Part 31 (1/2)
He returned quickly and said that there was no sign of an ambush, but the snake fence was there and the vine-covered house also.
”Go forward, Letsom, and find out all you can about the farmer and his household.”
The man was an excellent fellow for such a purpose, though Seth Warner expressed a wish that Eben had been there, so that he might have gone.
Letsom returned an hour later.
”Farmer Mervale is a bitter Britisher,” he reported, ”and told me that if any of the rebels came to his house he would know how to deal with them. I asked him what he would do, and he replied that he would ask them to dine and would poison their soup.”
”The villain!”
”He further said that every rebel, as he called us, should be shot like a rat.”
”He is quite strong in his views.”
”Yes, and one of his farm hands told me that a mad monk had been there, and it would be a wonder if he were alive on the morrow.”
”A mad monk, said he?”
”Yes, those were his words--a mad monk.”
”Boys, you have heard the report; shall we beard this Britisher in his home and find out if any maiden is imprisoned by him?”
A loud shout of a.s.sent rose from the Mountain Boys, and almost before it died away the men were on the march.
Farmer Mervale was at the door, an old musket in his hand, waiting for the ”rebels.”
”In the name of the king, what do you want here?”
Seth Warner answered:
”In the name of the Colonial Congress I demand the surrender of this house for the purpose of a search.”
”Search! for what?”
”Guns, ammunition or anything that may be useful to the cause of liberty.”
”Thieves! Whoever pa.s.ses this door will have to do it over my dead body.”
”Farmer Mervale, we mean you no harm if you are innocent, but if you are guilty then you must bear the punishment.”
”Of what do you accuse me?”
Warner was about to equivocate and say that he believed arms were secreted on the premises, but he was too open for subterfuge, so he replied:
”We charge you with abducting and imprisoning a young maiden----”
”Ah! you have seen the mad monk?”
”Answer. Have you any maiden imprisoned on your premises?”