eye-witness has to say that "he displayed
outrageous postures of his head, arms, body and legs, often tossing his
hand from his sword to his hat," and that outside the door he had cried:
"Damn my blood! I'll kill Governor, Council, Assembly and all, and
then I'll sheathe my sword in my own heart's blood!" He is no dour,
determined, unwordy revolutionist like the Scotch Drummond, nor still
and subtle like "the thoughtful Mr. Lawrence." He is young and hot, a
man of oratory and outward acts. Yet is he a patriot and intelligent
upon broad public needs. When presently he makes a speech to the excited
Assembly, it has for subject-matter "preserving our lives from the
Indians, inspecting the public revenues, the exorbitant taxes, and
redressing the grievances and calamities of that deplorable country." It
has quite the ring of young men's speeches in British colonies a century
later!

The Governor and his party gave in perforce. Bacon got his commission
and an Act of Indemnity for all chance political offenses. General and
Commander-in-chief against the Indians--so was he styled. Moreover,
the Burgesses, with an alarmed thought toward England, drew up an
explanatory memorial for Charles II's perusal. This paper journeyed
forth upon the first ship to sail, but it had for traveling companion
a letter secretly sent from the Governor to the King. The two
communications were painted in opposite colors. "I have," says Berkeley,
"for above thirty years governed the most flourishing country the sun
ever shone over, but am now encompassed with rebellion like waters."

CHAPTER XIII. REBELLION AND CHANGE

Bacon with an increased army now rode out once more against the Indians.
He made a rendezvous on the upper York--the old Pamunkey--and to this
center he gathered horsemen until there may have been with him not far
from a thousand mounted men. From here he sent detachments against the
red men's villages in all the upper troubled country, and afar into
the sunset woods where the pioneer's cabin had not yet been builded. He
acted with vigor. The Indians could not stand against his horsemen and
concerted measures, and back they fell before the white men, westward
again; or, if they stayed in the ever dwindling villages, they gave
hostages and oaths of peace. Quiet seemed to descend once more upon the
border.

But, if the frontier seemed peaceful, Virginia behind the border was
a bubbling cauldron. Bacon had now become a hero of the