Part 5 (2/2)
[Sidenote: EXPEDITION TO ACADIA]
”Well, which of you young men is going to serve the King? There never was such a chance for a soldier as this. Here we are, going down to the richest country in the world, to turn these Acadians out of house and home; and any soldier who wants a farm can have it for the asking.
Richest soil in the world. You can raise anything there. Level as a table, all cleared, not a stone in it, farm tools, housen and outhousen, and everything all ready for you. Hundreds of acres for the asking, and lots of booty besides. What better chance do you want?”
Mr. Harrington, who was leaning on his hammer by the forge, asked:--
”But why do you turn them out? Why don't you let them alone?”
”Why do we turn them out? Because we must. That country has belonged to England for forty-two years. And not one of those people will take the oath of allegiance. They have the easiest time in the world. Not a penny of taxes was ever asked them, and they have been treated like pet lambs.
Their priests tell them not to take the oath of allegiance, and they expect every year that the King of France will retake the country.”
”Well, what of it? They say they are neutrals, and if you leave them alone, and they mind their own business, and till their farms, they'll come round all right in the end.”
”Will they? They're the funniest neutrals you ever saw. They are dead set against England, and claim to belong to France. If a garrison wants to buy food, not a bit will they sell. But when the French and Indians make an inroad into the country, they run to them, give them all they have, join in with them, and fight us. When the French are driven back, they scatter and go back to their farms, as innocent as can be. No, sir.
There's no getting on with them. It has been tried over forty years. The only way to stop this constant trouble and fighting is to carry the whole of them out of the country, and give their rich farms to good, honest young men like these here.
[Sidenote: THE ACADIANS MUST BE DRIVEN OUT]
”Come now! Take the King's s.h.i.+lling. Serve his Majesty, good King George, for a few months; and you can live like lords for the rest of your days.”
Thaddeus and I were mightily tempted by the man's talk, but Mr.
Harrington said that he could not spare us, and that we were too young, anyhow. ”And very likely, boys, instead of hundreds of acres, with housen and outhousen, and farm tools, and booty, all that you'd get would be six feet of ground and a pine box.”
The days when the court sat at Concord were holidays with us, and the people flocked up there to see the court come in, and to watch the trials. And this spring, Spikeman's company was there too.
On the second day of court I rode to Concord, found Edmund at the tavern, and we went round the town together.
The court had disposed of some cases already. We saw a couple seated on the gallows, with ropes round their necks.
”Are they going to hang them, Edmund?”
”Not unless they tumble off and hang themselves. I suppose they put them up there to show that hanging would be none too good for them. Look at those fellows in the stocks. They don't belong here, and did not leave when warned out of town by the constable.”
Near by the stocks was the pillory. There was a man standing in it, with his head and hands sticking out through the holes. Of all humiliating punishments, this always seemed to me to be the worst. A man in that position looks thoroughly mean and contemptible. He appears to be put there on purpose to have something thrown at him; and it offers a temptation that boys cannot withstand.
[Sidenote: THE PILLORY]
”Bill Wheeler's been missing his hens right along. He suspected this man, and caught him one night, and the judge sentenced him to stand in the pillory. There's Bill over there; listen to him!”
”Well, you miserable thief, how do you like it now? I had a good deal of trouble to catch you; but it was worth while. You like hens? I wonder how you will like hen-fruit.”
He turned aside, and I heard him say to a boy: ”Here's a s.h.i.+lling, Hiram. They tell me eggs are pretty cheap up at the store, specially poor ones.”
The boys asked the man in the pillory all manner of impudent questions.
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