e new to you, but
these are necessary, for you are now in a radio broadcasting studio,
talking in front of a microphone. The word [_in_] means that the
character is standing close to the microphone, while [_off_] indicates
that he is farther away, so that his voice sounds faint. When the
directions [_off, coming in_] are given, the person speaking is away
from the microphone at first but gradually comes closer. The words
[_mob_] or [_crowd noise_] you will understand mean the sound of many
people talking in the distance.

Both the English and the dialect used help make the characters live, so
the speeches have been written in the way in which these men and women
would talk. This means that sometimes the character may use what seems
to you unusual English. The punctuation helps, too, to make the
speeches sound like real conversation; for example, you will find that
a dash is often used to show that a character is talking very
excitedly.

The Tree That Saved Connecticut

_CAST_

GOVERNOR TREAT
LIEUTENANT ALLYN
GOVERNOR ANDROS
CAPTAIN WADSWORTH
COLONEL BLIGH
THE SEXTON
CHARLES WILLYS
VOICE

ANNOUNCER

In the year 1661 Connecticut received from the hand of Charles the
Second a very liberal charter granting to the people of the colony
almost complete self-government and to the colony an enormous stretch
of territory extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. For fifteen years
the colony prospered under the generous charter. Then in 1676 trouble
arose with the Governor of New York, Sir Edmund Andros, about the
boundary line between the two colonies. Andros demanded authority over
all the land west of the Connecticut River. Governor Treat of
Connecticut refused to submit. Andros threatened to seize the disputed
land. Treat defied him. Andros fitted out three ships, embarked a
military force, and set out for Saybrooke, Connecticut. Treat ordered
out the militia, garrisoned the fort at Saybrooke, and waited.

Our first scene is in the fort on the morning of July 9, 1676. The
Governor is at breakfast when he hears--

VOICE [_distance_]

Sail, ho!

ALL [_closer_]

Sail, ho! Here they come; call the governor [_etc._]

ALLYN [_coming in_]

Governor! Governor! The ships are coming into the harbor!

TREAT

Are you certain they are the ships of Governor Andros?

ALLYN

Come and see for yourself, Governor.

TREAT

Come along, then. Lieutenant Allyn, how many ships did you see? [_crowd
noises sw