placing other and more onerous burdens upon these
colonies, affects us not so nearly as what these New York Tories do to
us now. We have no standing either with the colonies or with the King;
we are outlaws, forsooth; our hand is against every man's and every
man's hand against us. Yet, belike in time the trouble between the King
and the colonies may be the salvation of the Hampshire Grants.

"We have other business now. I am away at once, friends," he said,
rising again. "Do so to me and more also, if I allow more time than is
necessary to pass before I fall upon those Scotch scoundrels and smite
them hip and thigh! Send the word around, Stephen Fay. Let them that
will gather here. Be sure Warner knows of this; I will send for 'Member
myself. His company will be first ready, I have no doubt. 'Member's
wound is scarce yet healed, and the sting of it needs dressing," and he
laughed, knowing Captain Baker's fiery temper and his hatred of the
Yorkers who had served him so evilly that very spring. "Let it be known
that we start from Bennington by sunrise."

Enoch returned home, more than a little puffed with pride because of
Colonel Allen's commendation and although he was too young to join the
party which, under Allen and Captain Baker, marched to punish the Scots
at Vergennes, he knew that his fortunate discovery would make him
something of a hero in the eyes of his mates. The Green Mountain Boys
fell upon the Scots unexpectedly, burned the cabins, pastured their
horses in the standing corn, broke the millstones to pieces, and drove
the New York settlers to Crown Point where they took shelter until the
land-speculator, Reid, could gain them transportation to other and more
honestly acquired lands. As for Reid himself, had he been overtaken by
the Grants men he certainly would have been "viewed"--a phrase used by
the Green Mountain Boys, meaning to be whipped. The settlement was,
however, for the time being abandoned by both parties, for it was so
deep in the wilderness that neither could properly defend it from
attack.

CHAPTER X

THE WARNING

After his return from this hunting trip, Enoch Harding was forced to
neglect the training days on several occasions because of the increased
work at home. The harvest was soon upon them and nobly had the fields of
the ox-bow farm borne for the widow and her children. While they were
hard at work getting under cover, or in stack, the last of their crops,
the Manchester