Show m p on PHU 00 if dy irving Sa bacheller Bache cheller IIer copyright 1932 by irving Dach bachellor ellor service CHAPTER VIII continued ll it 1 I think that the air Is good you are like all men Is that a compliment 1 I like men still I 1 fear that you have no high opinion of them lie he said 1 I have been warned and no wonder there Is a lot ot of gunpowder KUn powder in men and women and often they are near the fire if you could see yourself in that black costume with the waving plume and the golden braids if you could see the glow blow in your face and eyes I 1 am sure that you would think of us with charity 1 dut cut you you are glow proof you yon are burled buried treasure you are in love with rat pat you could not be induced to think of other girls 1 I am in love with pat but I 1 have not ceased to be human I 1 can still enjoy beauty and love it she answered with a emile you were vere quite frank about that at the dance dont worry I 1 shall hall not tell her what I 1 said I 1 do not dot remember it if my gallantries gallan gallant tries rles were excessive I 1 should be pardoned your grace and beauty filled my eyes and then I 1 was not quite myself yes I 1 am not deceived it was you and the old madeira it gave me a headache be adache and me a heartache an amusing heartache why you spoke like a knight of old and my by heart ached because men are not sincere you do not care a straw for me and yet when we went out for a 0 look at the stars you kissed my lips and said that I 1 was irresistible you deceiver 1 look into my eyes and tell me how bow may one know when a man is speaking the truth nave have I 1 changed or have you she drew close to him and her eyes were filled with that power which has often checked and turned the currents of history ile he laughed saying coquette I 1 you ire are the most charming privateer in the world Is such amusement only for gentlemen she asked with a red glow in her smile you are better armed he be said lets have a truce and a parley there was an unexpected note in his voice ills his gentle words had some gome bow suggested that he be thought this playing had bad gone far enough her manner banner changed her face had turned serious 1 I want you to be worthy of pat the she said pat Is my dearest friend are you quite sure that you love her As sure as yon bluebird that the spring Is here theres only one way to keep sure of it and what Is the way give up the good things of life stop drinking wine and kissing girls and go to meeting and to fraters pr aters ers some day I 1 want to see you married having heard galloping hoofs behind them colln colin turned his mare and saw a familiar horse and rider rapidly approaching the rider was amos farnsworth Farnswor lh ile he slowed his pace and drew up beside them asking be this miss woodbridge it is she answered 1 I have a message from lady washington its very part clar lelar amos began she wants to see ye as soon as horse foot can take ye to fineral headquarters which im to escort ye she says theres a robber on this road oh d n the robber nancy exclaimed in a whisper she drew on her glove and smiled as she turned to the young man saying in g we must delay our parley I 1 will lend you a little token theres magic in it it perhaps it will bring pat to us she withdrew her glove and took from her breast a small arrow of perfumed ivory Pre breaking aking the silken cord that held it slip she gale gaie him the token Ther thereupon euvon she wheeled her horse and rode away at a swift gallop with captain barnsworth colln colin surveyed the shining trinket still as warm as the blood of nancy on its surface he found the legend this talisman worn on your breast will lead to the one that you love best oh the superstitions of women he exclaimed as he resumed his journey ile he lau glied lied as he put the curious trophy in his pocket pat fat would have been above that kind of folly he was now in a thrilling part of the pretty comedy of a young gentle mans life the indirect methods and bubble mottles mothes of women were now a part of the play those of nancy were easily discovered her black plume was a pirates flag her beauty lent its power to her purpose and excited bis big interest still he felt secure and quite innocent ile he knew all the implications in the coming of amos farnsworth barnsworth worth nancys character was to the lady washington as transparent as water behind glass with a motherly interest in pat and colln colin she kept hept an eye on this beautiful interloper somehow she must have learned that nancy had gone out on the west road the girls purpose was apparent to the dear clear woman she resorted to strategy amos ent to her every morning with news ners of those took poorly Us hi knew of all that happened in the near part of army wl town naturally Katura lly be had been her helper in this matter all the bother seemed quite unnecessary ue he loved rat pat as deeply as any man could love a woman she was his sacred incomparable ideal those these thoughts thou thoughts ghis were passing in the mind of colin as he rode on tile the next night he put up at the famous red cock tavern in the new providence plantations a few miles vest of the important port of providence there after supper he be found sim botts bolts by the fireside deli delivering vering meditations to a group of me men n who surrounded Eur rounded him botts bolts having left the army had lately been bee a elected to lall congress gaii colin shook his hand it was evident that colonel botts bott had been declaiming against general washington ington for a citizen asked who wl 0 Is the best man to take ing tons place botts began the muse of history commands us to a survey of all possible candidates with great circumspection spec tion lon for as shakespeare says be must be a man of and excellence capable of the eagles night flight our extremity being great and the fire in the flint shows not till it be struck and the body of our people has been sickened by futility and delay and their pockets drained who can name the man there was a look of honest longing in the expansive countenance of colonel botts framed in hair and its bilateral adornment gates a voice answered botts arose and shook hands with the owner of that voice saying my knowledge of the great and noble qualities of general gates the great champion of liberty and human rights of his skill as a soldier of his devotion to our common cause inclines me sir in spite of my respect for washington as a man to indorse your opinion and to put my humble talents behind it in the face of stern necessity and with the fond hope of seeing victory perch upon our banners colin was indignant with the knowledge in his possession he was able to comprehend the recent history of colonel botts who Is the gentleman who mentioned gates he asked A man in the uniform of it a abrl brigadier adier answered with a touch of the irish no he could not hold hla his best officers many of them have left him here Is one of them he pointed at colonel botts who sat as it if holding the people like a baby in his lap with a look ot of sanctimonious d devotion evo tion pardon me that Is not quite true colin went on the army was chaos it had to be organized the officers unfit for the duties they had undertaken had to be replaced I 1 am sure that I 1 do no injury to colonel botts when I 1 say that he Is not a soldier I 1 am told that he Is an able politician I 1 know that he Is a capable recruiter but I 1 cannot believe that he would claim to be prepared to command a regiment in battle every officer who has left the army has lett left it for a like reason the division which they and you and men like you are seeking to create among our people will be our worst enemy it will prolong tile war it may defeat us with no knowledge of the facts you a foreigner lately arrived should be slow to give your tour support to a purpose inspired by personal ambition and which no well informed american Is able to countenance A number of men clapped their hands bands colonel dotts botts was inarticulate with indignation conway sprang to his feet saying sayin no man can address me ing in that manner and challenge the truth of my statements and the honor of my chief and go unscathed cy by G d dl I 1 I 1 challenge you the little argument had come to an unexpected climax the hot blood of youth was again in trouble colin arose and answered calmly it if correct information hurts your feelings I 1 am sorry but I 1 am not afraid of you sir I 1 cannot take the chance of being put to bed As I 1 am challenged I 1 have the privilege of choosing the weapons I 1 therefore propose that we fight with our fists you are young and of equal stature we could show our courage and bind up our wounds and go to our tasks tomorrow morrows mor rowl that kind of fighting Is for barroom scuff lers not for gentlemen ent lemen conway shouted 1 I have heard much of your gouging kicking and biting here in america I 1 am no human dog do not misjudge me sir colin answered 1 I am proposing a fight with our fists strictly in accord with the rules of john jackson the master of the inn named wll wil SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS at boston in july 1775 colm colin cabot ardent young lover of liberty bids bid goodby good by to Ms his we sweetheart etheart patience pat daughter of a loyalist but herself a rebel ho he j joins ams the revolutionary army at cambridge and is mustered into tho the company of capt A amos aas as farnsworth colin impresses washington and he makes him his bis informal secretary with tho the rank of captain A letter from pat tells colin she is to visit friends outside the american lines and asks him to meet her he sets seta out learning of a british plot to capture colin farnsworth with a troop rides to tho the rescue A british patrol led by harry case cage colins rival for the hand of pat threatens the young patriot farnsworth and his troop come up gage challenges chal lelles colin to a duet duel they fight and gage cage is wounded calm returns to cambridge washington having forbidden dueling reduces him to the ranks but mrs washington affectionately known to the army as lady washington remains his stench stanch friend restored to his rank for meritorious service colin is sent with col sun sim botts a civilian soldier on an a recruiting g ma mission in the west he meets a typical pioneer woman mrs bowlby who outwits a b band d of f drunken indians by her bravery and shrewdness returning to cambridge colin 1 is sent seat to aid to in the transportation of the guns of ticonderoga to the heights of dorchester to bombard boston fearing the bombardment the british army and many loyalists evacuate the city the payer foyer weather family going with them to canada coln cohn Is promoted to a colonelcy and Is sent on duty to new york brogue my ily name Is conway sir thomas conway and it if I 1 mistake not you are an officer on gates staff who nho lately arrived with a frenchman of the name of du coudray 1 I am proud to say that I 1 am sir and you are traveling with colonel botts bolts no sir we met by chance on the road you are however on the same mission and are to speak on the same platform in providence tomorrow I 1 wish to ask why are you and colonel botts complaining of washington has he be not driven the british out of boston yes tes sir but the issue and the long delay prove his weakness at last he had howes army at his mercy and he let them go and I 1 can tell you why said colin 1 I was in the midst of the struggle that dislow dislodged led the british they were allowed to go sir because after our cannon had done their work we lacked gunpowder enough to push our bullets in a desperate and perhaps a long battle against troops well trained and provided the fireside orators the chimney corner fighters the comfortable home fed criticizers have no n notion 0 of the wrongs gs our army has suffered for their sake and of the patient endurance and great abilities of its commander since early july I 1 have been familiar with the spirit equipment and discouraging condition of an army poorly clad and trained unpaid for months and until march without twenty rounds of ammunition to a man or cannon more formidable than a row of popguns I 1 hale haie wondered that we were able to keep an army day after day I 1 have wondered when morning came that the army was there that it had not gone away in the night fillis heartened dl by the ne neglect elect it has suffered or that it had not been torn to rags and scattered in wild confusion by the enemy 1 I who know the men of that army can tell you why the commanding personality of washington has held them they haie a faith in their captain Is like unto their faith in god cod not that alone has saved us ile ie Is a great captain for he has kept his weakness from the knowledge of the british and blin himself self informed of their plans As a humble helper at headquarters the ambition of general gates Is known to me I 1 have no word to say against him but I 1 do say that he be does not know as I 1 know the great difficulties under which our commander has labored with sublime patience hero here conway interrupted saying kins a big brawny bearded man with sleeves rolled to his elbows came from behind the bar saying gentlemen all you need Is to prove your courage there is a rock in my stable yard with two holes in it drilled for blasting we could use them to settle this difficulty I 1 will nill put a charge of powder in each hole with a fuse and tamp it in you are to sit side bide by side over the two blasts when you are in position I 1 will light the fuses the man who runs first Is beaten the man who sits there longest wins the fight he ie NN will M be the man of iron nerve my prediction Is that neither delther of you will be hurt unless one or the other wishes to commit suicide I 1 A roar of laughter greeted this unique plan of the tavern keeper its a fair proposal a citizen declared and others audibly fell in with his way of thinking A man who had listened to the quarrel and said nothing now arose lie he spoke in a tone that commanded silence and respect saving 1 I haie hae heard the able argument of this young man whose name I 1 do not know I 1 cannot see why the challenger or any man who has a an interest in the welfare of our colonies should be offended by 1 it t I 1 have heard beard the pa plan an of our host it Is the only kind of duel for which there Is the slightest excuse it will afford these gentlemen a chance to commit murder if either of them Is bent upon it but it will be self mur der therefore sir mr landlord I 1 move that it Is the sense of this meeting that the duel shall be fought as you propose and that if either gentleman la is unwilling to submit to your test of his courage he shall apologize to the other or accept the stigma of cowardice it was a cunning cu bit of strategy A chorus of voices seconded the motion it was put and carried potts and conway were out tricked they had come to a pass that gave neither principal a chance to back water colln colin arose and sald said 1 I am ready so nm am I 1 conway declared 1 I will go and charge the holes said the tavern host you may each eab sep a second to witness the charging I 1 rig conway sent colonel botts bolts and colin named tile the stranger ht ranger who had made tin the motion tie he was rev thomas allen alien of a sturdy american out on a speaking tour ile he pressed colins hand saying sayin success to you my boy but dont be too brave the landlord took down his great powder horn born that flint hung bung on the wall lighted his bis lanterns and left the with reverend allen alien colonel botts and two helpers colin took ills his pipe from his pocket and filled it lie he lighted a splinter in the fire alre the slinking shaking flame as he raised it to the pipe bowl betrayed his inner emotion the courage of an american soldier was soon to be tried ile he felt sure that lie would win conway |