"What is the message?" asked Peleg Sunderland. Talbot told them all he was instructed to do, and a loud laugh went up from every man as he heard. "So Col. Allen refuses to go?" "He does." "Then that is an end of the matter." "No, it is not," answered Talbot, quickly; "you are all bound to give such military service as the governor may require." "That is true." "Then I call upon you to arrest and convey to Concord the body of Ethan Allen." Seth Warner moved up to the judge's bench. "Are you jesting?" he asked. "No." "You mean to insist that we shall do such service as you have outlined?" "It is my order, acting in the name of the governor." "Then tell the governor that there is not a man in all the grants that will lay a finger on Col. Ethan Allen." "Thank you, my friends," Allen said, speaking for the first time; "I refuse to obey the order to go under arrest, but I will go voluntarily and tell the chief executive officer of the colony that free men are not going to be ordered about like lackeys." "And quite right, too. We will go with you." "No, Seth Warner, I will go alone." "Excuse me, colonel, but we have something to say about that. We shall take a few days off and go to Concord." And as Allen had refused to obey the governor, so the Green Mountain Boys declined to stay at home, even when their leader so requested. On the next morning fifteen of the brave mountaineers accompanied their colonel to the seat of government of the colony. It was not a formidable military force, but it was sufficient to show the governor that he had to deal with sturdy men. Gov. Wentworth received the mountain heroes at ones [Transcriber's note: once?]. Talbot told his story of how he had been received by Ethan Allen, and he did not spare the young leader. Then came Allen's turn. "It hath been made known to me that the Colony of New York has asked that I be sent a prisoner to Albany, there to be tried for certain crimes. Is that so?" "It is." "It hath been told me that I am charged with killing a king's officer, one Sheriff Merrit. Is that so?" "You are rightly informed." "Then hear me. Merrit died in New Hampshire, and, even if I had killed him, I claim I must be tried in my own colony and not in York." "You admit killing him?" "I did not kill him. His death was an accident. There are plenty of witnesses to prove that. Then I am told I am charged with stealing documents bearing the seal of New York. Is that so?" "It is." "I can prove that when the sheriff did unlawfully enter my house at the Crossroads he had not the documents with him, but he had seals only. Now, your excellency, I am here to tell you that I hold my land from you, that I live in the Colony of New Hampshire, and that the sheriff of New York has no right to invade this colony, and if I had shot him as he entered my house I should have done right. What have you to say to that?" Gov. Wentworth remained silent. He knew that Allen was right.