CHAPTER VII--THE "JUDGMENT SEAT"
Without waiting to be bidden, a man of massive mould entered the room.He strode into the firelight, and, wheeling on the hearth, faced thecompany, his shadow filling half the room.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Good evening, Mr. Felton and Graves."
The latter stood with the untasted dram half way to his gaping mouth,the other was as motionless, save as his face expressed successivelyastonishment, anger, and exultation.
"Colonel Ethan Allen," he said at last, emphasizing the title. "Mosthappy to receive a call from so distinguished a person. A very fortunatemeeting." Then changing his tone of mock politeness to one of command:"You are my prisoner. Men, lay hold of him! A hundred pounds are offeredfor his head! It is Ethan Allen! Lay hold of him, I tell you!"
There was a reluctant stir among the men. One advanced toward the cornernear the fireplace where the guns were set. With deliberate celerityAllen drew his hands from the skirts of his coat, a cocked pistol ineach, and, with one of them, he covered the man skulking towards theguns.
"The first man that draws a pistol or raises a gun gets a bullet throughhis carcass," he said with authority.
At Allen's first words Seth had mounted the ladder and as quicklyreappeared with his gun. The movement was seen in the dancing shadows,and he was covered by the other pistol, which was lowered as he wasdistinguished to be helping a woman and child to mount to the chamber.
"Down with your gun over there! Oh, it is our friend Beeman! All right!"Then Allen called in a voice that made the pewter dishes ring on theirshelves:
"Come in, men!"
The door swung violently open, and Job Carpenter, with all thearms-bearing men of the wide neighborhood, to the number of a dozen,came marching in, in Indian file, with rifle or smooth-bore at a trail.In the rear was Nathan, unarmed, but eager to see all that shouldtranspire.
Felton and Graves lost their bold demeanor, yet held their places, whiletheir men slunk to the farther side of the room in dumb affright, saveJenkins, the cook, who, dodging this side and that of Allen's burlyform, hovered near his frying-pans in a divided fear for his own safetyand that of his pork.
"Keep every one of these men under close guard, my boys," Allencommanded, "especially these two chief offenders. Now, Mr. Felton,perhaps it is made plain to you that I am not your prisoner, and thatthe gods of the valleys are not the gods of the hills. Behold how richestake to themselves wings and fly away even before they are possessed. Inwitness whereof, consider the hundred pounds offered by your Governorfor an honest man. No wonder he longs for the sight of one, with such apack of thieves and land jobbers as he has about him."
"An honest man?" cried Felton, trembling with rage. "A ruffian! Arioter! A defier of law!" and he poured forth a torrent of opprobriousnames, and a full measure of curses, till out of breath.
"Go on, Master Felton, go on," said Allen, smiling benignly upon him."Ease yourself. Unless it be prayer, which you rarely employ, I doubt,there is nothing like good round cursing to relieve an overburdenedheart. Upon occasion I avail myself of the remedy. Pray go on, or giveyour friend a chance. Mr. Graves, you have the floor," but the manaddressed only glowered savagely.
"Well, if you have offered all your burnt offerings of brimstone, letthe men have their supper and make themselves strong for their journey.Dish up the pork, cook, that you have been bumping my legs to get at,and bring out your bread bag. Stir yourselves. We have weighty businesspending."
The men ate their meat and bread with the appetite of those whom noemotion can cheat of a meal, but Felton and Graves would have none ofit. The Green Mountain Boys sat apart, chatting in low tones, till thesmokers were filling their pipes after their meal, when Allen rapped thetable with the butt of his pistol, and his clear, deep voice broke thesilence that ensued.
"Friends of the Grants, you all know we have come here to erect the'Judgment seat' this night, and mete out such punishment as doth untojustice appertain. Yea, verily, for wrongs done or sought to be doneupon the people of these New Hampshire Grants. We will at once elect ajudge. To save time, I will nominate Ethan Allen as a proper person forthat office. You that would elect him say 'Aye.'"
There was a unanimous affirmative response, even Nathan, proud of theopportunity of giving his first vote, made his piping treble heard amongthe deep voices of the men.
"Contrary minded, make the usual sign."
There was only a sullen "No" from Felton.
"You are not entitled to vote in this meeting, sir. I have a clearmajority and will take my seat." So saying, Allen seated himself uponthe table.
"The plain facts of the case are these: This Mr. Felton and this Graves,also, were taken by me, and certain other good men, about one month ago,in the act of surveying, under the pretended authority of the tyrannicalNew York government, lands already granted by His Excellency BenningWentworth, His Majesty's duly appointed Governor of New Hampshire. Thesaid persons were ordered to desist from such unlawful business and todepart from these Grants, and were duly warned not to return for a likepurpose under pain of being 'Viewed.' Furthermore, they were suffered todepart without bodily harm. Here the surveyor comes again, like a badpenny as he is, bearing the King's mark, but a base counterfeit none theless. And this Graves pretends to own this pitch by right of purchaseunder York government. Other than them I do not recognize any among thiscrew who have been 'Warned.' Now, friend Beeman, tell us your story."
Seth told what had passed between him and the surveyor, and then Nathanwas called to relate his meeting the party in the woods, which he did ina straightforward manner, except for his boyish bashfulness.
"Now, you have it all. Felton and Graves are here, as you see, inprosecution of their unlawful business, as the testimony of this boy andhis father shows. In further proof whereof, see the surveyor'sinstruments here in view. What say you, men of the Grants, are theyguilty or not guilty?"
"Guilty," said the various voices.
"What shall be their punishment? That they be chastised with the twigsof the wilderness?"
There was general affirmative response, some answering loudly, othersfaintly and hesitatingly. Then Job Carpenter stepped forward, and,making a military salute, said:
"I don't go agin these men a gittin' what they desarve, but I don't wantto have them skinned. Their skins hain't worth a-hevin' only for theirselves, and I hate to see white men whipped like dogs. If they wasInjins I wouldn't say agin it. But, bein' they hain't, I move they hevjest nine cuts o' the Blue Beech apiece."
"Forty, save one," was the customary award in such cases, and there werea few dissenting voices, but the milder punishment was finally agreedupon.
If the two men under sentence felt any gratitude for the mitigation ofthe severity, they expressed none. Graves maintained a sullen silence,though his vengeful scowl expressed as much hatred of the prosecutors ofthe informal trial as did the storm of oaths and abuse that Felton letforth upon them in intermittent gusts.
So the night passed, with snatches of sleep for some, with none forothers, while the prisoners were kept under constant guard. Withdaylight came the summary infliction of the punishment awarded. It was ascene so cruel that Ruth and Martha could not bear to hear, much less towitness it, and Nathan, when an old man, said it was a horrible memory.Yet, severe as was the chastisement inflicted by the Green Mountain Boysupon their persecutors, it was no more cruel than the legal punishmentof many light offences in those days, when the whipping post was one ofthe first adornments of every little hamlet. In conclusion, Ethan Allengave to Felton and Graves a "Certificate," written by himself, to theeffect:
"This is to Certify that the Bearer has this day rec'd his Just Dues andis permitted to pass beyond the New Hampshire Grants. He Behaving asBecometh. In witness whereof, see the Beech Seal upon his back and ourHands set Hereunto. Signed, Ethan Allen and others."
Felton cast his upon the ground and stamped upon it, but Graves foldedand put his carefully in his pocket, glowering in silence
upon hisenemies. Then Ethan Allen broke the surveyor's compass with his ownhands and tossed the fragments away.
"Now," said he, in an awful voice, "depart, and woe be unto you,Marmaduke Felton and Erastus Graves, if you ever set foot in the land ofthe Green Mountain Boys. You other men, if you come in peace and onhonest business, you shall not have a hair of your heads hurt. But ifyou ever venture to come on such an iniquitous errand as now broughtyou, by the Great Jehovah, you shall repent in sackcloth and ashes!Forward, march!"
At the command, the surveyor and his men filed off, and the last of thesullen and chap-fallen crew soon disappeared among the trees. They wereaccompanied some distance by the Green Mountain Boys, when their belovedchieftain rode away to redress wrongs of settlers in other parts.
By noon the clearing was occupied by none but its usual tenants, and,henceforth, though they suffered frequent apprehension of furthertrouble, they were not molested by any New York claimants.
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