Moore donned his full-dress uniform, and with his brother officers
proceeded to the little church in the village.

Every thing then seemed favorable to the success of the adventure.
The "Margaretta," manned by a sleepy crew, and deserted by her
officers, lay within easy distance of the shore. It seemed as though
the conspirators had only to divide into two parties; and while the
one surrounded the church, and captured the worshipping officers, the
others might descend upon the schooner, and easily make themselves
masters of all.

But the plot failed. History fails to record just how or why the
suspicions of Capt. Moore were aroused. Whether it was that the wary
captain noticed the absence of most of the young men of the
congregation, or whether he saw the conspirators assembling on the
dock, is not known. But certain it is that the good dominie in the
pulpit, and the pious people in the pews, were mightily startled by
the sudden uprisal of Capt. Moore, who sprang from his seat, and,
calling upon his officers to follow him, leaped through the great
window of the church, and ran like mad for the shore, followed by the
rest of the naval party.

There was no more church for the good people of Machias that morning.
Even the preacher came down from his pulpit to stare through his
horn-rimmed glasses at the retreating forms of his whilom listeners.
And, as he stood in blank amazement at the church door, he saw a large
party of the missing young men of his congregation come dashing down
the street in hot pursuit of the retreating mariners. In their hands,
the pursuers carried sabres, cutlasses, old flint-lock muskets,
cumbrous horse-pistols, scythes, and reaping-hooks. The pursued wore
no arms; and, as no boat awaited them at the shore, their case looked
hopeless indeed. But the old salt left in charge of the schooner was
equal to the occasion. The unsabbath-like tumult on the shore quickly
attracted his attention, and with unfeigned astonishment he had
observed his commander's unseemly egress from the church. But, when
the armed band of colonists appeared upon the scene, he ceased to rub
his eyes in wonder, and quickly loaded up a swivel gun, with which he
let fly, over the heads of his officers, and in dangerous proximity to
the advancing colonists. This fire checked the advance of the
conspirators; and, while they wavered and hung back, a boat put off
from the schooner, and soon took the officers aboard. Then, after
fir