stirred
the settlers to armed resistance, thundering out against the
fulminations of the lawyers the opposite quotation from
Scripture, "The Lord is the God of the hills, but He is not
the God of the valleys," and rousing the men of the hills
to fight what he affirmed to be God's battle for the right.
In 1774, Governor Tryon, of New York, offered a reward of
one hundred and fifty pounds for the capture of Allen. The
insurgent mountaineers retorted by offering an equal reward
for the capture of Governor Tryon. Neither reward had been
earned, a year more had elapsed, and Ethan Allen, at the
head of his Green Mountain boys, was in motion in a greater
cause, to defend, not Vermont against New York, but America
against England.

But, before proceeding, we must go back and bring up events
to the point we have reached. The means for the expedition
of the Green Mountain boys came from Connecticut, whence a
sum of three hundred pounds had been sent in the hands of
trusty agents to Allen and his followers. They were found to
be more than ready, and the Connecticut agents started in
advance towards the fort, leaving the armed band to follow.
One of them, Noah Phelps by name, volunteered to enter the
fort and obtain exact information as to its condition. He
disguised himself and entered the fort as a countryman,
pretending that he wanted to be shaved. While hunting for
the barber he kept his eyes open and used his tongue freely,
asking questions like an innocent rustic, until he had
learned the exact condition of affairs, and came out with a
clean face and a full mind.

Allen was now rapidly approaching, and, lest news of his
movement should reach the fort, men were sent out on all
the roads leading thither, to intercept passers. On the 8th
of May all was ready. Allen, with one hundred and forty men,
was to go to the lake by way of Shoreham, opposite the fort.
Thirty men, under Captain Herrick, were to advance to
Skenesborough, capture Major Skene, seize boats, and drop
down the lake to join Allen.

All was in readiness for the completion of the work, when an
officer, attended by a single servant, came suddenly from
the woods and hurried to the camp. It was Benedict Arnold,
who had heard of what was afoot, and had hastened forward to
claim command of the mountaineers.

It was near nightfall. The advance party of Allen's men was
at Hand's Cove, on the eastern side of the lake, preparing
to cross. Arnold joined them and c