“And I had meant to give Louise one of my strings1 of blue beads2 just as soon as I had asked Aunt Prissy,” she thought, regretfully, holding up the pretty beads, and recalling how much Louise had admired them.
“Aunt Prissy,” she called, running down the stairs and into the sitting-room4, “may I not give Louise one of my bead3 necklaces?”
Aunt Prissy looked up in amazement5.
“But how can you, Faithie, dear? We do not know where she is,” she answered.
“We shall know some time. Of course we shall. And when we do, may I? I meant to ask you the day of the quilting,” said Faith.
[Pg 173]“Of course you may, child. I was sure that you would want to when Esther sent the beads. I only hope you may have a chance to give them to Louise at an early day,” responded Aunt Prissy.
This decision proved a comfort to Faith. As the weeks went by, and no news of the shoemaker and his little daughter was received, she would often look at the string of blue beads which she meant to give her friend. “I wish I had given them to her on my birthday,” she thought regretfully, “but she shall have them some time,” for Faith was quite sure that it could not be very long before Louise would find a way to let them know where she was.
March came, “stirring the fire” vigorously from the day of its arrival. The ice in the lake broke up rapidly, the snow melted, and by the middle of the month Faith began to expect her father. Nathan Beaman, in his clumsy boat, had crossed from Shoreham a number of times. He often teasingly reminded Faith of her plan to ask Ethan Allen to come and take possession of Fort Ticonderoga.
[Pg 174]“You’d better hurry. The British will be sending men down from Canada by early summer, and then ’twill be of no use for the Green Mountain Boys to try to capture the fort,” he said.
“How do you always know so much about what the English are going to do?” asked Faith.
The children were all in the shop. Nathan was helping6 Donald in the construction of a small boat, and Faith and the two younger boys had been filling a basket with chips and shavings to carry into the house.
“Can’t help knowing,” answered Nathan. “I hear the men at the fort talking about all their fine plans to own all this country every time I go there.”
“Nathan,” and Faith lowered her voice so that the other children would not hear, “you know I promised not to tell about the door at the fort?”
Nathan nodded; he was looking at her sharply, and half feared that she was about to tell him that she had broken the promise.
“Well, of course I shan’t tell. But if my telling some American would help send the soldiers away, mayn’t I tell then?” and Faith’s face was very serious as she waited for his response.
[Pg 175]“Yes. I meant you weren’t to tell Louise Trent, or those Young girls,” said Nathan. “And don’t tell any one unless you are sure it will be of some use. You see I may tell, if it comes to that.”
Faith drew a long breath. “Thank you, Nathan,” she said, in so serious a tone that the boy laughed aloud.
“You are as grave about that old fort as my father and the Shoreham men are. You ought to hear my father tell about the big fight here in 1758. He was a young man then, and the French held the fort, and the English were after it.”
Donald had stopped his work, and he and Hugh were listening eagerly. “Tell us, tell us about it,” said Donald.
“Father says there’ll never be anything like it again. All the Colonies sent men, and Lord Howe brought thousands of English soldiers. England was our friend then,” said Nathan.[Pg 176] “They had thousands of boats, and rafts to carry their big guns. They had big flags, and music; and they didn’t lurk7 or skulk8 about. Their boats came right down the lake in fine shape; they landed, and marched toward the fort. But the French were ready for them, and beat them back. However, the next year the English and Americans drove the French out.”
“I guess the English are brave,” Donald ventured, returning to his work.
“Of course they are. Why, we’re all English ourselves,” declared Nathan, “and that’s why we won’t stand being treated so unfairly. We can’t stand it.”
“I’m not English. I’m an American,” said Faith; “and when the Americans take Ticonderoga that will be American too.”
“That’s the way to talk, little maid,” said a gruff voice, and the children turned quickly toward the door.
“I didn’t mean to listen,” and a tall man, dressed in deerskin jacket and trousers, with moccasins, and wearing a fur cap, stepped into the shop, resting his musket9 against the wall near the door. “Shouldn’t have dared come in if I had not heard I was in good company,” he said laughingly, his sharp eyes looking carefully about the shop.
Nathan, with a half-muttered word of good-bye to the children, had started toward the door; but the newcomer’s hand grasped his arm.
[Pg 177]“Wait a minute!” he said, swinging the boy about. “I’m not so sure about letting you start off so smart. You may head straight for the fort, for all I know. What’s your name?”
Nathan stood silent. His face flushed, but he looked the newcomer steadily10 in the face.
“Let go of Nathan!” said Donald sturdily, clutching at the man’s arm, and kicking at his legs. “This isn’t your shop. You let go of him.”
“I guess I’d better,” laughed the man, taking a firm hold of Donald and looking at both his captives in evident amusement. “Well, Philip Scott, what sort of a hornet’s nest have you here?” he called out, and Faith turned around to see her Uncle Philip standing11 in the doorway12. “I’ll not let go these men until you promise to defend me,” continued the stranger.
“You are safe, Phelps,” responded Mr. Scott, coming forward and, as Nathan and Donald were released, giving the stranger a cordial welcome. Nathan vanished without a word, but on Mr. Scott’s saying that he was the son of Mr. Beaman of Shoreham, the stranger was reassured
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