Show ely by irving bacheller copyright 1932 by irving Bac Bacholl hollor cr Stir vice it ch CE VIII continued 12 to avold avoid a recurrence of the quarrel and the hero worshipers who were now thronging in afi colin left the room anil and went to his bed ate abone stairs ile he had bad found new light on the delays in COD congress gress A faction hostile to the commander in chief was evidently trying to discourage him and force his bis resignation or create a popular demand for it the young roan man had a prevision of a long and difficult struggle ahead against two enemies a determined ter mined foe and a divided people ile he went to sleep afflicted with thoughts and regrets ns as dark as the gloom that covered him the next morning at daylight he was on his way to new london meanwhile a bit of curious weaving on the fabric of our history was being done in cambridge that morning of colins departure lady washington in her working grisette waited tor for nancy in the library the young lady breezed in as innocently as the soft south couth wind coming through the open windows and embraced the good woman my dear I 1 was worried said mrs washington an hour ago I 1 heard beard of that robber on the west road so I 1 sent a fast rider to find you thanks you are like a dear mother to me mrs washington smiled iier her needles were working rapidly as she said bald my child I 1 have never known i a girl so much in need of a mother while you are here I 1 am going to look after you ou are a foolish child life Is not all confectionery you must forget your beauty and put on plain clothes and go to work or go home this Is no place for play nancy smiled she was wont to smile at fill all the ley precepts she felt a sense of relief when mrs washington arose and bade her go to her tasks josiah stark who had been one of the most skillful and trusted men in the secret service ot of washington was then in the hospital lie ile had received a slight wound in making his return to the army nancy woodbridge had won iron hla his heart lie he had told her in confidence that he was soon going to canada an imprudence caused wholly it her remarkable influence that she went to her room she wrOte Yol letter def at I 1 have delivered your letter to 10 colln colin cabot and an am here with my brother we have both enlisted lie ile Is in the army and I 1 am in the hospital I 1 am as unhappy as I 1 can be and dear friend I 1 must tell you why I 1 was at the beautiful dinner and dance at general genell headquarters to celebrate the evacuation colln colin took me to dinner and then danced with me I 1 would not tell you of all the sweet things that he whispered in ny my ear and when we went out to look at the stars and cool off a little after our exertions he held me and kissed my lips and said that I 1 was irresistible your idol Is like all the other men my dear I 1 think that you should try to be as happy as he Is I 1 wonder it if any man is worthy of you what are girls like you and me to do shall we become man haters baters and old maids no we will marry hut but let us not be deceived by the notion that a man can be an angel my dear does this letter give you pain I 1 write it because I 1 think it better that your heart should ache a little now than be broken later 1 I am sending this to british army I 1 headquarters in care of ge general howe it will be mailed somewhere in canada this Is from your devoted friend nancy A few days later the rugged young josiah stark set out for fort ticonderoga with nancys letter in one of his big saddle bags the girl hat had praised and flattered him for no other reason than her need of his help lie ile had traded horses with young israel sapp who had come down from skenes borough to the army on colins solicitation in the last autumn ile he had ridden a tireless black gelding which he had bad bought from sirs mrs bowlby stark needed a tough horse used to mountain travel the one he be owned was worn so lie gave sapp a horse and a good sum of money for the gelding one day in northern massachusetts stark dismounted to enter a store more for food As had beep been his big custom he left the horse standing in front of the store lie he had always stood without bitching batching bit ching the animal having come to familiar country immediately set out on a lonely road for ills his old home stark went on afoot following his tracks and hoping to overtake him te horse had spent three bears ears of r A life in mrs Bowl bys stable that E 11 night ight awakened by his big tramping and whinnying around the house she arose lighted tier her lantern and went ent out of doors where she found the animal she took hira him to the stable removed the saddle and bags tied him in a stall and gave him food and water in the darkness site she failed to recognize the horse she brought the bags into the house wondering what could have happened to the absent rider in one of the bags she found nancys letter thinking that it would give a clue to the identity of the horses owner she opened and read the letter which nancy had bad written to tier her friend in canada she was vas naturally astonished by ita contents for she remembered vividly the young man to whom it related and for nhom she still entertained a feeling of gratitude and obligation she put the letter in another envelope re addressed it and returned it to its place in the saddlebag saddle bag big CHAPTER IX the army moves and colonel cabot feels the war tide on the fifth of april colln colin returned to the big house in cambridge maj gen charles lee was with washington talking loudly as lie he was wont to do A self made i military hero with a title front from congress lee was a tousled shabby looking englishman of high pretension and bad manners lie ile had lived for a time among the mo ilo hawks one of whose maidens became his wife a matter now forgotten ue ile was tall and scrawny with restless eyes and a huge aquiline nose the resounding promises of this european caston castoff cast off on made with a thumping fist his impassioned review of his own career in portugal and poland his claim that it had won the friendship of frederick the great had naturally impressed the sim bottsen in congress he dealt in their kind of talk they knew that he must be a great man they listened and crowned him with the highest honor in their gift and sent him to washington ills rank gave him some excuse tor for talking loudly lie he was sounding brass anti and a tinkling cymbal there were two people at general headquarters who distrusted this man L lee was a tousled shabby looking englishman of high pretension and bad manners they were martha washington and colln colin cabot who had found it difficult to conceal their aversion while colln colin was waiting for the major general to finish his oration the lady washington came and beckoned to him ile he followed her to the library she had an indignant look that horrid want man I 1 ile he ought to be catching rats or currying horses the lady began as they sat down the general and I 1 have almost quarreled about him my lord and master smiles and says oh he Is an honest well meaning man and let us hope a good soldier lie ile has a fickle and violent temper but we can bear with that did you find good quarters for us on the way to new york the best the roads will be heavy and bad but you will be comfortable at night you are to ride with me and captain farnsworth with a troop of your cavalry to escort us the general must head the line we shall have a rider in the escort for that fine mare of yours nancy will I 1 hope stay at home ii whither hIther she and her brother have gone with furloughs furroughs she began her knitting with a sober and determined look adding she Is a rich mans daughter and thoroughly spoiled A rag doll would be of more use in the hospital she is an idler dreaming of love and confectionery ti tl onery site she gave her yarn a dolent pull often I 1 have thought of that robber on the road he said with a smile she looked into the young mans eyes and laughed saying the robber was arrested I 1 reckon you know why no stop dont lie to me she answered with a smile now go on to your work colln colin made his report to the chief who considerately said you are weary with hard riding you shall have the day for rest the young man found his big friend amos farnsworth sitting in front of his lodge with his men cleaning arms they shook hands with the drooping look of a sick dog amos called colln colin aside alas he exclaimed 1 I aint a feelen coelln awful healthy ills voice trembled a little the trouble satan has floored me tie lie Is in my bone an marrer im mired in sin which my hope Is in the everl everlasting astin arms amos was always frank as to his spiritual condition but curiously he would never quite admit his physical ills to say that he was not feeling awful healthy was going far for him colln colin smiled saying in this case I 1 think that medicine would he be better thin than prayer ill feud you the address of a good physician the guns were hauled to the ships tents and stores were packed aw aej loaded on heavy wagons guns gum and bayonets were polished the bugles sounded and the army began its march ahead the hills bills shone with its weapons glistening in the sunlight everywhere in the line ilde the suck ot of mud tile the splash ot of mack black water the shouts of ungo ners the sound of iron tires slamming over rocks it was wag a slow toilsome journey with many halts the roads rough at best thawed by rain were here and there a mire of mud mild riding a coach became a contest of 0 endurance con ersa tion wait wai limited to exclamations exclamation As As the day wore on tile the young man discovered in the iho good woman ot of virginia nn an unsuspected capacity for self expression ue ile wrote to a friend that tier her opinion ot of new england was distinctly unfavorable one incident of the journey throws a light on the human quality of the commander in chief lie ile wits was a splendid figure sitting on his white charger at the head of the troops As they were passing through a large town with bands playing in the line and the crowd cheering on either side of 0 the way he be saw a little girl run out in front fron t of his horse and march along with a small banner trailing from tier her shoulder the child amused him and he ordered a halt while a man obeying his request put her on the saddle in front of the general she rode with him to the tavern where the staff had their dinner and the men broke ranks for rest and refreshment A trooper rode back with the child to find her parents the army arrived in new york tork on the fourteenth of april much of the baggage and all sick and footsore men had been shipped by boat from points along the shore road the force had bad been weakened by detachments sent to canada the stores wore were low and there was great need of tents and clothing two thousand of the men in line were without arms the first act of general washington was a requisition on new york connecticut and new jersey for thirteen thousand five hundred militia they came pouring in by the thousand strong patriotic men of little training and no experience in the bloody give and take of battle strong detachments under generals putnam and sullivan were posted on a fortified line in brooklyn from east river to gowans cove behind a range of wooded hills A line of defense was established from new rochelle Ito chelle to east westchester to in these positions the training of raw recruits began A little above its business section york island was then a place of fruitful fields and gardens with many white houses on either side of the rough road going north colin notes in his diary that he entered a billiard room one evening and saw two colonels playing in their socks one of whom was vias often saying id d D n my eyell the incoming host had given to the thriving island town an atmosphere of wild rusticity colonel cabets regiment was wag encamped near the tea water rump pump above the city hall put to the task of securing lead they overturned the statue of king george III on the battery in which they found a large quantity of the desired metal they took more from the roots roofs of many profane friends of the king new york being a hotbed of loyall sm shouting officers were in every open space busy with the training there was little time for this task colln colin was engaged with squads of militia when he was summoned to report to general washington for special duty there had been secret advice of a loyalist plot to kidnap the commander in chief for a time the sturdy young man was put to work at general headquarters then at ISO pearl street A strong guard of picked men was soon on duty in and around the place captain barnsworth and some of his best troopers surrounded the chief when lie he traveled such briefly was the posture of things on and around york island before the british arrived the day after colln colin began his work at headquarters many of the best people on the island came to drink tea with general and mrs washington at this function the young man met a crowd of ladles ladies and gentlemen whose names he could not remember the next day lie he received a polite letter from the baroness tie de mother of a general in the british army who lived in the fashionable section of pearl pear street inviting him to supper at eight on a near date ile he showed this to the commander in chief who said 1 I wonder a little at this ner her son is an officer in the british army she Is a leader of the loyalist women in this city she Is rich respected and influential she has eaten the kings salt I 1 think that I 1 would accept the invitation they know that you are close to me and what the their ir purpose may bo be we can only imagine site she may have something to say that will interest us the night of the supper mrs washington missed the young man wb who was wont to go to their room at eight for beer cheese toasted bread and cold meat the general told his wife of the invitation vit vi good land site she exclaimed 1 I hope that you advised him not to go 11 no I 1 advised him to go oh you men I 1 mark my word its a plot of sonic some kind the great man was only amused by the suspicion of his wife who was often warning him of imagined dangers 1 I happen to know that the baroness Is ft a sister of mrs woodbridge said tady lady washington it Is a creditable circumstance and I 1 think that I 1 can see the cunning hand of nancy lu all this said bald mrs washington na rhe he left the room A at t that hat house colln colin in his best uniform unta unia lind already runt rung tile the bell fit at tho the front joor door of tho the mansion ant anil been admitted by the smart english butler in livery the baroness ISa tie lie Rl Ill edesel a handsome woman about fifty years yeara of 0 age richly gowned sat rat waiting for him in a parlor she recell sed the young man graciously saying you roil are kind to come to our little supper party there will be three of us and one whom I 1 think you will be surprised and pleased to meet again you are generous said colln colin with a smile you honor me with an invitation vit vi to your home ionic and you add to it the delight of a mystery forgive give me it if I 1 hold you in suspense a moment I 1 am sure that it la Is one whom nhom you will be glad to see A vision of pat came to him had she somehow got to new york my curiosity Is 13 so piqued that more delay would be cruel he said what a blessing Is youth 1 the baroness exclaimed as she drew a velvet portiere port lere behind which nancy woodbridge had been concealed beauty Is the greatest blessing of 0 youth colln colin answered as he looked at her nancy stood smiling in a gown of 0 blue silk cunningly fashioned to display her charms A heavy chain of 0 old wrought gold hung upon tier her neck there was enchantment in the look of her lie he could not help feeling it the gallant |