The First Capture; or, Hauling Down the Flag of England

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER V.

  A REBELLION IN THE COURT-ROOM.

  "Father, look at my face," said James, who was the first to begin theconversation. "Just look at it."

  "Yes, I see it," said the old gentleman, angrily. "You have been havingan argument with some of those young rebels and you have got theknock-down end of it. I will wager that Caleb Young and Enoch Crosbyknow something about it."

  "They were both there," said James, seating himself on the steps, "butCaleb was the only one who struck me. Now, father, what am I going to doabout it? I can't go around with my face this way."

  "Do you mean to say that you gave up to Caleb and that he struck youonly once?" exclaimed Mr. Howard. "You would make a pretty fight, youwould."

  "But, father, you don't know anything about the strength in thatfellow's arms," whined James. "I would just as soon have a horse kickme. I want to see the magistrate about this."

  "Let us go up there at once," said Mr. Howard, putting on his hat. "Wedon't want to let the grass grow under our feet until this thing issettled. These young rebels are getting altogether too brash. They wantto be shut up for a while. I wish I had them in England. When they werethere, they would find themselves among gentlemen, and they could nottalk as they pleased."

  "Do you believe you can put him under lock and key for hitting me?" saidJames. He began to be all excitement now. To see Caleb Young put in jailfor what he had done would be ample recompense for him.

  "I assure you that I am going to try it. How did the argument begin inthe first place?"

  James hesitated when his father propounded this question. When he cameto think the matter over he found that he had given Caleb good reasonfor knocking him down. He might have to make the complaint under oathwhen he came before the magistrate, and he concluded that it was bestto tell the truth while he was about it.

  "I said that all those who were in that massacre would be hung someday," began James.

  "Good enough. You told him the truth."

  "And I told him that if he were there I would be one of the first tograb the rope and haul him up," continued James. "Caleb or Enoch, I haveforgotten which one, replied that if he went and talked that way abouthis neighbors, he ought to be hanged."

  "And he knocked you down for that?" exclaimed Mr. Howard. "You didperfectly right in saying what you did, and if I were magistrate I wouldshut him up for two or three days at least."

  These last words were spoken as they were passing along the streetstoward the magistrate's office. There were many people loitering about,for the news of the battle of Lexington had not been thoroughlydiscussed, and the inhabitants of Machias could not get over it. Everyone knew what was the matter with James without any telling. Theprovincials smiled and nodded their heads in a way that showed youngHoward that he was served just right, while the Tories grew angrier thanever, and insisted on hearing all about it. Before reaching themagistrate's office James began to think that he was something of a heroin town, and fully expected to see Caleb shut up for a long time.

  When they arrived at their journey's end they found the magistrate thereas well as two constables, who were hanging around for a chance to servesome papers which were slowly being made out for them. The magistratewas surprised when he saw such a company of men coming into his office,for be it known that a good many people, both Tories and provincials,had turned about and gone with them. They wanted to see what was goingto be done in regard to it.

  "Bless us!" he exclaimed, when he saw James' battered face. "What haveyou been doing?"

  "I have not been doing anything," said James, in an injured tone. "Ayoung rebel got mad at me for something I had said and knocked me down."

  "Aha! A young rebel!" said the magistrate, the scowl deepening upon hisforehead; for he was one of those "aggressive" Tories who believed inmaking war upon all those people who did not hold to his own opinions."Do you want to make out a complaint against him? I will fine him apound at least. These rebels have got to be kept within bounds. I willmake out the papers right away. Here are two constables ready to servethem," he added, speaking in a low tone to Mr. Howard. "You had betterhave two go with them, for there are some rebels around here and maybethey will stand by to protect him."

  The magistrate made a great flourish and prepared to go on with hiswarrant, while James and his father took time to look about upon thecrowd that had followed them in. There were more rebels than Tories inthe party, and that was easy enough to be seen. Some of the formerexchanged a few words in whispered consultation and then went out, butthe Tories stood their ground.

  "There!" said the magistrate, who at last turned about with thecompleted document in his hand. "Kelly, take this, go up to Young'shouse and arrest Caleb in the name of the king. I need not add that ifhe does not come you will call upon any man present to help you."

  "I don't know as I had better go up there alone," whispered theconstable. "The rebels are out in full force."

  "Then take Nolton with you. You surely do not need two constables toarrest a boy! Take notice of the way he acts and I will fine him forthat, too."

  The constables went out reluctantly, for they were about to undertakesomething which the magistrate himself would have shrunk from if he hadbeen in their place. After thinking a moment Mr. Howard drew nearer tothe judge.

  "You spoke of fining that boy just now," said he. "What is there tohinder you from shutting him up for three or four days? If the rebelsare to be held within bounds, I don't know of a better way of doing thanthat."

  "That is what I think," whispered the magistrate. "But you can't do thatfor assault and battery. If you could prove that he tried to kill James,why then----"

  "How do we know that he did not try to kill him?" asked Mr. Howard. "Heknocked him down and there he let him lie."

  "Well, we will see about it when he comes. I will shut him up if I can."

  Meanwhile the two constables had gone on toward Caleb Young's house,where they found his mother, who was overcome with alarm when they toldher that they had come for the purpose of arresting her son. Caleb wasnot at home, she said; she had not seen him since that man brought thenews of the battle of Lexington. She guessed he was down at Crosby'shouse; but what did they want to arrest him for? The constables gave herno satisfaction on this point, but came out and hurried toward Enoch's.They entered without ceremony[5] and found Caleb seated at the tablewith his friend enjoying breakfast. He had left home before breakfastwas ready.

  [Footnote 5: The constables were not in the habit of knocking at aprivate house. They heralded their approach by the command: "Open in thename of the King!" and then went in and did their business.]

  "Ah! Here you are," said Kelly. "Come on. We want you."

  It was just what Caleb expected. The boys had been obliged to tell Mrs.Crosby that they had a skirmish with James Howard in front of thehouse, because she knew it all along. The tussle that Enoch made ingetting Caleb into the house had told her that there was somethingunusual going on, and she was anxious to know all about it.

  "I am ready," said Caleb, "at any time you are."

  "Caleb, you did not kill him?" exclaimed Mrs. Crosby.

  "Oh no," replied Caleb, with a laugh. "I told you that I just knockedhim down. It will teach him better than to talk of hauling honest boysup with a rope."

  Enoch had sat there talking with Caleb while the latter was eating hisbreakfast, and had never thought of saying a word; but when he saw hisfriend rise to his feet and pick up his hat, he took it as a signal thatit was high time he was doing something. He jumped up and ran out of thehouse bareheaded and hurried off to find Zeke Lewis. He burst open thedoor without waiting to knock, and caught Zeke in the act of picking histeeth after enjoying a comfortable breakfast.

  "Say, Zeke, the Tories have come to arrest Caleb!" said he, soimpatient to tell what he knew that he could scarcely speak the wordsplainly.

  "Do tell!" exclaimed Zeke. "What has he been a-doing of?"

  "He knocked down James Howard," said
Enoch.

  "Serves him right. He has been saying something that he had no businessto say. What did he get out this time."

  Enoch repeated the conversation that his friend had with James, and Zekeall the time nodded his head as if he knew all about it. When Enoch hadfinished Zeke wanted to know how he could assist him.

  "They are going to fine him for hitting that cowardly Tory, and Calebhas not got any money," said he. "He will have to go to jail, and I willwager that that is where James wants him to be."

  "He ain't got no money, ain't he? Well, I have been that way myself, andwe will see what we can do to help him out."

  It was strange what an uproar the giving of a warrant for the arrest ofCaleb Young made in the village. Those "rebels" who had pushed their wayout of the court-room while James was making his complaint had foundplenty of friends to tell it to, and by the time they reached the streetthey saw any number of people, all hastening with eager footsteps towardthe magistrate's office. When Zeke and Enoch arrived in front of thestore, in the back part of which the judge held his court, they foundthe apartment jammed and the highway for twenty feet each way was packedfull.

  "Zeke," said a companion, "you don't get a show here."

  "I must," replied Zeke. "I have got to see that fellow out."

  "Well, get in if you can and if you want any help, just sing out."

  It was a matter of some difficulty for Zeke to work his way through thecrowd and up within sight of the magistrate's desk, but his size andweight had a good deal to do with it, and Enoch kept close behind him.When he got near enough to the desk he could hear that the magistratewas talking to the prisoner.

  "And so you knocked James down?" was the question he heard.

  "Yes, sir, I did," answered Caleb. "He said that----"

  "I don't want to hear what he said," interrupted the magistrate. "I wantto know what you did. You knocked him down and left him lying there. Youdid not care whether you killed him or not. I shall have to fine you onepound and costs."

  If the magistrate had said that he would fine Caleb one hundred poundshe would have stood just about as much chance of getting it as he did tofine him one pound. Caleb had never seen so much money in his life, andhe wondered where in the world it was to come from. Seeing that hehesitated, the magistrate went on.

  "If you cannot pay that one pound I shall have to shut you up for twentydays," said he. "You will then pay it at the rate of one shilling a day.I think if more of you rebels were shut up, we should have peace here inthe colonies."

  Zeke had heard all he wanted to hear. It was enough for him to know thatthe magistrate wanted to shut up the rebels for a while, and that wasmore than they had power to do. Working his way further toward the deskhe seized Caleb by the arm and pulled him back by his side; after whichhe placed his arms on his hips and looked at the magistrate as if to askhim what he was going to do about it.

  "What do you mean by such work as that?" demanded the judge. "We havetwo constables here----"

  "I don't care if you have a dozen," replied Zeke, and his composure wasnot in the least ruffled by what had happened. "That boy ain't a-goingto be shut up, and, furthermore, he has not money to pay his fine. Youknow that as well as I do. The only thing you can do, judge, is to lethim go."

  "Hear, hear!" exclaimed one of Zeke's supporters.

  "Keep silence in the court-room," exclaimed the magistrate. "Kelly, youand Norton arrest the first man who interrupts me. Zeke Lewis, I willfine you ten pounds and----"

  "You will fine nobody nothing," said Zeke. "Come on, Caleb. Let us gohome."

  "C-C-Caleb, don't you stir one peg from where you are," stammered themagistrate. "Norton, arrest him if he moves."

  He was evidently frightened, for it was all he could do to keep up asteady tone of voice. On looking around he could see no Tories presentexcept the constables. The others had gone out as soon as Zeke made amove, and there was no one left to help him. Zeke showed what he thoughtof the magistrate's order by pulling Caleb's arm through his own andstarting for the door with him. The provincials moved on one side to lethim pass, and two or three of them gave him a cheer. The magistrate wasutterly confounded. He called upon the constables to do their duty, butnone of them moved from his place. A glance into the eyes of the"rebels" standing around was enough to satisfy them that they had betterkeep their hands off. That was the first rebellion that had ever takenplace in Machias.