ll
apart almost at once. Each had its own pet quarrel with its
Governor, which was far more interesting to the people at the
moment than anything else.

Julian and Fritz listened in amaze as Ashley, who was a
well-informed man and a shrewd observer, put before them, as well
as he was able, the state of affairs reigning in Pennsylvania and
the sister states.

"I am often ashamed of our policy, of our bickerings, of our
tardiness," concluded the good man; "yet for all that there is
stuff of the right sort in our people. We have English blood in our
veins, and I always maintain that England is bound to be the
dominant power in these lands of the west. Let them but send us
good leaders and generals from the old country, and I will answer
for it that the rising generation of New England will fight and
will conquer, and drive the encroaching French back whence they
came!"

Chapter 4: An Exciting Struggle.

It was an exciting scene. Susanna stood at the window, and gazed
eagerly along the street, striving hard to obtain a sight of the
seething crowd in the open square.

She could see the tall, haggard form of her Uncle Charles, as she
called him. He was standing upon a little platform that his friends
had erected for him in front of the Assembly Rooms, and he was
speaking aloud to the surging crowd in accents that rang far
through the still air, and even reached the ears of the listeners
at the open window.

For once Hannah made no protest when the girl thrust out her head.
She herself seemed to be striving to catch the echoes of the clear,
trumpet-like voice. Her colour came and went in her cheeks; her
breast heaved with the emotion which often found vent in those days
in a fit of silent weeping.

"Mother dear, do not weep; they shall be avenged! Nobody can listen
to Uncle Charles and not be moved. Hark how they are shouting
now--hark! I can see them raising their arms to heaven. They are
shaking their fists in the direction of the windows of the Assembly
House. Surely those cowardly men must be roused to action; they
cannot hear unmoved a tale such as Uncle Charles has to tell!"

"Yet even so the dead will not be restored to life; and war is a
cruel, bitter thing."

"Yes, but victory is glorious. And we shall surely triumph, for our
cause is righteous. I am sure of that. And Julian Dautray says the
same. I think he is a very good man, mother; I think he is better
than the Quakers, though he does not talk