nt back to No. 4, opened a blacksmith's shop, and in the fall
married Ruth. We have lived here ever since, and have prospered. Much of
my success is due to my wife's clear head and wonderful common sense.
Folks regard Colonel Comee as a very shrewd and able business man. But
my friends laugh, and say:--

"Colonel Ben's just a figure-head. He never takes an important step
without talking it over with Aunt Ruth."

John Stark and I have always remained close friends. When he was a
colonel at Bunker's Hill, I was a lieutenant in his regiment, and served
under him throughout the Revolution. He became a general, and showed the
ability that we recognized in the French War.

By the end of the Revolution I had risen to the rank of colonel. Hardly
a year has passed since that time that one of us has not made the other
a visit of a few days. He has always retained a great admiration and
tender affection for Lord Howe.

After the French War was over, Rogers was appointed to the command of
the post at Michilimackinac. His accounts did not come out right. He
always had that failing, and he went to England to explain matters.
While over there, he was riding one night in a stage-coach over Hounslow
Heath, when a masked highwayman stopped the coach, and thrusting his
pistols in at the window, told the passengers to hand over their money
and watches. They were doing so, when Rogers, who was wonderfully
strong, quickly reached out, grabbed the highwayman by the collar of his
coat, pulled him into the coach, sat on him, took away his pistols, tied
him up, and delivered him over to the authorities. He was an old
offender, for whose apprehension a reward of L50 had been offered, which
Rogers claimed and received.

[Sidenote: A SURPRISED HIGHWAYMAN]

Rogers remained in England till the Revolution, and then came over here,
and after a while offered his services to Washington. He came to Stark's
headquarters at Medford, and John and I had a long talk with him.

Stark believed he would be true to us, and so did I. But he had been on
such close terms of intimacy with the British that Washington distrusted
him and would not give him a command.

Soon after he received a commission from the British, and raised the
Queen's Rangers, who were badly defeated in a fight in Connecticut.

Rogers then returned to England, and led a rather shady life; and I
believe was finally killed while fighting in Algiers. He was a curious
compound. If he had o