Page 23 - A Hero of Ticonderoga

"Who stole this land? Where’s your tongue, boy?" Mr. Felton demanded
sharply.

But the boy, out of mind an instant, in that instant was out of sight. Many a

time he had heard Job recount the manner of retreat practised by the
Rangers, and now the knowledge served him well. While the surveryor’s
party was engaged with the pine, he slipped down on the same side of the

fence, gained the veiling of a low bush, wormed his way a few feet along
the ground, reached the protection of a large tree trunk, when he leaped to

his feet, and, fleet and noiseless as a Ranger himself, fled from tree to tree
in a circuitous route to his father.

Seth Beeman was hard at work on an extension of his clearing to the
westward when Nathan came up, panting and breathless.

"Oh, father, there’s a whole lot of Yorkers come and they’re runnin’ a line
right through our clearin’."

Seth listened attentively until the men and their work had been described

minutely, and then, without a word, resumed the trimming of the great
hemlock he had just felled. As Nathan waited for some response, he knew
by his father’s knitted brow that his thoughts were busy. At length, breaking

off a twig of hemlock, he came to his son and said, handing the evergreen
to him:

"Take this to Newton’s and show it to the men folks, and say ’There’s
trouble to Beeman’s,’ and then go on and do the same at every house, ’round

to Job’s, and show it to him and tell him the’ same, and do whatever he tells
you. Be spry, my boy; I must stay here and ta’ care of mother and Sis. Keep

in the woods till you get clear of the Yorkers, then take the road and
clipper."