ds bring back
the charter. It was gone, and nobody knew where. Everybody looked for
it, right and left, in and out, in drawers and closets, but it was
nowhere to be found. Very likely the most of them did not want to find
it. At any rate, the governor had to go away without the charter, and
years passed before anybody saw it again.

Do you not wish to know what became of it? We are told that it had been
taken by a bold young soldier named Captain Wadsworth. While all the
people in the room were looking at the one who was making his speech,
the captain quickly took off his cloak and gave it a quick fling over
the candles, so that in a moment they were all put out. Then he snatched
up the charter from the table and slipped quietly out of the room. While
they were busy snapping the flint and steel, he was hurrying down the
street towards a great oak tree which was more than a hundred years old.
This tree was hollow in its heart, and there was a hole in its side
which opened into the hollow. Into this hole Captain Wadsworth pushed
the charter, and it fell into the hollow space. I do not think any of us
would have thought of looking there for it. I know nobody did at that
time, and there it lay for years, until the tyrant King James was driven
from the throne and a new king had taken his place. Then it was joyfully
brought out, and the people were ever so glad to see it again.

The old tree stood for many years in the main street of the town, and
became famous as the Charter Oak. The people loved and were proud of it
as long as it stood. But many years ago the hoary old oak fell, and now
only some of its wood is left. This has been made into chairs and boxes
and other objects which are thought of great value.

Do you not think that Captain Wadsworth was a bold and daring man, and
one who knew just what to do in times of trouble? If you do not, I fancy
you will when I have told you another story about him.

This took place after the charter had been taken from the oak and
brought to the statehouse again. At this time there was a governor in
New York named Fletcher, who claimed that the king had given him the
right to command the militia, or citizen soldiers, of Connecticut. So he
came to Hartford, where Captain Wadsworth was in command, and where the
people did not want any stranger to have power over them. He told the
captain what he had come for, and that he had a commission to read to
the soldiers.

The militia were c