Corporal 'Lige's Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga

“Ay! I had not thought of that. They must be gagged, or, what may be better for us, shot offhand.”

“Are you willing to kill two boys in cold blood, Ezra Jones?”

There was no reply to this question, and Jason Wentworth turned round to the other man.

“Matthew White, will you take it upon yourself to do what is little less than murder?”

“No; carry them further into the thicket, where they cannot be heard from the trail, and there tie them up.”

“It were better we shot them at once, than leave them to starve,” Jason Wentworth said much as if speaking to himself, and during this conversation the feelings of the two lads can be faintly imagined.

The question of their death by bullet or starvation was being discussed in such a business-like manner, as if there was no alternative, that the boys were literally paralyzed with fear.

It seemed to Isaac Rice as if the three men remained silent fully five minutes before Jason Wentworth spoke again, and then it was with the air of one who has decided some vexed question.

“I’m not willing to play the part of a savage,” he said, speaking slowly in order to give his words due weight. “Neither do I propose that they shall carry the message. We’ll take them with us.”

“And thus we shall be caused much delay,” Ezra Jones muttered.

“If they are wise we will travel as rapidly as when alone, and in case of a refusal to obey orders they can be shot, or left to starve, as easily half an hour hence as now. Besides, there will be much work at the oars ’twixt here and Crown Point, and they can do a little more than their share of it.”

Perhaps it was this last suggestion which caused the other two men to agree to the proposition.

At all events, no further objection was made, and Master Wentworth took it upon himself to direct the march of the prisoners.

“You are to keep half a dozen paces in advance, and take good care there is no loitering, or any attempt at giving us the slip,” he said to the boys, who yet lay upon the ground. “I do not propose that you shall be starved to death; but at the same time I would put a musket-ball into one or both of you without compunction, rather than suffer delay or escape. Now get on your feet, and move lively, for only by obedience can you save your lives.”

There was no disposition on the part of Colonel Allen’s messengers to run counter to the command which had been given.

Each knew full well that two of their three captors were in favor of leaving them to a most cruel death, which could be escaped only by prompt acquiescence to all the orders given.

Therefore it was they leaped to their feet quickly, and set forward at a sharp pace, when Jason Wentworth pointed out the direction to be pursued.

At this moment it was Isaac who suffered most in mind, for he knew full well that Corporal ’Lige would condemn him for not having the courage to face death rather than give information to the enemy.

Even though it was Nathan who had divulged what should have been kept a secret, the raw recruit knew in his own heart he had agreed that the information should be given, because of having made no protest.

If Seth Warner failed in his purpose, it would be owing in a certain degree to what had been told these men, and Isaac, who had hoped to win renown, if not glory, by enlisting, could charge himself with what was worse than a blunder.

On the other hand Nathan was not sore in mind because of the possibility that Crown Point might still be held by the king’s troops; but he had sufficient sense to understand that if he had retraced his steps along the shore to the trail, as Isaac proposed, this capture might not have been made.

Therefore, but in a different fashion, was his mental trouble as great as that of his comrade.

To the chagrin of both the boys they came upon the trail leading from the lake to Sudbury, after not more than two or three minutes’ traveling, and thus knew that if their halt had been delayed a very short time it might have been possible to have given these enemies the slip.

Once on the trail word was given to halt, and the three men held a brief consultation as to the course they should pursue.

One was in favor of going directly to the shore, where it appeared they believed a boat could be found; but the others insisted on keeping within the thicket until they were arrived a mile or more above the fort, lest, being seen, pursuit should be made by those who had captured Ticonderoga.

This last proposition prevailed, although there were many chances they might not find a boat further up the lake; but Jason Wentworth persisted it would be better if they make the journey entirely on foot, than take the risk of being captured before word could be carried to Crown Point.

On being commanded to push forward once more the boys obeyed readily, if not willingly, and during the hour which elapsed before they gained the desired point, Nathan and Isaac had ample opportunity for conversation, since their captors did not seem to be averse to their talking one with the other.

“Of course, we shall be held prisoners by the king’s troops once we are arrived at Crown Point,” Isaac ventured to say after they had traveled steadily, although slowly, onward for nearly half an hour, and young Beman replied in a petulant tone:

“That goes without saying, and it shows what a fool I’ve been in running around with those who would oppose the king’s will. If father is eager to ruin himself, that’s no reason I should be a fool, and I’d better have listened to mother.”

“Why speak of what has been done?” Corporal ’Lige’s recruit asked in what he intended should be a soothing tone. “I am not acquainted with the country as you are, neither am I so brave; but yet it seems as if we should be on the alert for a chance to escape.”

“Now you talk like a fool! How may we escape with these three men on watch, all of whom are willing to shoot us at the first chance we give them. I’m not minded to have a bullet put through my body; but would rather trust to the king’s troops, in the hope that after a time we may be set free.”

“Yet if we could give these men the slip?”

“You may be certain we shan’t have a chance.”

“Yet, suppose we did?”

“Why will you be so weak-headed, Isaac Rice? If this is really war between the king and the colonies, the lives of boys like us count for but little, especially since two of these men are eager to be rid of us.”

Isaac understood that it was useless just at this time to make any attempt at arousing his companion from the petulant despondency into which he had fallen, wherefore wisely kept silent; but at the same time was firmly resolved to be on the lookout for any opportunity of gaining his freedom.

His timorousness had fled before the thought that there might yet be a chance, he knew not how, of preventing the information of the fall of Ticonderoga from being carried to Crown Point.

The boy had in his heart just then what is commonly called courage, and his will was good, at whatever cost to himself, to repair the mischief which had been done.

He had hoped to animate his companion to the same pitch, but the failure to do this did not discourage him, and while obeying strictly the orders given, he was keenly aware of everything which might be of benefit.

He heard the men discussing what they would do in case of a failure to find a boat near by where they gained the shore, and learned that in such an event one of them would return to the landing-place to get the craft of which they knew, with the idea that a single oarsman would not be molested while pulling leisurely up stream as if bent on business of his own.

He also understood that it was the purpose of his captors, after warning the garrison at Crown Point, to muster a force of Loyalists from the immediate vicinity, and march into Sudbury with the idea of taking Captain Baker and his men prisoners before a second messenger should be sent from Ticonderoga.

There seemed little hope that such information could avail him, and yet he was in a certain degree elated because of having gained it.

On arriving at the shore of the lake, where the men had thought it possible a boat might be found, no craft of any kind was to be seen.

The wind still held strongly from the north, and Jason Wentworth announced in a tone of satisfaction:

“The rebels won’t get very far on their journey toward Crown Point this day, and I am mistaken if the wind doesn’t freshen after sunset.”

“It will be precious hard work for us to make our way against such a breeze,” Ezra Jones grumbled.

“Ay; but we can do it with four oars out, and even though we pull at them twenty-four hours, the labor should count as nothing so that we arrive in good time.”

“But the garrison there is weak?”

“They should be able to hold out until assistance can arrive. We can muster fifty men for them within two hours; but standing here talking isn’t doing the work, and it’s important we set off without unnecessary delay. Ezra, you go down the shore, and Matthew up, each searching for a boat, and when one has been found pull to this point, where I will stay with the prisoners.”

“Is it to your mind that I shall take the craft from opposite the fort, running the risk of being overhauled?”