eace with our mother country, and save
ourselves and children."

He knew that the sentiments of the handbill were those of Mr.
Shrimpton, and suspected that his hand had penned it. The rumor was
abroad that the king had sent word to General Gage to seize the two
arch leaders of the rebels, Adams and Hancock. The following evening
Tom and other Sons gathered at the Green Dragon, laid their hands upon
the Bible, and made a solemn oath to watch constantly the movements of
the Tories and soldiers, and give information to Samuel Adams, John
Hancock, Doctor Warren, and Benjamin Church, and to no others.

There came a day when a great multitude assembled in town meeting, in
the Old South Meetinghouse, to listen to Doctor Warren's oration
commemorative of the massacre of the people by the troops. Citizens
from all the surrounding towns were there to let General Gage know
they had not forgotten it; besides, they knew they would hear burning
words from the lips of the fearless patriot.

Tom Brandon and Abraham Duncan, looking down from the gallery upon the
great throng, saw Samuel Adams elected moderator. He invited the
officers of the regiments to take seats upon the platform. Tom
wondered if they were present to make mischief. The pulpit was draped
in black. Every part of the house was filled,--aisles, windows,
seats,--and there was a great crowd in the porches. Tom was wondering
if it would be possible for Doctor Warren to edge his way through the
solid body of men, when he saw the window behind the pulpit opened by
one of the selectmen and the doctor, wearing a student's black gown,
enter through the window. The audience welcomed him with applause.
For more than an hour they listened spellbound to his patriotic and
fearless words. At times the people made the building shake with their
applause. Some of the king's officers grew red in the face when he
alluded to their presence in Boston to suppress the liberties of the
people. One of the officers of the Welsh Fusilliers sitting on the
stairs was very insulting. Tom saw him take some bullets from his
pocket and hold them in the palm of his hand to annoy Doctor Warren,
but instead of being frightened, he very quietly rebuked the officer's
insolence by letting his handkerchief drop upon the bullets. Bold and
eloquent were his closing words.

"Fellow-citizens," he said, "you will maintain your rights or perish
in the glorious struggle. However difficult the combat, you wil