The Project Gutenberg EBook of Neal, the Miller, by James Otis

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Neal, the Miller
A Son of Liberty

Author: James Otis

Posting Date: July 9, 2009 [EBook #4293]
Release Date: July, 2003
First Posted: December 30, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEAL, THE MILLER ***

Produced by John Kaler

NEAL, THE MILLER

A SON OF LIBERTY

BY

JAMES OTIS

CONTENTS

I THE PROJECT
II THE ESCAPE
III IN BOSTON
IV ON THE PASCATAQUA
V STEPHEN KIDDER
VI SEWATIS

CHAPTER I

THE PROJECT

"I fear you are undertaking too much, Neal. When a fellow lacks two
years of his majority--"

"You forget that I have been my own master more than a year. Father
gave me my time before he died, and that in the presence of Governor
Wentworth himself."

"Why before him rather than 'Squire White?"

"I don't know. My good friend Andrew McCleary attended to the business
for me, and to-day I may make contracts as legally as two years hence."

"Even with that advantage I do not see how it will be possible for you
to build a grist-mill; or, if you should succeed in getting so far with
the project, how you can procure the machinery. It is such an
undertaking as Andrew McCleary himself would not venture."

"Yet he has promised me every assistance in his power."

"And how much may that be? He has no friends at court who can--"

"Neither does he wish for one there, Stephen Kidder. He is a man who
has the welfare of the colonists too much at heart to seek for friends
near the throne."

"It is there he will need them if he hopes to benefit New Hampshire."

"Perhaps not. The time is coming when it behooves each of us to observe
well the law regarding our arms."

"You mean the statute which declares that 'every male from sixteen to
sixty must have ready for use one musket and bayonet, a knapsack,
cartridge-box, one pound of powder, twenty bullets and twelve flints?'"

"There is none other that I know of."

"Then I shall not be a law-breaker, for I am provided in due form. But
what has that to do with your mill? I think you will find it difficult