he
mast. Then a trim sailor-boy works his way through the crowd, and,
grasping the pole firmly, attempts to climb up, but soon slides down
ingloriously over the greasy surface, freshly slushed by the British
before their departure. The crowd yells in wrathful impotence; and a
few hot-headed youths spring forward, axe in hand, to bring down pole
and all to the earth. But the firm hand of the commanding officer
restrains them. He whispers a few words into their ears; and they
start briskly away, followed by a dozen or two of the steadily growing
crowd.

"Gen. Washington will be here soon," says the captain; "we must get
that rag down at once."

[Illustration: Cutting Away The Flag.]

In a few minutes the messengers return. They have been to a
neighboring hardware store, and startled the gray-haired old merchant
so that he stared vaguely at them through his spectacles, as they
fiercely demanded hammers, nails, and wooden cleats. Loaded with
these, they dash back to the scene of action; and again the sailor-boy
becomes the hero of the moment. With his pockets filled with cleats,
and his mouth stuffed with nails, he begins again his ascent of the
slippery staff. He nails cleat after cleat upon the pole, and step by
step mounts toward the top. At last he reaches the flag; and, with a
few quick jerks, it is torn from the pole, and thrown contemptuously
out into the air, to float down upon the crowd, and be torn to pieces
by curiosity seekers. Then the halliards are lowered, and soon the
flag of the young and struggling nation floats in the cool breeze;
while from the neighboring heights the cannon of the forts speak in
deep-mouthed salvos of applause, that mingle with the rejoicings of
the people, and do not cease until the ships of the enemy have passed
through the Narrows, and are out of sight and hearing. The British had
evacuated New York, and America had won her independence.

Not many years, however, had passed after this memorable event, when
the citizens not only of New York, but the people of all the United
States, began to find out that America had not won her true
independence, but merely a slight relief from the oppressions of Great
Britain. Already the nations of Europe were beginning to encroach upon
the rights and liberties of the infant nation. For this the States
were themselves greatly to blame. Nobly as they had fought in unison
to throw off the yoke of Great Britain, they fell into strife among
themse