for soldiers, and had arms laid on
the floors of his lordly mansion ready for use when the troops should
come.

All was ripe for an outbreak. The people of Virginia had not been used
to see British troops on their soil. If Lord Dunmore wanted war they
were quite ready to let him have it. Arms were lacking, and some young
men broke open the door of the magazine to see if any were there. As
they did so there was a loud report and one of the party fell back
bleeding. A spring-gun had been placed behind the door, doubtless by
Lord Dunmore's orders.

The startling sound brought out the people. When they learned what had
been done, they ran angrily to the magazine and seized all the arms they
could find there. In doing so they made a discovery that doubled their
indignation. Beneath the floor several barrels of gunpowder were hidden,
as if to blow up any one who entered. While they were saying that this
was another treacherous trick of the governor's, word was brought them
that the troops from the "Magdalen" were marching on the town. With
shouts of fury they ran for their arms. If Lord Dunmore was so eager for
a fight, they were quite ready to accommodate him and to stand up before
his British soldiers and strike for American rights. A few words will
end this part of our story. When the governor saw the spirit of the
people he did as Berkeley before him had done, fled to his ships and
relieved Williamsburg of his presence. The Virginians had got rid of
their governor and his British troops without a fight.

This ends the story of the gunpowder, but there were things that
followed worth the telling. Virginia was not done with Lord Dunmore.
Sailing in the "Magdalen" to Chesapeake Bay, he found there some other
war-vessels, and proceeded with this squadron to Norfolk, of which he
took possession. Most of the people of that town were true patriots,
though by promises of plunder he induced some of the lower class of
whites to join him, and also brought in many negro slaves from the
country around. With this motley crew he committed many acts of
violence, rousing all Virginia to resistance. A "Committee of Safety"
was appointed and hundreds of men eagerly enlisted and were sent to
invest Norfolk. But their enemy was not easy to find, as they kept out
of reach most of the time on his ships.

On December 9, 1775, the first battle of the Revolution in the South
took place. The patriot forces at that time were at a place called G