The Rangers

nothing, bu

tirpate, an

state of Vermont! The victory is won, an

ected by a majority of the suffrages of the freemen. The next moment, the door was seen vomiting forth its throng of excited victors, who, as they reached the open air, joined the crowd eagerly awa

ad assembled at one o'clock in the afternoon. After spending several hours in a disorderly and wrangling debate, in relation to the qualification of voters, which at last resulted in rejecting the test required by the charter,-that of being a freeholder,-and in permitting every resident to vote, the b

assembly, became audible to those without the building; while the attent and eager looks of those who stood listening in the crowded pass-way

e now, Piper?" asked one standing near the door, as

of you here been in there to hear it?" said Piper, turning to

inquired several of th

ith a speech which would have done you good to hear. He went into them, I tell you, like a thousand of brick; and not a single tory tongue of 'em all dare wag in trying to a

m Dunning, who came hurrying out of th

s going on there, Piper, and the importance

ommittee before this move was made, and don't understand why they did not urge on the election of th

tory candidates should have got some of our voters under their thumbs, by way of debts or other obligations,

some I know of, and would so threaten 'em with prosecutions, that I'm fearful

n't mean to let 'em. For the plan is, that as soon as we've ditter carried the resolves, to dissolve the meeting without making any town officers at all, which we think can be carried by the same voter

out on it; and then if Fitch don't give up the cattle, we'll make him, by the course we thought of takin

ore help, before I go in; for as they have just admitted some to vote on a twenty hours' residence,-as I can ditter swear they did,-I

his recruits, an outcry was raised within; and, the next moment, Bart Burt was seen hastily emerging from the crowd, followed by the kicks a

tment, ye shameless lubbers?" sternly demanded the hunter, shaking h

o get in his vote when he aint over eighteen y

n his foes, with a grin of spite and pain; "and so they did John Stubbs

e too, if the ditter divil stands at t

arts, nor does he know himself, I understand, where he was born, or how old he is; and until th

under age, and they shall him, whether or no! Let them live up to their own rules! Sauce

r, with his burly frame, was placed in front, with a stiff cudgel in hand, to act as the battering-ram or entering wedge to the crowd of tories, who had closed up the way with their bodies, obviously to prevent Bart, or any other whig, indeed, from again entering till the bal

lancing over his shoulders to his lusty little band of backers. "All ready

ranks of the tories, and, borne irresistibly forward by the force of the rushing phalanx behind, overthrew, prostrated,

was about to put in his vote, which was a simple yea written on a slip of paper, and handed up to him by some one stationed near the

t!" shouted severa

uld, two of your party, who are under age, have

Dunning, bending down t

or he shall vote!"

er-coat, and, drawing from beneath it the light short gun there concealed, cocked, and brought it to his shoulder; while the threatening weapon of his foe was seen flying to a distant

to condemn or defend the transaction, through the house, Bart, Dunning, and others of the

t as to bring over several, intending to support the resolutions, to change their intention, and go against them. And, in addition to this, by way of retaliating, and of making good at least all the ground lost by the questionable votes forced upon them, they brought forward every minor they could find approximating the size of a man, and boldly demanded their admittance to the polls. An opposition was, indeed, attempted to a measure so manifestly illegal, by the leaders of the other party; but they had become too much disarmed by the acts of their own partisans to produce any sensible effect; and their voices were soon drowned by the clamors of the tories, who now admitted the boys by acclamation. This, as

had found the means to have on the spot, in readiness for the sale, the moment the assembly broke up. "Oyez! A cow and oxen, taken on execution, now about to be sold to the highest bidder, gentlemen. We will take the

e. They had withdrawn from the meeting a short time before it dissolved, and met for consultation in the rear of the hou

t described-"there, that is ditter Fitch; he is at it! All ready, boys? You, Piper and Bart,

, a

snuff to throw

that

ed, and safe under your co

ght and rea

different sides of the crowd; and mind, don't let off your guns til

kiness, the faces of the new comers did not seem to be recognized by the tories, who unsuspectingly opened and admitted them to the stand. Quickly availing themselves of the opportunity, the former, among the foremost of whom were Piper and Bart, now crowded eagerly round the cattle, and, after rapidly passing their hands over the cow and each of the oxen a moment, and then stepping back, be

lready maddened cattle, with loud snorts, leaping over or trampling down all in their way, broke through the living hedge of tories around them, and bounded off, with their tails thrown aloft, and bellowing in wild affright, in d

ally and comprehend the affair. "Fitch!" he added, pointing after the runa

s into which he seemed to have been thrown by the strange and unexpected occurrence. "Yes, 'tis an unlawful rescue

ght of their fleet and, as they still supposed, trusty guides in the pursuit, became, in a short time, confused and at fault respecting the courses to be taken; and, after hallooing and running about the woods and pastures at random, nearly an hour, without discovering any traces either of the lost cattle or the missing pursuers, at length came straggling back to the Town House, and, by way of saving their own credit, reported to Fitch, Peters, and the small party remaining there, that their swiftest runners were last seen nearly up with the cattle, and would soon be in with them, or that the creatures had been headed, and were on their way back, in another direction. On this, the company waited another hour; when, neither the cattle nor the expected pursuers appearing, they began to suspect something amiss