Chapter of Daughters of the
American Revolution).

After Mr. Porter's departure Mrs. Porter said to Sybil, "You remember
how it was two years ago at the Danbury alarm, how we were left
without a crumb in the house and fairly went hungry to bed. I think
I'd better stir up a few extra loaves of rye bread and make some more
cake. You'd better call up Phyllis and Nancy and tell them to let the
washing go and help me."

Phyllis and Nancy were filled with astonishment and awe at the command
to leave the washing and bake, for, during their twenty years' service
in the house, nothing had ever been allowed to stay the progress of
Monday's washing.

Before mid-day another messenger came tearing up the New Haven road
and demanded a fresh horse in order to continue the journey to arouse
help and demand haste. He brought the half-past nine news from New
Haven that fifteen hundred men were marching from West Haven Green to
the bridge, that women and children were escaping to the northward and
westward with all the treasure that they could carry, or bury on the
way, because every horse in the town had been taken for the defence.

He had not finished his story, when from the northward the hastily
equipped militia came hurrying down the road. It was reported that
messengers had been posted from Waterbury Centre to Westbury and to
Northbury; to West Farms and to Farmingbury--all parts of ancient
Waterbury--and soon The City, as it was called in 1779, now Union
City, would be filled with militiamen.

The messenger from New Haven grew impatient for the fresh horse he had
asked for. While he waited on the porch, Cato, son of Phyllis, whose
duty it was to make ready his steed, sought Mrs. Porter in the
kitchen.

"Where that New Haven fellow," he asked, "get Massa's horse. He say he
come from New Haven, and he got the horse Ethel went away on."

"Are you sure, Cato?"

"Sure's I know Cato," said the boy, "and the horse he knew me--be a
fool if he didn't."

Mrs. Porter immediately summoned the rider to her presence and learned
from him that about four miles down the road his pony had given out
under haste and heat; that he had met a boy who, pitying its
condition, had offered an exchange of animals, provided the courier
would promise to leave his pony at the Porter Inn and get a fresh
horse there.

"Just like Ethel!" said Polly. "He'll dally all day now, while that
horse gets rested and fed, or else he'll go on foot. I wonder if I