of
safety for 'em! The British are coming ashore--three boat-loads of 'em,
armed to the teeth--and they won't spare man, woman nor child!

"Mother's face grew very pale, but she stepped quietly around, with her
baby on her arm, close to where father was standing, and laid one hand
on his arm, while she said, in a firm, clear voice:

"'MY place is with you, Benjamin, but we must think of some place of
safety for the children. Where can they go?'

"Sol was just rushing out of the door as unceremoniously as he had
rushed in, but he stopped when he heard her ask that, long enough to
say:

"'I forgot to tell you that Aunt Polly Shedd will take all the children
put in her charge out to Old Gubtil's; that's so out of the way they
won't be disturbed, 'specially as the old man's a Tory himself.'

"Mother kissed us all round, with a smile on her face that couldn't
quite hide the tears with which her dear eyes were filled, and as she
hastily bundled us in whatever garment came to hand, she bade us be
good children, and make Aunt Polly and the Gubtils as little trouble as
possible. Then we followed father out-of-doors and into the school-house
yard where a score or more of children were already gathered--still
as mice for intense terror. Aunt Polly, in her big green calash, and
a pillow-case of valuables under one arm, was bustling to and fro,
speaking an encouraging or admonitory word, as the case might be, and
wearing upon her pinched, freckled little face such a reassuring smile
that I soon felt my own courage rise and, dashing back the tears that
had filled my eyes a moment before, I busied myself in pinning little
Sally's blanket more closely about her neck and setting the faded
sunbonnet upon the tangled curls that had not yet had their customary
morning's dressing.

"'Come, children,' called out Aunt Polly cheerily, 'you're all here now,
and we'll start right off. I'll go ahead, an' all you little ones had
best keep close to me; the bigger ones can come along behind.'

"Obedient to her order we started, following her steps across the road
by the beeches, and up by the grocery store where a crowd of excited men
were congregated, talking loudly with wild gesticulations, while farther
down, toward the shore, we could catch glimpses, through the thick
morning fog, of the blue uniforms of our militia company that had been
summoned in hot haste to defend the town. As we filed past, I remember I
heard one of the men on the