appearance of the house, that others were in
hiding, well armed to resist the foe.

Sheriff Merrit was the first to reach the house, and he signaled to his
men to come forward.

He rapped on the door, and Ethan opened it.

"Does one Ethan Allen reside here?" asked the sheriff.

"I am he."

"Then in the name of the king I am here."

"Pleased to see you, sir. But I cannot think of any business the king
may have with me."

"I am a sheriff."

"Indeed! and I should fancy a credit to the shrievalty."

Merrit bowed. The reception was far different to what he had expected.

He glanced into the room, and saw only the younger man sitting in the
chimney corner.

"You are a loyal man?" queried the officer.

"I am loyal to king and country," answered Allen, boldly.

"I am glad to hear that, for my business would be unpleasant were it
not that you are loyal."

"Sheriff, tell your business without delay."

"I have a writ of dispossession, and I am to enforce it. It means that
you are required to give up and surrender this farm, and afterward to
make such terms with His Excellency Gov. Tryon as he may suggest."

Allen had allowed the sheriff to finish his speech. In fact, it really
appeared to the Yorker that Allen was afraid.

"Let me see the writ."

"You do not doubt my word?"

"No, only as I am a loyal subject I have a right to see that the order
is in a legal form."

"Oh, it is legal enough, and properly sealed as well."

"In that case there ought to be no difficulty. Let me see the writ."

Sheriff Merrit opened his wallet, never once doubting that he had the
writs and warrants safe in his possession.

He drew forth the seal and was ready to drop with excitement, for the
seal was all he had; the writ had been torn away.

"I have been robbed," he cried. "Gerston, I have been robbed!"

"That is a pretty tough thing to say. Do you mean to say that you have
not the writ you spoke about?"

"I had. I have been robbed. See, that is the seal which was at the
bottom of it. You see that seal?"

"Yes, but I am not going to surrender the farm unless you can produce
the writ."

"You refuse?"

"I do."

"Then, by thunder, I shall have to arrest you."

"Indeed, you are mistaken. The moon has risen."

"What has that to do with the matter? I tell you that you are my
prisoner."

"And I say that the moon has risen and therefore I am not your
prisoner."

CHAPTER V.

DEFIANCE.

"We wil