."

"No flattery, Pitts," returned Mr. Kinnison. "My memory 's bad enough,
and as for taking such a bold part in that tea-party, it's all nonsense.
If there was a leader, you was the man. But I'll tell these young men
all I know of the affair, and what the Lebanon Club had to do with it."

"Take some of this beef, Mr. Brown?" interrupted Hand.

"Much obliged, sir, but beef is rather too tough for my gums," replied
the old fifer. "I'll try something else." Mr. Kinnison went on with his
narrative.

"Well, the seventeen men of our club determined, whether we were aided
or not, to destroy the tea which the East India Company had sent to
Boston. The plan was soon formed, as it always is when men are
determined to do a thing. We wanted no captain--each man could command
for himself. We resolved to disguise ourselves in Mohawk dresses, and
carry such arms as would enable us to sell our lives pretty dearly; we
also pledged ourselves never to reveal the names of any of the party
while there was danger in it. We expected to have a fight anyhow, and
the first man who faltered was to be thrown overboard with the tea. We
came to Boston and found the people ripe for the deed. A great meeting
was to be held at the old South Meeting-house, and we concluded to wait
and see what would be done there. We lodged at this tavern, and held our
councils up in this room. Well, there was a tremendous meeting at the
Old South, and most of us were there to help to keep up the excitement,
and to push our plan if a chance appeared. Young Quincy made a speech
that stirred the people, and made them ready for anything which would
show their spirit. The people voted with one voice that the tea should
not be landed. We saw how things were going, came back to the tavern,
put on our Mohawk dresses, and returned to the meeting. Pitts succeeded
in getting into the church just about dusk and raising the war-whoop. We
answered outside. Then Pitts cried out, 'Boston harbor a tea-pot
to-night!'

"Ay," exclaimed Pitts, brandishing his knife above his head, "and 'hurra
for Griffin's Wharf!'"

"The crowd echoed Griffin's Wharf," continued Kinnison, "and hurried
towards that place. Our men joined together, returned to the tavern, got
our muskets and tomahawks, and collected about seventy men together,
armed with axes and hatchets. Then we pushed for the wharf where the
East Indiamen, loaded with the tea, were lying. Let me see!--The ships
were called the Dartm