ough work before we are through."

"We are ready to follow you."

"Boys, are you all ready?"

"Ay, Allen."

"I think they will let us reach them before they emerge, and they will
fire at us from each side; so, Seth, you take half our men and I will
look after the others. You give back good answers to the men on the
right; we will take notice of those on the left."

"All right, sir."

"Mount!"

The men swung themselves in the saddles as unconcerned as though they
had been partaking of lunch and suspected no enemy to be on the lookout
for them.

They rode forward, and were within a few yards of the enemy, when the
Yorkers leaped from their ambush and massed themselves on the road.

"In the name of the king, surrender, Ethan Allen!"

"In the name of common sense, who are you? A lot of clowns from a
country fair?"

"We are the king's good subjects, and command you to surrender yourself
a prisoner."

"Stand out of the way, you fool, or I will have to teach you a lesson."

Allen had spoken sharply, for he was sick of the formality which
prefaced the fight which was to come.

Both sides were well matched. All were on good horses, and every man
possessed a heavy musket.

"Do you refuse to surrender?"

"A Green Mountain Boy only surrenders to superiors."

"Then we shall have to make you, unless you acknowledge us as your
superiors."

"Men of the mountains!" shouted Allen, "ride through these
fellows--ride over them if they will not get out of the way."

Edwards ordered his men to resist and to fire upon the mountaineers.

"So you want to play the part of highwaymen, do you? Boys, return the
fire."

One volley was fired by each party, and then the two opposing bodies
became mixed up in inextricable confusion.

Muskets were clubbed and heads were cracked as the heavy butts
descended on them.

Horses reared, and plunged, and knocked down those men who had become
unhorsed.

The fight was furious for a few minutes.

Ethan and his brother, Ira, were in the thick of the struggle all the
time, while Seth Warner seemed a very Trojan in valor.

Both sides fought well, and had the contest been a short one it would
have been impossible to say which would have been the victor, but it
was prolonged, and the mountaineers had the physical stamina which the
men of the valleys lacked, and the longer the fight lasted the greater
was the victory of the brave followers of Ethan Allen.

Edwards was taken pris