cannot
appear at the inn before the gentlemen in your old clothing."

The careful woman bustled away and laid out her son's Sabbath suit and
his boughten shoes and, tired as Enoch was, he rode away toward
Bennington an hour after reaching the ox-bow farm.

As his mother had declared, Colonel Allen and several other leaders were
in conference in Stephen Fay's private parlor, and when he had whispered
his story to the innkeeper, the latter brought him at once before the
gentlemen, rightly considering the matter of such importance as to brook
no delay in the telling. Never before had Enoch seen Ethan Allen in any
capacity but that of a leader in action. In the boy's mind he had ever
been connected with scenes of riot, or in the capacity of a commander on
training day. But it was a very serious looking group which surrounded
the table now, and the man at the head of the board lacked nothing in
dignity and stern bearing in comparison with the other members of the
committee.

It was Allen, however, who turned from the subject under discussion and
beckoned Master Fay and Enoch nearer. "What have we here?" he asked.
"Something of moment, I warrant, from the look on Stephen's face. And
there is young Nuck Harding. Is aught amiss in your district, lad?"

"Nay, Colonel," Enoch replied; "but I have been in the north and bring
back news that my mother was sure you would wish to hear at once. So I
rode over without delay to tell you, sir."

"God bless the woman!" Allen exclaimed, heartily. "She's fighting away
there in the wilderness with her pack of babies in a way to make grown
men blush. I was by there but yesterday.... And what's the news you
bring, Nuck?"

"The Yorkers have come back to the mill on Otter Creek."

"What, sir?" cried Allen, leaping from his chair.

"That's not to be believed," cried one of the others. "How know ye this,
boy?"

Enoch told them, using few words; but the tremor in his voice showed the
depth of his feeling. The injury done the settlers--the treachery of the
Yorkers--had affected him as it had his mother. Allen listened with
marked attention, having dropped back into his wide-armed chair, but he
watched the boy's countenance the while. "Egad!" cried he when the story
was done, "there's a boy after my own heart. He knows when he sees a
snake in the brush!" Then he turned instantly to his companions. "We
will postpone this other matter, gentlemen. What we may do in the event
of his Majesty's