CHAPTER XIV.
ARNOLD'S POWERS OF FASCINATION.
"On the choice of friends Our good or evil name depends."
"Colonel, a number of armed men are marching this way, and I like nottheir appearance," said the young Eben Pike, hurriedly and with gaspingbreath, as he entered the presence of Ethan Allen.
"They most likely are friends, Eben."
"They may be, colonel, but I thought you ought to know."
"You acted wisely, as you usually do. Did you meet Mistress Baker?"
"Yes, colonel, and a fair young maiden she is. I wish I had a sisterlike her."
Allen laughed and looked at the boy, whose face was a brighter colorthan usual.
"You will learn to like some one else's sister better than your own, ifyou had one."
Eben blushed still more and was about to leave when the colonel madehim send Baker at once.
Remember Baker had a sister, pretty and winsome. She had been visitingfor a year in New Haven, and decided to return to her brother's home atthe very time he was on the march with Allen.
Baker had an aunt living near Lake Champlain, and he decided to placeMartha with her. Good friends escorted Martha to a place a few milesfrom where the Mountain Boys were to camp prior to their attack on FortTiconderoga, and Eben was dispatched to escort the young maiden to herbrother. Eben had fulfilled the task and wished the distance had beenseveral times as far; but a few miles from the camp he had seen theregiment of guards on the march, and at once thought it his duty toreport.
Remember Baker entered the presence of Ethan Allen and listened to thestory told by Eben.
"Martha saw them," said Baker, "and she declared that their leader wasa man who was noted for being a great loyalist in New Haven."
"So! Let all the men be ready in case of emergency, and do you seethat they are well prepared for attack!"
"I shall see to it."
"Does Mistress Martha feel tired after her long journey?"
"No; she very naively says that she was tired until she was met byEben, and from that time her weariness ceased."
"Natural, very. Eben felt that way also, and his face was as red as aturkey gobbler's comb when he entered here."
In less than an hour Lieut. Eli Forest approached the camp, bearing awhite flag.
He asked to be admitted to the presence of Ethan Allen.
"Col. Allen, this gentleman craves an interview."
"Capt. Baker, I shall be pleased to confer with him."
Eli was rather surprised at the courtesy shown by Ethan and Baker toeach other. He had been led to believe the Mountain Boys to be a lotof uneducated, boorish farmers.
He, a college graduate, knew that he was in the presence of his equals.
"I am commissioned by my superior, Col. Arnold, to ask you to favor himwith an audience."
"Might I ask who I am speaking with?"
"I have the honor to be lieutenant of the Connecticut Guards. I am EliForest."
"Tell Col. Arnold that I shall be pleased to see him, and, believe me,I am proud to have met Lieut. Forest."
When Forest returned to Arnold he found the New Haven colonel veryanxious.
"Well, what says the farmer?"
"He may be a farmer, but he is a well-educated gentleman."
"You don't mean----"
"We have been deceived. You will find that he is our--my equal."
"So much the better; I shall win the surer."
In the camp of the mountaineers the center of attraction was MarthaBaker. Many of the Bennington boys knew her, though she had greatlyimproved during her stay at New Haven.
She sought the presence of Col. Allen and besought him to be careful ofhis treatment of the guardsman of New Haven.
"If it is Benedict Arnold who is coming, he means you no good," shesaid, very earnestly; "my friend in New Haven knew him well, and shewas certain that he was in favor of England."
"Thank you, Martha; I will know how to deal with him. I am glad thatyou have told me."
Benedict Arnold lost no time in seeking an audience with Ethan Allen.
"I have come from Cambridge," he said, "with but one object in view."
"I shall be very pleased to hear your project, if you care to confideit to me."
"I heard of your fame"--Ethan bowed--"and I felt that if there was tobe any great work accomplished, Col. Ethan Allen was the man to make itapparent."
Arnold had spoken with great deference. "I was appointed colonel bythe Provincial Council; but when I heard that Ethan Allen and his GreenMountain Boys were about to attack Fort Ticonderoga, I thought that Icould serve my country best by offering myself and my guards to him,and I ask no other favor than to be allowed to enlist under your banneras a private soldier."
"My dear colonel, I cannot think of such a thing."
"On no other terms would I consent. My men are all well drilled andare ready to join you under the same conditions."
"Let us meet on equal terms; we will jointly command."
"No, Col. Allen; in military matters there should be no dividedauthority. I will serve under you, and if you wish my advice I shallbe ready to give it, but I will not accept a share in the command."
The interview was a long one.
Ethan Allen was completely fascinated with Arnold. He believed that ifthere was a genuine patriot in the colony it was he.
Arnold, having recovered from his surprise at finding Allen an educatedman, conceived a liking for him and resolved to act squarely in all hisdealings with him.
Arnold was better read in history than the mountaineer, and he knew thehistory of Ticonderoga as well as he knew the later history of NewHaven.
"The French knew what they were doing when they fortified Ticonderoga,"Arnold remarked, when the strength of the fort was being discussed.
"Tell me all you know about it, will you not?"
"My dear Allen, I am always at your service. You remember--but no, youwould be too young; we were but boys then--but in 1755 Gen. WilliamJohnson was ordered by the British to drive the French from the shoresof Lake Champlain. Johnson had a fine body of men, three thousand fourhundred in number, including a body of friendly Mohawks. Oh, thoseMohawks! They are fighters, every one of them. I wish we had athousand of them with us."
"We do not need them."
"No, but we shall before the English are taught the lesson we intend toteach them--that is, to mind their own business. The French general,Dieskau, who was commandant at Crown Point, was one of the most daringmen of whom I have ever heard. He had only fourteen hundred men,French, Indians and Canadians, all told, but with this force he made uphis mind he would anticipate the movements of the English and drivethem back to Albany. He sailed up the lake to South Bay. From therehe marched to the upper springs of Wood Creek, intending to pass theEnglish army and capture Fort Edward before the alarm could be given.But the news was carried to Gen. Johnson. A natural, a boy, half anidiot, ran into the general's presence and cried out: 'The French aremarching like mad!' A scout was sent out and the truth learned. Col.Williams, with a force of a thousand men, accompanied by Mohawk ChiefHendrick, with two hundred warriors, set out to relieve the threatenedfort."
"Hendrick was a very old man, was he not?"
"Yes, he was gray-headed, and though very old he was as stalwart as anyof the younger men of the tribe. Dieskau had been misled as to theroute, and found himself four miles to the north of Fort Edward, whenhe should have been there. His scouts reported that Williams andHendrick were marching to the fort, and the daring Frenchman quicklyordered his forces into ambush, and the English were entrapped. BothWilliams and Hendrick fell dead, and the English were badly routed.Johnson heard the noise of battle and quickly extemporized breastworksby felling trees; the cannon were brought into position and then theEnglish awaited the triumphant French. It must have been a gloriousfight.
"The Indians, with Dieskau, when they saw the cannon, quietly walked toa hill at a safe distance,
and watched the battle. The Canadians, whohad hoped the Indians would have done the most of the fighting, weredisheartened and left the French to make the onset alone. Bravely theyfought, and for five hours, the battle raged. Johnson was woundedearly in the tight, and the men fought without a leader."
"But Johnson got the credit?"
"Yes, and was made a baronet by England; but, between you and I, theman was only slightly wounded, and was glad of an excuse to escape thedanger of the battle."
"Johnson was no coward."
"Perhaps not; but have you not heard of that commander who, whenwounded, insisted on staying on the field and giving orders until hedropped dead? That was a true hero, if you like. Then note thedifference. Dieskau was wounded three times and would not retire. Hesat on a tree stump and refused to be carried off the field. Arenegade Frenchman who had joined the English went up to him to makehim a prisoner. Dieskau was about to hand the man his watch as a tokenof surrender, but the Frenchman, thinking the general intended to drawa pistol, fired, and the brave commander dropped, mortally wounded.But though the victory was with the English, it was dearly purchased.The French were not disheartened, for they reinforced Crown Point andseized Ticonderoga, which they fortified."
"Is Ticonderoga so very strong?" asked Allen, who had listened soattentively to the historical narrative told by Arnold.
"Yes. Abercrombie for four hours stormed it. Column after columndashed with great bravery against the breastworks, but only to meetwith failure. Abercrombie could have returned with a larger army andheavier guns, but he did not. He had fifteen thousand men, while theFrench had not more than eight thousand on the outside. In 1759 theFrench, being hard pressed, dismantled the fort and the English walkedinto it. It cost the English eight million pounds to repair, enlargeand strengthen it."
"And in a few days it will be in our possession."
"I hope so."
"It must be."
"Have you sent out any scouts to find its strength?"
"Yes, one--a boy named Ebenezer Pike."
"A boy?"
"Yes, a boy that I would back against all the men I ever saw."
"He may betray you."
"Col. Arnold, that makes three times you have expressed a fear of someone betraying our cause. Do not do it again, or I may----"
Allen paused. He did not wish to give offense.
"What? Speak out, man!"
"I may doubt you. I always was taught to think that a suspiciousperson was to be feared."
"Ha, ha, ha! Allen, do you see that sun?"
"Of course."
"It shines for all?"
"Yes."
"It is always constant? It never refuses to shine?"
"No."
"Then do not doubt me until that sun ceases to be constant and true."
The Hero of Ticonderoga; or, Ethan Allen and His Green Mountain Boys Page 14