as a most important personage, almost as valuable as
Cornwallis himself, so what does the young lieutenant do but ask me to
refuse to exchange Jameson unless you were the captive given up by the
British. The difficulty had been that you had no commission; I did not
know it until I heard it from Montgomery and Schuyler, and so the
British looked upon you as an outsider; but they wanted Jameson, and
they got him, and you owe your freedom to Pike's pertinacity."

We can easily imagine Allen's feelings as he listened to the account
given by Washington.

The pride he had felt in Eben's career was intensified, and he felt
that the young Green Mountain scout would become one of the great
heroes of the Revolution.

Allen was so broken down by his long and cruel imprisonment that he
took a vacation and retired to Bennington to recuperate.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

BEVERLY ROBINSON'S OFFER.

As though the colonies had not enough work on hand in fighting the
great power of Britain, they must needs quarrel among themselves, or at
least New York picked a quarrel with New Hampshire over the title to
Vermont.

Vermont was more than ever determined to remain independent of either
New Hampshire or New York, and Ethan Allen admired the sturdy spirit of
his mountaineers.

He was urged to take command of the Green Mountain forces, and he
consented, writing Gen. Washington and telling him how he regretted the
necessity of staying at home instead of entering the army of
emancipation.

Washington replied in a friendly letter, reminding him that he deserved
a rest after his trials, and also telling him that a man's first duty
was to his own people and country.

Acting on this letter, Allen applied to the Congress for the admission
of Vermont into the Confederation of States; but the rivals of New York
and New Hampshire were too powerful in the councils of the new nation
for Allen, and Vermont remained outside, a debatable territory.

Ethan Allen was sitting by the great, open fireplace in his house one
evening in the early fall, when a visitor was announced.

"You have forgotten me, Col. Allen?"

"I do not remember having had the pleasure of your acquaintance."

"I am Beverly Robinson."

"Indeed! Ah, now I remember. May I ask what brought you here?"

The tory did not like the brusque question, but he was a diplomat and
fenced ably.

"I have heard of your prowess on the field and of your sufferings in
captivity, and I ha