rove headlong back,
his horse quickly proving his mettle by distancing those of
his pursuers. A few minutes brought him to the entrance to
the Medford Road. Into this he sharply wheeled, and was
quickly away again towards his distant goal. Meanwhile one
of the officers, finding himself distanced, turned his horse
into the fields lying between the two roads, with the
purpose of riding across and cutting off the flight of the
fugitive. He had not taken many steps, however, before he
found his horse floundering in a clay-pit, while Revere on
the opposite road shot past, with a ringing shout of triumph
as he went.

Leaving him for the present to his journey, we must return
to the streets of Boston, and learn the secret of this
midnight ride.

For several years previous to 1775 Boston had been in the
hands of British troops,--of a foreign foe, we may almost
say, for they treated it as though it were a captured town.
Many collisions had occurred between the troops and the
citizens, the rebellious feeling growing with every hour of
occupation, until now the spirit of rebellion, like a
contagious fever, had spread far beyond its point of origin,
and affected townsmen and farmers widely throughout the
colonies. In all New England hostility to British rule had
become rampant, minute-men (men pledged to spring to arms at
a minute's notice) were everywhere gathering and drilling,
and here and there depots of arms and ammunition had hastily
been formed. Peace still prevailed, but war was in the air.

Boston itself aided in supplying these warlike stores. Under
the very eyes of the British guards cannon-balls and muskets
were carried out in carts, covered by loads of manure.
Market-women conveyed powder from the city in their
panniers, and candle-boxes served as secret receptacles for
cartridges. Depots of these munitions were made near Boston.
In the preceding February the troops had sought to seize one
of these at Salem, but were forced to halt at Salem bridge
by a strong body of the people, led by Colonel Pickering.
Finding themselves outnumbered, they turned and marched
back, no shot being fired and no harm done.

Another depot of stores had now been made at Concord, about
nineteen miles away, and this General Gage had determined to
destroy, even if blood were shed in so doing. Rebellion, in
his opinion, was gaining too great a head; it must be put
down by the strong arm of force; the time for mild measures
was past.