air, but he did not notice that. Young William French
had fallen beside him and the Bennington boy stooped and caught the
young man's head and shoulders from the floor that he might not be
trampled upon.

Shouts and imprecations deafened him. The Whigs still fought, but some
had already tried to escape by a side passage and were being brought
back by the sheriff's men. That wicked man was calling upon the Whigs to
surrender, and more than one shot was fired after that first volley.

Enoch, with the head of the bleeding youth in his arms, cried to those
about him to move aside and bring a light. All were too much inflamed by
passion to heed him for a time; but suddenly one man sprang forward and
thrust a huge, brass-locked pistol into his own face. The boy was
frightened, and strove to throw himself backward out of range; but the
pistol snapped!

Providentially the weapon was either unloaded, or the powder was damp.
Otherwise that moment would have ended Enoch Harding's earthly career.
And in the flash of torchlight which was an instant later cast upon the
scene, the startled boy recognized the dark features and hawk nose of
Simon Halpen. The villain had sought him out and had striven to pay off
old scores in that moment of confusion and uproar.

But the confusion helped Enoch to escape, too. Lot seized his shoulder
and dragged him up from his knees. "Let him alone, poor chap!" he
whispered hoarsely in his friend's ear, and Enoch saw that he was
crying, "Let him alone. He is dead. Oh, these villains shall be punished
for this--they shall be punished! War has begun, Nuck--and we have seen
its beginning!" In his horror and despair Lot Breckenridge was
prophetic. War had begun; the first blood of the revolution--antedating
in its sacrifice the Battle of Lexington--had been shed.

Indeed, Lot and Enoch were fortunate to escape from the building, for
ten of the Whigs had been wounded beside poor French, and seven of the
remaining were taken prisoner. The town was roused and a great concourse
of people gathered in the streets. The sheriff and his men were loudly
execrated, and even some of the Tories expressed their indignation. The
men who had done the deed were forced to remain under cover for the rest
of the night while the alarm went into all the countryside and by
daybreak the patriot farmers were pouring into Westminster--a horde of
indignant citizens before whom the Tory officials trembled.

The very judges thems