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