d them
out and in fifteen minutes was back with them at the inn. By that time
quite a crowd had collected and ten men beside Nuck were found to be
mounted and ready to set forth after the Yorkers. Each was a tried Green
Mountain Boy and eager to take satisfaction for the attack upon their
leader. Ten men were considered ample to attack the Yorkers, and with a
promise to the bystanders to recapture 'Member Baker, even though they
followed him to Albany, the cavalcade galloped away from the Green
Mountain Inn, Enoch riding in their train.

CHAPTER VIII

THE TRAITOR'S WAY

Remember Baker lived at Arlington, and the distance from that new
settlement, it could hardly be called a village, to Bennington was about
two and a half miles. Enoch Harding might have given the alarm to the
neighbors of the captured man, but he knew that they would not be able
to pursue the Yorkers, for good horse flesh was scarce outside of
Bennington. And Robbie would doubtless rouse them, anyway, as soon as he
was recovered from his fright. As he saw it, Enoch believed his duty to
point to the Catamount Inn, and we have seen how quickly a company was
formed there for the chase of the Yorkers and their prisoner.

Enoch had ridden Baker's horse hard into town and now he followed behind
the ten rescuers, urging the animal to still greater efforts. The
hard-packed snow rang merrily under the hoofs of the steeds. Fortunately
the boy's mount had been well "sharpened" by the local smith shortly
before, or riding recklessly as he did the horse might have suffered a
fall, and Enoch been flung off. Nevertheless he could not keep up with
Isaac Clark and his companions, so gradually fell behind. His steed's
wind was sound, however, and he pursued the trail steadily.

The rescuers showed no hesitation in choosing their route. There were
but a few beaten trails and they knew the road John Munro and his party
would take with the prisoner to the bank of the Hudson. They could not
miss it. The road from Arlington broke into this main trail at a point
not far beyond the confines of Bennington and there it was at once
apparent that the sledge and horsemen had passed that way not long
before. There were plain marks of the runners and the ice and snow were
cut up by the feet of the flying horses. The fact that the Yorkers
numbered as many--if not more--than themselves, did not disturb the
Green Mountain Boys in the least. "A Grants man who is not good for t