan’ Angleesh,” and again the voice rang out over across the
water: “Hello de Forrt!”
Peering through the overhanging branches, Job saw a group of red-coated
soldiers gathered on the other shore, and presently saw a boat putting
out from it.
“Looka here,” said he sternly, as he cocked his piece and aimed upward;
“I don’t want tu be obleeged tu hurt you, but stop yer hollerin’ an’
come right down.”
“Me no onstan’, Ah tol’ you! Hello—.” The lusty hail was cut short by
the report of the long smooth-bore. The Canadian’s cap went spinning
from his head, and he came scrambling down in a haste that threatened to
leave half his clothes behind.
“Ah comin’! Ah comin’! Don’t shot some more!” he cried in a voice
trembling with fright.
Job arrested his descent till his gun was reloaded; then, when his
captive slid to the ground, he quickly tied his hands behind with a
fathom of cord, one end of which he held. Then he removed the woolen
sash from the Canadian’s waist and bound it about his mouth.
A glance upon the lake showed the boat half-way across, and approaching
as fast as two pairs of oars could impel it. Job hurried his man into an
evergreen thicket some twenty yards away, and, leaving him tied to a
tree in charge of the hound, he stealthily returned to ascertain if
possible whether the nature of the alarm had been comprehended by the
soldiers. The boat drew rapidly toward the place where he lay concealed,
and, at a little distance, the occupants lay upon their oars while they
held consultation, so near that he could hear every word of it.
“Well, boys,” said the sergeant in command, “whathiver it was, Hi don’t
hear nothink more of it. But Hi’ll ’ail the shore. ’Ello there,
whathiver is the row?” An answer was silently awaited till the echoes
died away.
“Ah’t was some o’ thim Yankee divils huntin’ just,” said one of the
soldiers, “and that’s all about it. Divil a word could I make out but
the dog yowlin’ an’ a man phillalooin’, an’ thin the shot. They kilt
whativer they was at an’ thin wint away.”
“Hi believe you’re right, Murphy, an’ we’ll no bother to go ashore, but
just pull back and report to the captain,” and off went the boat to the
western shore.
With a sigh of relief Job sped back to his prisoner, to whom he motioned
the homeward way, and set forth with him in front at a break-neck pace,
which was occasionally quickened by a punch of the gun muzzle in the
rear, and so was the captive driven to the camp.
Ticonderoga’s evening gun had long since boomed its vesper thunder, and
the shadows of evening were thickening into night in the forest, when
Job emerged from them into the glare of the camp fire with his hound and
prisoner, and received the warm commendations of Allen and his
associates for his promptly and skilfully performed exploit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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