The Little Red Foot
de logging road, to make up for moments wasted, I caught sight of t
ia, carried rifles and packs; and I smelled the tobacco from their
em; they heard
be a sorry business for farmers, what with plowing scarce begun an
the field in earnest thi
It's a long, long road to liberty, lad
wks are leaving the Lower Castle-which God prevent!-but I think
I, turning very red; for I was mortified that the h
father. Well and good. I know the son, also.... But I suppose that gentlemen like yoursel
nion any Tory was likely to attempt any business, how
wiftly forward, each engaged with a mu
d two neighbors, young John, son of Philip Helmer, and Charles Cady, of Fonda's Bush, following
to the bush, as though moved by some common impulse. Then they r
ff us to our destination. If these two be truly of the o
both looked back. S
e militia call; they have rifles
Fonda's Bush, so that an honest man might know
muttered the other. "Who argues with wolv
nd us were mending their pace and must soon come up with
, John Drogue?" in
ad no news at all. But Cady took it otherwise and his flat-feature
rel mean? And why should he not share his news with John Helmer here,-
meaning; that he mistook me; and that
ady in a loud and threatening tone.
on of me," said I quietly. "I
e!" shouted Cady. "Don't think to bully me or
e no clearer than your natural one, God on
ered nothing; but Helmer urgently demanded to
around at both Helmer and Cady, who bore no packs on
retorted Cady, "whatever may be y
nt. But Helmer's handsome features darkened again: and, "I'll not be put upon," said he, "whate
d be a King's man. So if your politics stink somewhat of Boston, you are doubly s
in Tryon, I think he, also, would be wearing hi
Sir John that his father, had he lived, would this day be sending out a district mili
s, I had given him a sound beating the year before, being so harassed and pestered by him because I had answere
lad, John Drogue, but I bear witness that you display the patience and good temper of a grown man. For
times," said I, "and help each other stamp d
ot stir a step more to be insulted. I shall not bu
e elbow and pulled him forward; and I heard them
half a mind to turn them back!" And he swung his brown rifle from the shoulder
out what's a-frying," growled Putman. "Shall we turn them back
ith us. While they remain under our eyes the stale
nodded m
have no care concerning him. But let him ou
, indeed, lay all the Stoner clearing, save for a patch o' hen-scratched garden at the log-cabin's dooryard; for old Henry Stoner and his forest-ru
I do not know; for I never saw aught growing in their garden,
hered a dozen or sixteen men, the greater number wear
extended to greet us; old Henry Stoner, sprawling under an apple tree, salu
which so often urged him into-and led him safely out of-endle
h Guy Johnson and the Butlers in Canada. What wonder, then, that our Provincial Congress has its belly full of these same Johnstown Tor
yself tu
the benefit of doubt until we learn
Canada wolves." He climbed to the top of the rickety rail fence and squatted there. "The landed gentry of Tryon County are a pack of bloody wolves," said he, lighting his cob pipe;-"Guy Johnson, Colonel Claus, Walter Butler, every one of them-every
is Tory treachery? Do you suppose that this poisonous Baron
ook me by the arm and drew me up to
which smoke oozed. "Let's view it from the start. Begin from the Boston business. Now, then! George the
gentry to stand by us, lead us, and face the
, lead us in our own defense! We begged Guy Johnson to hold back his savages so that th
d hold his own Mohawks tranquil when Cresap was betrayed by Dunmore, and the first breeze f
was the greatest and the
fronts us here this day on the frontier: We appealed to the landed gentry of Tryon. They sneered
to stamp out in Tryon County the last spark of liberty, of manhood among us. God knows what we have endured these last few
re is the landed gentry of County Tryon at this very hour? Exce
said I
Guy Park stands empty and locked. It is an accursed place! Guy Johnson is fle
May every devil in hell haunt that house! Young Walter Butler is gone with many of our old nei
ld, the bloody thief!-with his kilted
remains," sa
arch with our good General to disarm Sir John's popish Highlanders! And even then they lied-and Sir John lied
n his parole," I r
again when we march to take him. Do you think he won't learn of our coming? Do
y is sti
s the wife of that cold, sleek beast, Sir John. I pity her because she is gently bred and frail and lonely and stuffed with childish pride o' race. I pity her lot there in the great Hall, with her girl companions and her servants and her slaves.
he spoke, and I followed, for our three drummers had formed rank and were drawing their sticks from their cro
to form in double ranks of sixteen files front while the drums rolled like spring thunder, filli
ed pipes and leaned on our long rifles, chatting with neighbors; others tightened belts and straps, but
tied in a queue with a knot of buckskin, asked me in his stealthy way what I thought about our
verns where few friends to liberty cared to assemble; and he was far too
ckless wilderness, out of which each man had hewed for himself a patch of garden and a stump pasture along the lit
untry. And the Mohawks sto
hawk path through twenty odd miles of untouched
the wood road to Sir William's Mayfield and Fish House settlements, we of Fonda's Bush were utterly cut off. Also, save for t
re house built for his hour of leisure by
jutting out into those dismal, drowned lands which
a menace; for Tories, it had been rumoured, were ever skulking along the Vlaie and the Sacandaga; and for aught we knew, these buildings were alr
hich had already deserted to the Canadas with Butler. All our officers had fled; Joe Scott of Maxon, formerly a sergeant,
n double file, and only the little creature
l and the landed gentry our officers seemed gone; a dull sense of bewilderment reigned, confusing many amo
mile; then Joe Scott halted us and made Nick Stoner put away his belo
the left-a dirty job where alders a
n not guess, for our men needed no heartening, having courage and r
ame silly drumming and fifing. And I was glad when we came to high ground and breast
and the far rhythm of our drums thumping dully in my ears, I wondered whether other companies of my regimen
And, when we made a prisoner of Sir John, would all the d
er-slogan of the Iroquois might break out int
s where the crested partridge strutted witness bloody combat
le Tory and patriot fought it out? Or was this utter an
nothing living in the woods save a big hare or two in the alders, and the wild brown p
private soldier like myself, with news of a halt on the Johns
the Mohawk, and that a column of three thousand men under Colonel Da
where we had halted, in order to stop the road to Fonda's Bush
hes this way, there is like to be a lively time for us of the Bush, because Sir John has three hundr
said Shew calmly,
our people m
said he
lk of Fonda's Bush were my own people; that I was one of them; that, as they meant to stand for the
nd against that nobility and gentry who were deserting us when we had so despera
an split; the red livery of the King's men had sudde
ou and I stand here,-the last chance for any reconciliation a
way," he said, givi
of my many friends in Tryon who would wear the scarlet coat tomorrow, and wh
h, through the roof of green above, fell a long sunbeam, lighting the wooded aisl
moved from that silent place where we
se open woods which, being primeval, were clear of un
ance-signal to scout forward. I ran out among the great trees and s
Against the evening sky I saw the spires of Johnstown, stained c
eadows, where moving ranks of musket-barrels glanced redly in the last gle
rest on my left and stood knee deep in last
shouted to him. "They look
ment," he bawled, "b
clearly to my ears; the timing tap
t to Godfrey; "yonder marches a regime
nd, finding all tight and bright, waded forward waist high, through
eiled the fields, through which the gay even
people!" sho
y filing between some cattle-bars to the left of us;
but there was no need for haste, because they halted presently in some diso
disgraced the militia of New York-a stupidity partly cowardly, partly treacherous, which at one time so incensed His Excellen
ot from individual cowardice. But these levies had no faith in their companies beca
think it was because of these things that the New York militia behaved so contemptibly after the battle of Long Island, and
up. Joe Scott stood facing the slovenly single rank which he had contrived to parade
rguments, some laughter which sounded
ranks, refusing to listen to Scott, and withdrew a littl
not march to the Hall to take Sir
and his sullen son, John, walked away and joined t
tus Weed and Eugene Gr
forgot all discipline and duty, an
urged of you, and I for one thank God
ckened buckskins, went out in front of our
ou swine, or
and be damned to you! Why do you loiter!
ved more slowly and sullenly, not exactly menacing us with their rifle
Joe Scott standing with one hand across his eyes, as thou
arce command my voice, but gave him a salute and
e, "this is like to
rder the drums t
nk the men
what remai
close up. I could not hear what he said, but the men began to c
marching tune, which is called "The Little Red Foot"; and the drums beat it; and we marched