A NIGHT ATTACK
Not often did the Harding children enjoy such a day as that of the
stump-burning. Life was very real indeed to pioneer folks, although the
fact that every family in the community had to work hard left no
loophole for complaint on any side. There were no very poor people then,
and there were no immensely rich. It is only by comparison that human
beings become discontented with their lot.
The widow's children had to work little harder than their neighbors.
Their mother labored with them in the fields, as well as paying full
attention to her household duties. She could swing an axe with most men
in the township, and was no mean shot with the rifle. She led the corn
hoeing and taught the older boys to do those things which were needful
about the farm. The crops during this summer prospered well, and after
clearing up and barreling the ashes made during the stump-burning, Enoch
and Bryce ploughed and harrowed the new piece along the creek's edge.
They sowed it to winter grain and hung "scare-crows" all about the field
to keep the wild birds from pulling up the tender shoots when they
appeared above the mold.
Besides leading her children in the work of the farm, Mistress Harding
paid more attention to their education than most parents of the
settlement could. There was a school in Bennington during the winter
months; but it was too far away for any of the Hardings to attend. But
the widow had been a school-teacher before her marriage and she had
brought some books with her from her old home. So part of almost every
day she taught her children. The girls and little Harry, who was just
learning his letters and "a-b, abs," studied during the daytime; but the
older boys did their lessons by the light of the candle dips, or lying
on the hearth before the dancing fire. Both summer and winter these
studies were kept up and therefore Enoch and his brothers and sisters
were rather farther advanced in learning than the other children of the
scattered community.
To this study Enoch took rather kindly; but to Bryce, who possessed more
of his father's roving disposition, the school hour was distasteful.
Bryce, too, complained more than a little because he was not allowed to
go to Bennington on training days. He was growing rapidly and was well
nigh as big as his brother, and he felt that he should be counted a
member of the military company.
This drilling in the manual of arms had become a very serious matter to
the Grants people. The Green Mountain Boys, which nickname had before
the end of the summer become fixed upon the bands, were divided into
four companies of which Seth Warner, 'Member Baker, Robert Cochran and
Gideon Warner were the captains. Ethan Allen was elected colonel
commanding by acclamation and plans were made to watch over many of the
outlying districts liable to be troubled most frequently by the Yorkers.
With all his impulsiveness, Allen was long-headed and something of a
strategist; yet he leaned to some extent upon Captain Warner's good
sense. Warner was a man of much finer mould than the chief of the Green
Mountain Boys, was well educated and had a personal following of his own
in the Grants, second only to Allen's. But there was never any jealousy
between them. Allen's was a nature too frank and generous to harbor such
a despicable feeling, while Warner was too deeply interested in the
cause to do so.
Nuck Harding was a proud boy indeed, for he was nigh the youngest among
those who drilled. Such raiding as was done by the Green Mountain Boys
that year was the work of small parties under Allen, Warner, or Cochran,
and no general engagement occurred between the Grants settlers and the
New York authorities, so Nuck saw no real service. At home, however, he
and Bryce frequently talked over what they would do if Simon Halpen
should visit them. That he had been scouting about the farm on the day
of Sheriff Ten Eyck's fiasco at James Breckenridge's place, the older
boy was sure. He was certain that the man he had seen beside the
campfire in the wood, and whom Crow Wing seemed to befriend, was the
Yorker who, twice before, had tried to drive the Hardings from their
home. But neither the man nor the Indian youth appeared in the
neighborhood as the summer waned and the autumn harvests approached.
Nevertheless, after harvest, when the farm work was well cleared up, the
boys put into practice a plan which, after much thought they had
evolved. Many a frontier home of that, and an earlier day, had connected
with it an underground passage, or room which, although usually devoted
to the simple storage of potatoes and roots, could in time of need be
used as a refuge for the family. Of an Indian attack there was little
danger; but they did not know to what length the Yorkers might go when
once they did appear. Nuck believed Simon Halpen to be a man without
compassion or mercy, and that the house might be attacked and burned
over their heads.
So, while still the frost held off, they constructed beneath the
fireplace a deep stonewalled apartment nearly eight feet square--large
enough to hold the entire family if need should come. When finished the
entrance was gained by raising a large flat stone which was a part of
the hearth. But the winter came without any alarm to the Hardings, and
drew its slow length across the green hills and valleys like some albino
monster of prehistoric times. The firs were snow-crowned and the white
mantle lay deep in the hollows. Bryce and Enoch added generously to the
family larder by the fruit of their hunting-trips, for there was plenty
of time for such sport now. They had learned to weave snow-shoes in
Indian fashion, too, and Bolderwood taught Enoch to tan and "work" the
deer hides so well that their mother was able to use the pliable leather
for moccasins for the family. "Boughten" shoes they had; but they were
kept for best, for the money to purchase them with came hard indeed to
the widow.
Not until the sap began to flow from the maples was winter counted
broken. Robbie Baker rode over about the middle of March and begged so
hard that Mrs. Harding allowed Enoch to return with him to help at the
Baker's "sugaring." There were plenty of fine maples near the Baker
house and Nuck was promised a share of the refined sugar. There was no
need of a hut at the sugar orchard, for they slept at Baker's house, and
only a shelter was built over the great kettle in which the sap was
boiled. Captain Baker made the incisions in the generous trees, and
fitted the troughs; but Robbie and Nuck collected the sap and brought
it, bucket by bucket, to the fire which Mrs. Baker tended. It was hard
work but there was some fun connected with it, too, and Nuck enjoyed his
week's visit--or would have done so had it not been for the incident
with which the outing closed.
Through the winter the people of the Grants had lived almost entirely at
peace with their troublesome neighbors over the border. But there were
certain active spirits among the Yorkers who were waiting only for the
coming of spring to continue their persecutions. Because of the raids by
the leaders of the Green Mountain Boys, there were warrants out for
several, and Captain Baker was one of these who was wanted by the Albany
authorities. The infamous John Munro who had accepted the office of
Justice of the Peace from the New York party, gathered ten or twelve
choice spirits on the night of March 22d, and feeling the security of
numbers approached the home of the Grants' remarkable marksman, his mind
fixed firmly upon the reward that had been offered for the apprehension
of "the outlaw, Baker."
The Green Mountain Boy was not a man to be attacked without due
consideration, and the Yorkers came to the house in the dead of night,
breaking in without warning, and capturing Captain Baker in his bed.
Even thus handicapped Baker fought with desperation and, overpowered by
numbers and cruelly wounded, only gave over the struggle when he saw
that the Yorkers were beating his wife and son as well.
"I surrender to ye, ye dogs!" he cried. "But let the woman and child
alone," and at that they ceased to belabor Mrs. Baker and Robbie and set
about removing the captive as expeditiously as possible. Robbie had been
asleep in the loft with his guest when the attack was made and had run
down the ladder to get at the guns; but this last was impossible.
Enoch's rifle was likewise down-stairs and he was unable to help his
friends; but instead of showing himself to the enemy he lifted a corner
of the bark roof and crept outside. It was dark, and although there was
a watch kept without the house, he was not observed and managed to reach
the ground by climbing down the corner logs.
By this time Captain Baker was a prisoner. They allowed him to partly
dress and then securing him with thongs, brought him forth and threw him
into a sledge which was in waiting. Their haste was obvious. Even in the
night, and at this distance from any succor, the cowardly justice and
his friends feared that members of the Green Mountain company would be
aroused, and they had no wish to face Baker's comrades. Their idea was
to get him across the Hudson and to Albany as swiftly as possible.
But Enoch, though unable to render his friends any assistance in the
fight, had not been idle. Keeping the house between him and the Yorkers
at the door, he reached the stable. Mrs. Baker's voice rose above the
general din, begging the Yorkers to spare her husband--to at least allow
her to bind up the wound in his head before they took him away. But they
merely laughed at her request. It made Enoch grit his teeth in rage, and
pulling open the door of the stable he quickly entered and flung the
captain's saddle upon the horse. Buckling the girth tightly he backed
the steed out of the hovel and was astride it before the enemy observed
him.
With a smart slap on the creature's flank Nuck sent the horse tearing
down the road to Bennington and was almost out of rifle shot before the
Yorkers realized his escape and the meaning of it. Several shots
followed him, so reckless were the justice's companions, but there was
no pursuit. Instead, the villains tumbled into the sledge and upon the
backs of their own steeds, and amid the cries of the woman and Robbie,
took the way to the Twenty-Mile Line and Albany. The prisoner's wife and
son scarcely realized what Nuck's escape meant; it looked as though the
guest had fled when peril threatened the helpless family. But Nuck very
well knew what he was about.
It was still several hours before dawn, but the moon brilliantly
illumined the forest road and as the way was fairly well beaten, Nuck
set the horse at his fastest pace. He knew that he could find men at
Bennington--particularly at the Green Mountain Inn--who would consider
no hardship too great to assist the captured settler. Many of Remember
Baker's own company of Green Mountain Boys would be in town and Stephen
Fay, the host, would be able to tell him where to find these men
quickly. It was a long ride to the Hudson and the hope of overtaking the
Yorkers and their prisoner spurred the boy on.
On and on flew the horse and rider until at last the scattered houses of
the hamlet came into view. The settlement lay lifeless under the cold
winter sky; not a spiral of smoke rose from the broad-topped chimneys,
for the fires in every house were banked during the night, and it was
too early for the spryest kitchen-maid to be astir. The horse thundered
up to the door of the Catamount Inn and Nuck's wild halloa brought a
night-capped head to the window instantly--that of the innkeeper.
"What might be the news, neighbor?" he demanded.
"Captain Baker has been carried off by the Yorkers!" shouted Nuck, and
his words were heard by other night-capped heads at other windows about
the inn. "'Squire Munro and some others came and got him out of bed.
They've driven off toward the Line."
"'Member Baker's captured!" The word was taken up by a dozen voices and
the settlers dressed hurriedly and ran forth from their houses.
Meanwhile Master Fay had aroused certain men who happened to be in his
hostelry, as well as the stablemen in the yard. There was a great bustle
about the inn. "Boy!" cried the innkeeper to Nuck, who still bestrode
Captain Baker's horse, "do you go and call Isaac Clark and Joe Safford.
They'll have their horses handy--and good horses, too, I'll be bound.
Tell them to come here with saddle and rifle."
These two men lived at the other end of the village. Nuck routed them
out and in fifteen minutes was back with them at the inn. By that time
quite a crowd had collected and ten men beside Nuck were found to be
mounted and ready to set forth after the Yorkers. Each was a tried Green
Mountain Boy and eager to take satisfaction for the attack upon their
leader. Ten men were considered ample to attack the Yorkers, and with a
promise to the bystanders to recapture 'Member Baker, even though they
followed him to Albany, the cavalcade galloped away from the Green
Mountain Inn, Enoch riding in their train.