ollowed him, so reckless were the justice's companions, but there was
no pursuit. Instead, the villains tumbled into the sledge and upon the
backs of their own steeds, and amid the cries of the woman and Robbie,
took the way to the Twenty-Mile Line and Albany. The prisoner's wife and
son scarcely realized what Nuck's escape meant; it looked as though the
guest had fled when peril threatened the helpless family. But Nuck very
well knew what he was about.

It was still several hours before dawn, but the moon brilliantly
illumined the forest road and as the way was fairly well beaten, Nuck
set the horse at his fastest pace. He knew that he could find men at
Bennington--particularly at the Green Mountain Inn--who would consider
no hardship too great to assist the captured settler. Many of Remember
Baker's own company of Green Mountain Boys would be in town and Stephen
Fay, the host, would be able to tell him where to find these men
quickly. It was a long ride to the Hudson and the hope of overtaking the
Yorkers and their prisoner spurred the boy on.

On and on flew the horse and rider until at last the scattered houses of
the hamlet came into view. The settlement lay lifeless under the cold
winter sky; not a spiral of smoke rose from the broad-topped chimneys,
for the fires in every house were banked during the night, and it was
too early for the spryest kitchen-maid to be astir. The horse thundered
up to the door of the Catamount Inn and Nuck's wild halloa brought a
night-capped head to the window instantly--that of the innkeeper.

"What might be the news, neighbor?" he demanded.

"Captain Baker has been carried off by the Yorkers!" shouted Nuck, and
his words were heard by other night-capped heads at other windows about
the inn. "'Squire Munro and some others came and got him out of bed.
They've driven off toward the Line."

"'Member Baker's captured!" The word was taken up by a dozen voices and
the settlers dressed hurriedly and ran forth from their houses.
Meanwhile Master Fay had aroused certain men who happened to be in his
hostelry, as well as the stablemen in the yard. There was a great bustle
about the inn. "Boy!" cried the innkeeper to Nuck, who still bestrode
Captain Baker's horse, "do you go and call Isaac Clark and Joe Safford.
They'll have their horses handy--and good horses, too, I'll be bound.
Tell them to come here with saddle and rifle."

These two men lived at the other end of the village. Nuck route