A REBELLION IN THE COURT-ROOM.
"Father, look at my face," said James, who was the first to begin the
conversation. "Just look at it."
"Yes, I see it," said the old gentleman, angrily. "You have been having
an argument with some of those young rebels and you have got the
knock-down end of it. I will wager that Caleb Young and Enoch Crosby
know something about it."
"They were both there," said James, seating himself on the steps, "but
Caleb was the only one who struck me. Now, father, what am I going to do
about 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 you
only once?" exclaimed Mr. Howard. "You would make a pretty fight, you
would."
"But, father, you don't know anything about the strength in that
fellow's arms," whined James. "I would just as soon have a horse kick
me. I want to see the magistrate about this."
"Let us go up there at once," said Mr. Howard, putting on his hat. "We
don't want to let the grass grow under our feet until this thing is
settled. These young rebels are getting altogether too brash. They want
to be shut up for a while. I wish I had them in England. When they were
there, they would find themselves among gentlemen, and they could not
talk as they pleased."
"Do you believe you can put him under lock and key for hitting me?" said
James. He began to be all excitement now. To see Caleb Young put in jail
for 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 in
the first place?"
James hesitated when his father propounded this question. When he came
to think the matter over he found that he had given Caleb good reason
for knocking him down. He might have to make the complaint under oath
when he came before the magistrate, and he concluded that it was best
to tell the truth while he was about it.
"I said that all those who were in that massacre would be hung some
day," 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 to
grab the rope and haul him up," continued James. "Caleb or Enoch, I have
forgotten which one, replied that if he went and talked that way about
his neighbors, he ought to be hanged."
"And he knocked you down for that?" exclaimed Mr. Howard. "You did
perfectly right in saying what you did, and if I were magistrate I would
shut him up for two or three days at least."
These last words were spoken as they were passing along the streets
toward the magistrate's office. There were many people loitering about,
for the news of the battle of Lexington had not been thoroughly
discussed, and the inhabitants of Machias could not get over it. Every
one knew what was the matter with James without any telling. The
provincials smiled and nodded their heads in a way that showed young
Howard that he was served just right, while the Tories grew angrier than
ever, and insisted on hearing all about it. Before reaching the
magistrate's office James began to think that he was something of a hero
in 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 there
as well as two constables, who were hanging around for a chance to serve
some papers which were slowly being made out for them. The magistrate
was 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 going
to be done in regard to it.
"Bless us!" he exclaimed, when he saw James' battered face. "What have
you been doing?"
"I have not been doing anything," said James, in an injured tone. "A
young 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 his
forehead; for he was one of those "aggressive" Tories who believed in
making 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 a
pound at least. These rebels have got to be kept within bounds. I will
make out the papers right away. Here are two constables ready to serve
them," he added, speaking in a low tone to Mr. Howard. "You had better
have two go with them, for there are some rebels around here and maybe
they will stand by to protect him."
The magistrate made a great flourish and prepared to go on with his
warrant, while James and his father took time to look about upon the
crowd that had followed them in. There were more rebels than Tories in
the party, and that was easy enough to be seen. Some of the former
exchanged a few words in whispered consultation and then went out, but
the Tories stood their ground.
"There!" said the magistrate, who at last turned about with the
completed document in his hand. "Kelly, take this, go up to Young's
house and arrest Caleb in the name of the king. I need not add that if
he 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 the
constable. "The rebels are out in full force."
"Then take Nolton with you. You surely do not need two constables to
arrest a boy! Take notice of the way he acts and I will fine him for
that, too."
The constables went out reluctantly, for they were about to undertake
something which the magistrate himself would have shrunk from if he had
been in their place. After thinking a moment Mr. Howard drew nearer to
the judge.
"You spoke of fining that boy just now," said he. "What is there to
hinder you from shutting him up for three or four days? If the rebels
are to be held within bounds, I don't know of a better way of doing than
that."
"That is what I think," whispered the magistrate. "But you can't do that
for 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. "He
knocked 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 told
her that they had come for the purpose of arresting her son. Caleb was
not at home, she said; she had not seen him since that man brought the
news of the battle of Lexington. She guessed he was down at Crosby's
house; but what did they want to arrest him for? The constables gave her
no satisfaction on this point, but came out and hurried toward Enoch's.
They entered without ceremony[5] and found Caleb seated at the table
with his friend enjoying breakfast. He had left home before breakfast
was ready.
[Footnote 5: The constables were not in the habit of knocking at a
private house. They heralded their approach by the command: "Open in the
name 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 the
house, because she knew it all along. The tussle that Enoch made in
getting Caleb into the house had told her that there was something
unusual 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 knocked
him down. It will teach him better than to talk of hauling honest boys
up with a rope."
Enoch had sat there talking with Caleb while the latter was eating his
breakfast, and had never thought of saying a word; but when he saw his
friend rise to his feet and pick up his hat, he took it as a signal that
it was high time he was doing something. He jumped up and ran out of the
house bareheaded and hurried off to find Zeke Lewis. He burst open the
door without waiting to knock, and caught Zeke in the act of picking his
teeth after enjoying a comfortable breakfast.
"Say, Zeke, the Tories have come to arrest Caleb!" said he, so
impatient to tell what he knew that he could scarcely speak the words
plainly.
"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 business
to say. What did he get out this time."
Enoch repeated the conversation that his friend had with James, and Zeke
all the time nodded his head as if he knew all about it. When Enoch had
finished Zeke wanted to know how he could assist him.
"They are going to fine him for hitting that cowardly Tory, and Caleb
has not got any money," said he. "He will have to go to jail, and I will
wager 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, and
we will see what we can do to help him out."
It was strange what an uproar the giving of a warrant for the arrest of
Caleb Young made in the village. Those "rebels" who had pushed their way
out of the court-room while James was making his complaint had found
plenty of friends to tell it to, and by the time they reached the street
they saw any number of people, all hastening with eager footsteps toward
the magistrate's office. When Zeke and Enoch arrived in front of the
store, in the back part of which the judge held his court, they found
the apartment jammed and the highway for twenty feet each way was packed
full.
"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 the
crowd and up within sight of the magistrate's desk, but his size and
weight 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 magistrate
was 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 want
to know what you did. You knocked him down and left him lying there. You
did not care whether you killed him or not. I shall have to fine you one
pound and costs."
If the magistrate had said that he would fine Caleb one hundred pounds
he would have stood just about as much chance of getting it as he did to
fine him one pound. Caleb had never seen so much money in his life, and
he wondered where in the world it was to come from. Seeing that he
hesitated, the magistrate went on.
"If you cannot pay that one pound I shall have to shut you up for twenty
days," 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 in
the colonies."
Zeke had heard all he wanted to hear. It was enough for him to know that
the magistrate wanted to shut up the rebels for a while, and that was
more than they had power to do. Working his way further toward the desk
he seized Caleb by the arm and pulled him back by his side; after which
he placed his arms on his hips and looked at the magistrate as if to ask
him what he was going to do about it.
"What do you mean by such work as that?" demanded the judge. "We have
two constables here----"
"I don't care if you have a dozen," replied Zeke, and his composure was
not in the least ruffled by what had happened. "That boy ain't a-going
to be shut up, and, furthermore, he has not money to pay his fine. You
know that as well as I do. The only thing you can do, judge, is to let
him go."
"Hear, hear!" exclaimed one of Zeke's supporters.
"Keep silence in the court-room," exclaimed the magistrate. "Kelly, you
and Norton arrest the first man who interrupts me. Zeke Lewis, I will
fine you ten pounds and----"
"You will fine nobody nothing," said Zeke. "Come on, Caleb. Let us go
home."
"C-C-Caleb, don't you stir one peg from where you are," stammered the
magistrate. "Norton, arrest him if he moves."
He was evidently frightened, for it was all he could do to keep up a
steady tone of voice. On looking around he could see no Tories present
except the constables. The others had gone out as soon as Zeke made a
move, and there was no one left to help him. Zeke showed what he thought
of the magistrate's order by pulling Caleb's arm through his own and
starting for the door with him. The provincials moved on one side to let
him pass, and two or three of them gave him a cheer. The magistrate was
utterly confounded. He called upon the constables to do their duty, but
none of them moved from his place. A glance into the eyes of the
"rebels" standing around was enough to satisfy them that they had better
keep their hands off. That was the first rebellion that had ever taken
place in Machias.