the
neighborhood and had not accepted the responsibility as a lark. Enoch
became acquainted with one of his companions early in the evening who,
because of his open face, free and gentle manner, and earnest
conversation impressed the Bennington boy as being a youth of better
parts than were most of the backwoods people. Lot told his guest that
this individual was William French, the son of a Mr. Nathaniel French, a
man well known and respected highly by his neighbors. Like Lot, young
French was deeply interested in the affairs of the colonies, especially
in what was occurring in and about Boston. He had planned to go to the
Massachusetts colony and offer his services to the Committee of Safety
there if war really became imminent, though he would go, Enoch saw, in a
much different spirit from Lot's. Lot was eager for a fight for the
fight's sake; but French realized the root of the trouble and espoused
the cause of the persecuted colonists from principle.

It was eleven o'clock at night when the sheriff and his men attacked the
Whig guards, and many of the latter were asleep. The uproar was great as
the besieged tried to keep the Tories out of the building; but the
latter were reckless and knew that they had to do with a practically
helpless enemy. They forced an entrance, though the Whigs rallied well
and delivered some telling blows with their clubs. These blows doubtless
had much to do with what followed, for the sheriff's men became greatly
incensed. All the lights in the house were put out and for several
moments the antagonists fought in the dark. Enoch was not behind in the
battle and was one of those in the front rank which strove to beat the
sheriff's men back to the door. William French fought next him, while he
could hear his friend Lot shouting encouragement not far away.

The Tories were under a disadvantage in the dark and some of those still
without ran with torches and thrust them in, that the battleground might
be illumined. At that the sheriff, spurred by rage and the smart of a
blow he had received, cried to his men: "Fire! Fire at the rascals who
defy the law's authority!"

Some of his men took him at his word and putting their pieces to their
shoulders, they had been using them as clubs, shot blank-point into the
group of opposing Whigs!

It was a terrible scene that followed. Several men fell about Enoch, and
groans and cries rose from the wounded. A bullet had sent Enoch's cap
spinning into the