THE FIRST CAPTURE OR _Hauling Down the Flag of England_ BY HARRY CASTLEMON _Author of "The Gunboat Series," "Houseboat Series," "War Series," Etc., Etc._ _ILLUSTRATED_ THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. NEW YORK AKRON, O. CHICAGO COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. CONTENTS. Chapter Page I. The Battle of Lexington 5 II. Enoch's Home 18 III. Zeke Lewis 30 IV. Zeke's Proposition 42 V. A Rebellion in the Court-room 56 VI. Getting ready for the Fray 69 VII. The Bucket of Yeast 82 VIII. Under Way 95 IX. The "Aggressive" Tory 108 X. A Visit to the Jail 121 XI. A Plan that did not Work 133 XII. Different Opinions 145 XIII. The Cheer 158 XIV. The Chase 171 XV. Hauling down the Flag of England 183 XVI. After the Battle 196 XVII. Zeke's Exhibition of Strength 209 XVIII. What to do with the Schooner 222 XIX. Conclusion 235 THE FIRST CAPTURE CHAPTER I. THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. It happened on the morning of the 9th day of May. The little village of Machias in the far away colony of Maine was lively enough as far as fishing towns go, but on this particular time it was in a regular turmoil. Men had jumped up leaving their breakfast half eaten and ran out bareheaded to gather round a courier, who, sitting on a horse that had his head down and his flanks heaving as if he were almost exhausted, was telling them of a fight which had occurred just twenty days before. There was nothing to indicate that the men were excited except their pale faces and clenched hands, but the looks they turned upon one another had a volume of meaning in them. What had the messenger to communicate that had incited such a feeling among those who listened to him? He was describing the battle of Lexington which had been fought and won by the patriots on the 19th day of April. We did not have any telegraph in those days, and the only way the people could hold communication with one another was by messengers, mounted on fleet horses, who rode from village to village with the news. The courier was so impatient to tell what he knew that he could not talk fast enough, but the substance of his story was as follows: