ts, now that Corporal 'Lige
had been claimed, so to speak, as leader of the Pittsfield faction, and
the lad needed some one to whom he could appeal for advice.

Therefore it was that while the new-comer was staring about him as if
distracted by the tumult, Isaac approached in the most friendly manner
as he asked:

"Are you a recruit?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you belong to the soldiers here?"

"Do you call these soldiers?" the stranger asked almost contemptuously.

"Well, if they ain't, what do you call them?"

"They look to me like a crowd of folks what was goin' to have a fight
pretty soon."

"That's jest what I'm afraid of. Say, do you live near here?"

"No, I came from Shoreham. We heard there was a crowd comin' to take
Fort Ticonderoga, an' seein's how they didn't get along very fast, I
thought I'd come an' hunt 'em up. Do you count yourself a soldier?"

"I did when I left Pittsfield; but I've kind'er got over that feelin'
now. What's your name?"

"Nathan Beman."

"Mine's Isaac Rice."

"What made you come out with a crowd like this?"

"All the folks 'round our way was enlisting, and they said it was the
duty of everybody to fight against the king. Besides that the corporal
was going, an' he agreed to put me through in great shape."

"Who's the corporal?"

"That's him over there with the red coat on."

"Do you allow an old chap like him could put anybody through in very
great shape?"

"You mustn't talk like that about Corporal 'Lige where anybody will hear
you. Why, he's a regular soldier; fought under General Abercrombie in
'58, an' I reckon if it hadn't been for him the king's troops would have
got it terrible bad."

"An' that's about the way they did get it."

"Well, Corporal 'Lige is here now, an' it'll be different. Did you ever
see the fort?"

"See it? Why, I'm over there pretty near very week. Our folks sell eggs
an' chickens an' such truck to the garrison, an' I know the place jest
like I do my own home."

"Do you s'pose we can take it?"

"There seems to be a sight of you here; but I shouldn't want to make a
guess till after I'd seen whether there's going to be a row among all
hands or not. Father says when thieves fall out honest men get their
due."

However frightened Isaac might be, he was not disposed to allow any boy
of his own size to call the members of this army thieves, even though
they were in a state of insubordination, and forgetting all his fears he
dem