Part 23 (1/2)
The battle of Lexington fired the country.
Within a few days an army of twenty thousand men had gathered round Boston.
New Hamps.h.i.+re sent its militia, with John Stark at its head; Rhode Island sent her quota under the leaders.h.i.+p of Nathaniel Greene.
New Haven was not behind, for a regiment was dispatched from that city with Benedict Arnold as leader.
All this news was conveyed to Ethan Allen by Eben Pike, who had been dispatched on the dangerous mission to Boston to find out what the Provincials meant to do. No more trusty messenger could have been found than the young scout of the Green Mountains.
”What shall we do?” asked Baker.
”Fight!” was Allen's curt reply.
”Shall we join the patriots at Boston?”
”No; Connecticut has offered a thousand dollars toward the expenses of capturing Ticonderoga, and that reward we will win.”
To capture the fort with its treasures would be to strike a blow at England's supremacy which would tell more than any concerted action at Boston.
”Call the roll,” ordered Allen.
Two hundred and seventy men answered the call, and Allen shouted for joy.
”Men of the Great Mountains, we are strong, because a mountain boy is worth ten men of the valleys. We shall capture Ticonderoga. I cannot offer you life; many may be killed, more wounded; but remember we have fought for our homes, we must now fight for our country. We have driven the Yorkers out of the Green Mountains, we must now drive the English out of America, or compel them to recognize our right to govern ourselves. Will you follow me?”
A tremendous shout in the affirmative went up from those brave patriots, and Ethan Allen was so overcome with emotion that for a few moments he could not speak.
Then, raising his sword above his head, he shouted:
”On to Ticonderoga! Victory and freedom, or death, for every man who hears my voice!”
And the Green Mountain Boys took up the cry:
”On to Ticonderoga! Victory or death!”
CHAPTER XIII.
BENEDICT ARNOLD.
”At last I see my way to a position. They said I was a ne'er-do-well.
We shall see!”
The speaker, a fine, handsome-looking man, paced the floor of a small room in Cambridge.
It was one week after the battle of Lexington.
He was restless; every muscle in his body seemed to quiver with excitement.