ake Champlain passed into the hands of the brave
men who were fighting for the liberty of their native land.

A garrison was left in charge of Crown Point, and then Warner marched
back to Ticonderoga.

Remember Baker was full of gratitude for the rescue of his sister, and
would have liked to meet Farmer Mervale at that hour, for the farmer
had got off too easily, he thought.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"WHO IS COMMANDER?"

Within five days of the capture of Ticonderoga, the Green Mountain
Boys, under the command of Capt. Herrick, had captured Skenesborough,
while another detachment under Capt. Douglass had taken Panton, a
strong fort on the lake.

As the Assembly of Connecticut had authorized the capture of Fort
Ticonderoga, Allen dispatched two trusty messengers to New Haven to
acquaint the governor and assembly.

So that no unfairness could be charged, the two selected were Eli
Forest and Remember Baker.

Ethan Allen was seated in his room in the barracks alone smoking a
corncob pipe, a favorite with him and most Green Mountain farmers.

A timid knock was heard at the door, and Allen called out cheerily:

"Come in!"

The door opened and Eben entered.

"Why, Eben, you are a stranger; where have you been?"

"In the fort, colonel, almost a prisoner."

"A prisoner?"

"Yes, colonel. That man--pardon me, I mean Col. Arnold--has told me to
keep to my own quarters and not move about the fort until I am ordered."

"By what authority?"

"He says he is commander of the fort and will not have me spying round;
that is what he calls it."

"I am commander here, and I expect you to obey me."

"Yes, colonel. Did you know that the colonel--Arnold, I mean--is
arranging to send ammunition to New Haven?"

"No."

"I heard him give the order."

"You did?"

"Yes, colonel."

"Is Martha Baker still in the fort?"

"Yes, colonel; and I think she would like to stay here until her
brother can look after her."

"And you would not object to her staying?"

"No; why should I?"

"I thought that you liked her society."

"So I do, colonel, when I can see her, but Col. Arnold has kept her
pretty close in the room which was assigned her."

It was the end of May, and Ethan Allen was waiting news from Boston.

News had just reached him that the Continental Congress, sitting in
Philadelphia, had drawn up articles of confederation, and that those
articles had been signed by the representatives of thirteen colonies.

An