Part 6 (1/2)

We put our horses to a gallop.

We rode into Johnstown and through the village, very pleased to be in civilization again, and saluting many wayfarers whom we recognized, Tory and Whig alike. Some gave us but a cold good-day and looked sideways at our forest dress; others were marked in cordiality,--men like our new Sheriff, Frey, and the two Sammonses and Jacob Shew.

We met none of the Hall people except the Bouw-Meester, riding beside five yoke of beautiful oxen, who drew bridle to exchange a mouthful of farm gossip with me while the grinning slaves waited on the footway, goads in hand.

Also, I saw out o' the tail of my eye the two Bartholomews pa.s.sing, white and stunted and uncanny as ever, but pretended not to notice them, for I had always felt a s.h.i.+ver when they squeaked good-day at me, and when they doffed hats the tops of their heads had blue marbling on the scalp under their scant dry hair. Which did not please me.

Whilst I chattered with the Bouw-Meester of seeds and plowing, Nick, who had no love for husbandry, practiced upon his fife so windily and with such enthusiasm that we three hors.e.m.e.n were soon ringed round by urchins of the town on their reluctant way to school.

”How's old Wall?” cried Nick, resting his puckered lips and wiping his fife. ”There's a schoolmaster for pickled rods, I warrant. Eh, boys? Am I right?”

Lads and la.s.sies giggled, some sucked thumbs and others hung their heads.

”Come, then,” cried Nick, ”he's a good fellow, after all! And so am I--when I'm asleep!”

Whereat all the children giggled again and Nick fished a great cake of maple sugar from his Indian pouch, drew his war-hatchet, broke the lump, and pa.s.sed around the fragments. And many a childish face, which had been bright and clean with scrubbing, continued schoolward as sticky as a bear cub in a bee-tree.

And now the Bouw-Meester and his oxen and the grinning slaves had gone their way; so Nick and I went ours.

There were taverns enough in the town. We stopped at one or two for a long pull and a dish of meat.

Out of the window I could see something of the town and it seemed changed; the Court House deserted; the jail walled in by a new palisade; fewer people on the street, and little traffic. Nor did I perceive any red-coats ruffling it as of old; the Highlanders who pa.s.sed wore no side-arms,--excepting the officers. And I thought every Scot looked glum as a stray dog in a new village, where every tyke moves stiffly as he pa.s.ses and follows his course with evil eyes.

We had silver in our bullet pouches. We visited every shop, but purchased nothing useful; for Nick bought sweets and a mouse-trap and some alley-taws for his brother John--who wished to go to war! Oh, Lord!--and for his mother he found skeins of brightly-coloured wool; and for his father a Barlow jack-knife.

I bought some suekets and fish-hooks and a fiddle,--G.o.d knows why, for I can not play on it, nor desire to!--and I further purchased two books, ”Lives of Great Philosophers,” by Rudd, and a witty poem by Peter Pindar, called ”The Lousiad”--a bold and mirthful lampoon on the British King.

These packets we stowed in our saddle-bags, and after that we knew not what to do save to seek another tavern.

But Nick was no toss-pot, nor was I. And having no malt-thirst, we remained standing in the street beside our horses, debating whether to go home or no.

”Shall you pay respects at the Hall?” he asked seriously.

But I saw no reason to go, owing no duty; and the visit certain to prove awkward, if, indeed, it aroused in Sir John no more violent emotion than pain at sight of me.

With our bridles over our arms, still debating, we walked along the street until we came to the Johnson Arms Tavern,--a Tory rendezvous not now frequented by friends of liberty.

It was so dull in Johnstown that we tied our horses and went into the Johnson Arms, hoping, I fear, to stir up a mischief inside.

Their brew was poor; and the spirits of the dozen odd Tories who sat over chess or draughts, or whispered behind soiled gazettes, was poorer still.

All looked up indifferently as we entered and saluted them.

”Ah, gentlemen,” says Nick, ”this is a glorious April day, is it not?”

”It's well enough,” said a surly man in horn spectacles, ”but I should be vastly obliged, sir, if you would shut the door, which you have left swinging in the wind.”

”Sir,” says Nick, ”I fear you are no friend to G.o.d's free winds. Free winds, free suns.h.i.+ne, free speech, these suit my fancy. Freedom, sir, in her every phase--and Liberty--the glorious jade! Ah, gentlemen, there's a sweetheart you can never tire of. Take my advice and woo her, and you'll never again complain of a breeze on your s.h.i.+ns!”