University of Virginia Library

6. CHAPTER VI.

Percival.

The distaste for each other which existed between the
people of New England and those of the adjoining colonies,
anterior to the war of the revolution, is a matter of history.
It was this feeling that threw Schuyler, one of the ablest
and best men in the service of his country, into the shade,
a year later than the period of which we are writing. This
feeling was very naturally produced, and, under the circumstances,
was quite likely to be active in a revolution. Although
New England and New York were contiguous territories,
a wide difference existed between their social conditions.
Out of the larger towns, there could scarcely be said
to be a gentry at all, in the former; while the latter, a conquered
province, had received the frame-work of the English
system, possessing Lords of the Manor, and divers other of
the fragments of the feudal system. So great was the social
equality throughout the interior of the New England provinces,
indeed, as almost to remove the commoner distinctions
of civilised associations, bringing all classes surprisingly
near the same level, with the exceptions of the very low, or
some rare instance of an individual who was raised above
his neighbours by unusual wealth, aided perhaps by the accidents
of birth, and the advantages of education.

The results of such a state of society are easily traced.
Habit had taken the place of principles, and a people accustomed
to see even questions of domestic discipline referred,
either to the church or to public sentiment, and who knew
few or none of the ordinary distinctions of social intercourse,
submitted to the usages of other conditions of society, with
singular distaste and stubborn reluctance. The native of

New England deferred singularly to great wealth, in 1776,
as he is known to defer to it to-day; but it was opposed to
all his habits and prejudices to defer to social station. Unused
to intercourse with what was then called the great
world of the provinces, he knew not how to appreciate its
manners or opinions; and, as is usual with the provincial,
he affected to despise that which he neither practised nor
understood. This, at once, indisposed him to acknowledge
the distinctions of classes; and, when accident threw him
into the adjoining province, he became marked, at once, for
decrying the usages he encountered, comparing them, with
singular self-felicitation, to those he had left behind him;
sometimes with justice beyond a doubt, but oftener in provincial
ignorance and narrow bigotry.

A similar state of things, on a larger scale, has been witnessed,
more especially in western New York, since the
peace of '83; the great inroads of emigrants from the New
England states having almost converted that district of
country into an eastern colony. Men of the world, while
they admit how much has been gained in activity, available
intelligence of the practical school, and enterprise, regret
that the fusion has been quite so rapid and so complete; it
being apparently a law of nature that nothing precious that
comes of man shall be enjoyed altogether without alloy.

The condition in which captain Willoughby was now
placed, might have been traced to causes connected with
the feelings and habits above alluded to. It was distasteful
to Joel Strides, and one or two of his associates, to see a
social chasm as wide as that which actually existed between
the family of the proprietor of the Knoll and his own, growing
no narrower; and an active cupidity, with the hopes of
confiscations, or an abandonment of the estate, came in aid
of this rankling jealousy of station; the most uneasy, as it
is the meanest of all our vices. Utterly incapable of appreciating
the width of that void which separates the gentleman
from the man of coarse feelings and illiterate vulgarity,
he began to preach that doctrine of exaggerated and mistaken
equality which says “one man is as good as another,”
a doctrine that is nowhere engrafted even on the most democratic
of our institutions to-day, since it would totally
supersede the elections, and leave us to draw lots for public

trusts, as men are drawn for juries. On ordinary occasions,
the malignant machinations of Strides would probably have
led to no results; but, aided by the opinions and temper of the
times, he had no great difficulty in undermining his master's
popularity, by incessant and well-digested appeals to the
envy and cupidity of his companions. The probity, liberality,
and manly sincerity of captain Willoughby, often counteracted
his schemes, it is true; but, as even the stone yields
to constant attrition, so did Joel finally succeed in overcoming
the influence of these high qualities, by dint of perseverance,
and cunning, not a little aided by certain auxiliaries
freely obtained from the Father of Lies.

As our tale proceeds, Joel's connection with the late
movement will become more apparent, and we prefer leaving
the remainder of the explanations to take their proper places
in the course of the narrative.

Joyce was so completely a matter of drill, that he was in
a sound sleep three minutes after he had lain down, the
negro who belonged to his guard imitating his industry in
this particular with equal coolness. As for the thoughtful
Scotchman, Jamie Allen, sleep and he were strangers that
night. To own the truth, the disaffection of Mike not only
surprised, but it disappointed him. He remained in the
court, therefore, conversing on the subject with the “laird,”
after his companions had fallen asleep.

“I wad na hae' thought that o' Michael,” he said, “for
the man had an honest way with him, and was so seeming
valiant, that I could na hae' supposed him capable of proving
a desairter. Mony's the time that I've heard him swear—
for Michael was an awfu' hand at that vice, when his betters
were no near to rebuke him — but often has he swore that
Madam, and her winsome daughters, were the pride of his
een; ay, and their delight too!”

“The poor fellow has yielded to my unlucky fortune,
Jamie,” returned the captain, “and I sometimes think it
were better had you all imitated his example.”

“Begging pairdon, captain Willoughby, for the familiarity,
but ye're just wrang, fra' beginning to end, in the
supposition. No man with a hairt in his body wad desairt
ye in a time like this, and no mair's to be said in the
matter. Nor do I think that luuk has had anything to do

with Michael's deficiency, unless ye ca' it luuk to be born
and edicated in a misguiding religion. Michael's catholicity
is at the bottom of his backsliding, ye'll find, if ye look
closely into the maiter.”

“I do not see how that is to be made out, Allen; all sects
of the Christian religion, I believe, teaching us to abide by
our engagements, and to perform our duties.”

“Na doubt — na doubt, 'squire Willoughby — there's a
seeming desire to teach as much in a' churches; but ye'll
no deny that the creatur' o' Rome wears a mask, and that
catholicity is, at the best, but a wicked feature to enter into
the worship of God.”

“Catholicism, Jamie, means adherence to the catholic
church—”

“Just that—just that”—interrupted the Scot, eagerly—
“and it's that o' which I complain. All protestants—wather
fully disposed, or ainly half-disposed, as may be the
case with the English kirk — all protestants agree in condemning
the varry word catholic, which is a sign and a
symbol of the foul woman o' Babylon.”

“Then, Jamie, they agree in condemning what they don't
understand. I should be sorry to think I am not a member
of the catholic church myself.”

Yersal'! — No, captain Willoughby, ye're no catholic,
though you are a bit akin to it, perhaps. I know that Mr.
Woods, that's now in the hands o' the savages, prays for
the catholics, and professes to believe in what he ca's the
`Holy Catholic Kirk;' but, then, I've always supposed that
was in the way o' christian charity like; for one is obleeged
to use decent language, ye'll be acknowledging, sir, in the
pulpit, if it's only for appearance's sake.”

“Well—well—Jamie; a more fitting occasion may occur
for discussing matters of this nature, and we will postpone
the subject to another time. I may have need of your services
an hour or two hence, and it will be well for every
man to come to the work fresh and clear-headed. Go to
your pallet then, and expect an early call.”

The mason was not a man to oppose such an order coming
from the `laird;' and he withdrew, leaving the captain
standing in the centre of the court quite alone. We say
alone, for young Blodget had ascended to the gallery or

staging that led around the inner sides of the roofs, while
the negro on guard was stationed at the gateway, as the
only point where the Hut could be possibly carried by a
coup-de-main. As the first of these positions commanded
the best exterior view from the inside of the buildings, the
captain mounted the stairs he had so recently descended,
and joined the young Rhode Islander at his post.

The night was star-light, but the elevation at which the
two watchers were placed, was unfavourable to catching
glimpses of any lurking enemy. The height confounded
objects with the ground on which they were placed, though
Blodget told the captain he did not think a man could cross
the palisades without his being seen. By moving along the
staging on the southern side of the quadrangle, he could
keep a tolerable look-out, on the front and two flanks, at
the same time. Still, this duty could not be performed without
considerable risk, as the head and shoulders of a man
moving along the ridge of the building would be almost
certain to attract the eye of any Indian without. This was
the first circumstance that the captain remarked on joining
his companion, and gratitude induced him to point it out, in
order that the other might, in a degree at least, avoid the
danger.

“I suppose, Blodget, this is the first of your service,”
said captain Willoughby, “and it is not easy to impress on
a young man the importance of unceasing vigilance against
savage artifices.”

“I admit the truth of all you say, sir,” answered Blodget,
“though I do not believe any attempt will be made on the
house, until the other side has sent in what the serjeant calls
another flag.”

“What reason have you for supposing this?” asked the
captain, in a little surprise.

“It seems unreasonable for men to risk their lives when
an easier way to conquest may seem open to them. That
is all I meant, captain Willoughby.”

“I believe I understand you, Blodget. You think Joel
and his friends have succeeded so well in drawing off my
men, that they may be inclined to wait a little, in order to
ascertain if further advantages may not be obtained in the
same way.”

Blodget confessed that he had some such thoughts in his
mind, while, at the same time, he declared that he believed
the disaffection would go no further.

“It is not easy for it to do so,” returned the captain,
smiling a little bitterly, as he remembered how many who
had eaten of his bread, and had been cared for by him, in
sickness and adversity, had deserted him in his need, “unless
they persuade my wife and daughters to follow those
who have led the way.”

Respect kept Blodget silent for a minute; then uneasiness
induced him to speak.

“I hope captain Willoughby don't distrust any who now
remain with him,” he said. “If so, I know I must be the
person.”

“Why you, in particular, young man? With you, surely,
I have every reason to be satisfied.”

“It cannot be serjeant Joyce, for he will stay until he
get your orders to march,” the youth replied, not altogether
without humour in his manner; “and, as for the Scotchman,
he is old, and men of his years are not apt to wait so
long, if they intend to be traitors. The negroes all love
you, as if you were their father, and there is no one but me
left to betray you.”

“I thank you for this short enumeration of my strength,
Blodget, since it gives me new assurance of my people's
fidelity. You I will not distrust; the others I cannot, and
there is a feeling of high confidence—What do you see?
—why do you lower your piece, and stand at guard, in this
manner?”

“That is a man's form, sir, on the right of the gate, trying
to climb the palisades. I have had my eye on it, for
some time, and I feel sure of my aim.”

“Hold an instant, Blodget; let us be certain before we
act.”

The young man lowered the butt of his piece, waiting
patiently and calmly for his superior to decide. There was
a human form visible, sure enough, and it was seen slowly
and cautiously rising until it reached the summit of the
stockade, where it appeared to pause to reconnoitre. Whether
it were a pale-face or a red-skin, it was impossible to
distinguish, though the whole movement left little doubt that

an assailant or a spy was attempting to pass the outer
defences.

“We cannot spare that fellow,” said the captain, with a
little regret in his manner; “it is more than we can afford.
You must bring him down, Blodget. The instant you have
fired, come to the other end of the stage, where we will
watch the result.”

This arranged, the captain prudently passed away from
the spot, turning to note the proceedings of his companion,
the moment he was at the opposite angle of the gallery,
Blodget was in no haste. He waited until his aim was certain;
then the stillness of the valley was rudely broken by
the sharp report of a rifle, and a flash illumined its obscurity.
The figure fell outward, like a bird shot from its perch,
lying in a ball at the foot of the stockade. Still, no cry or
groan gave evidence of nature surprised by keen and unexpected
anguish. At the next instant Blodget was by captain
Willoughby's side. His conduct was a pledge of fidelity
that could not be mistaken, and a warm squeeze of the hand
assured the youth of his superior's approbation.

It was necessary to be cautious, however, and to watch
the result with ceaseless vigilance. Joyce and the men below
had taken the alarm, and the serjeant with his companions
were ordered up on the stage immediately, leaving
the negro, alone, to watch the gate. A message was also
sent to the females, to give them confidence, and particularly
to direct the blacks to arm, and to repair to the loops.

All this was done without confusion, and with so little
noise as to prevent those without from understanding what
was in progress. Terror kept the negroes silent, and discipline
the others. As every one had lain down in his or her
clothes, it was not a minute before every being in the Hut
was up, and in motion. It is unnecessary to speak of the
mental prayers and conflicting emotions with which Mrs.
Willoughby and her daughters prepared themselves for the
struggle; and, yet, even the beautiful and delicate Maud
braced her nerves to meet the emergency of a frontier assault.
As for Beulah, gentle, peaceful, and forgiving as she
was by nature, the care of little Evert aroused all the mother
within her, and something like a frown that betokened resolution
was, for a novelty, seen on her usually placid face.

A moment sufficed to let Joyce and his companions into
the state of affairs. There now being four armed men on
the stage, one took each of the three exposed sides of the
buildings to watch, leaving the master of the house to move
from post to post, to listen to suggestions, hear reports, and
communicate orders.

The dark object that lay at the foot of the palisades was
pointed out to the serjeant the instant he was on the stage,
and one of his offices was to observe it, in order to ascertain
if it moved, or whether any attempts were made to carry
off the body. The American Indians attach all the glory
or shame of a battle to the acquisition or loss of scalps, and
one of their practices was to remove those who had fallen,
at every hazard, in order to escape the customary mutilation.
Some tribes even believed it disgrace to suffer a dead
body to be struck by the enemy, and many a warrior has
lost his life in the effort to save the senseless corpse of a
comrade from this fancied degradation.

As soon as the little stir created in the Hut by the mustering
of the men was over, a stillness as profound as that
which had preceded the alarm reigned around the place.
No noise came from the direction of the mill; no cry, or
call, or signal of battle was heard; everything lay in the
quiet of midnight. Half an hour thus passed, when the
streak of light that appeared in the east announced the approach
of day.

The twenty minutes that succeeded were filled with intense
anxiety. The slow approach of light gradually brought
out object after object in the little panorama, awakening and
removing alike, conjectures and apprehensions. At first the
grey of the palisades became visible; then the chapel, in its
sombre outlines; the skirts of the woods; the different cabins
that lined them; the cattle in the fields, and the scattering
trees. As for Joyce, he kept his gaze fastened on the object
at the foot of the stockade, expecting every instnat there
would be an attempt to carry it off.

At length, the light became so strong as to allow the eye
to take in the entire surface of the natural glacis without
the defences, bringing the assurance that no enemy was
near. As the ground was perfectly clear, a few fruit-trees
and shrubs on the lawn excepted, and by changing positions

on the stage, these last could now be examined on all sides,
nothing was easier than to make certain of this fact. The
fences, too, were light and open, rendering it impossible for
any ambush or advancing party to shelter itself behind them.
In a word, daylight brought the comfortable assurance to
those within the palisades that another night was passed
without bringing an assault.

“We shall escape this morning, I do believe, Joyce,” said
the captain, who had laid down his rifle, and no longer felt
it necessary to keep the upper portions of his body concealed
behind the roof—“Nothing can be seen that denotes an
intention to attack, and not an enemy is near.”

“I will take one more thorough look, your honour,” answered
the serjeant, mounting to the ridge of the building,
where he obtained the immaterial advantage of seeing more
at the same time, at the risk of exposing his whole person,
should any hostile rifle be in reach of a bullet—“then we
may be certain.”

Joyce was a man who stood just six feet in his stockings;
and, losing no part of this stature by his setting up, a better
object for a sharp-shooter could not have been presented
than he now offered. The crack of a rifle soon saluted the
ears of the garrison; then followed the whizzing of the bullet
as it came humming through the air towards the Hut. But
the report was so distant as at once to announce that the
piece was discharged from the margin of the forest; a certain
evidence of two important facts; one, that the enemy had
fallen back to a cover; the other, that the house was narrowly
watched.

Nothing tries the nerves of a young soldier more than the
whizzing of a distant fire. The slower a bullet or a shot
approaches, the more noise it makes; and, the sound continuing
longer than is generally imagined, the uninitiated
are apt to imagine that the dangerous missile is travelling
on an errand directly towards themselves. Space appears
annihilated, and raw hands are often seen to duck at a
round shot that is possibly flying a hundred yards from
them.

On the present occasion, the younger Pliny fairly squatted
below the root Jamie thought it prudent to put some of his
own masonry, which was favourably placed in an adjacent

chimney for such a purpose, between him and the spot
whence the report proceeded; while even Blodget looked up
into the air, as if he expected to see where the bullet was
going. Captain Willoughby had no thought of the missile;
he was looking for the smoke in the skirts of the woods, to
note the spot; while Joyce, with folded arms, stood at rest
on the ridge, actually examining the valley in another direction,
certain that a fire so distant could not be very dangerous.

Jamie's calculation proved a good one. The bullet struck
against the chimney, indented a brick, and fell upon the
shingles of the roof. Joyce descended at the next instant,
and he coolly picked up, and kept tossing the flattened bit
of lead in his hand, for the next minute or two, with the air
of a man who seemed unconscious of having it at all.

“The enemy is besieging us, your honour,” said Joyce,
“but he will not attack at present. If I might presume to
advise, we shall do well to leave a single sentinel on this
stage, since no one can approach the palisades without being
seen, if the man keeps in motion.”

“I was thinking of this myself, serjeant; we will first
post Blodget here. We can trust him; and, as the day
advances, a less intelligent sentinel will answer. At the
same time, he must be instructed to keep an eye in the rear
of the Hut, danger often coming from the quarter least expected.”

All this was done, and the remainder of the men descended
to the court. Captain Willoughby ordered the gate unbarred,
when he passed outside, taking the direction towards the lifeless
body, which still lay where it had fallen, at the foot of
the stockades. He was accompanied by Joyce and Jamie
Allen, the latter carrying a spade, it being the intention to
inter the savage as the shortest means of getting rid of a
disagreeable object. Our two old soldiers had none of the
sensitiveness on the subject of exposure that is so apt to
disturb the tyro in the art of war. With sentinels properly
posted, they had no apprehensions of dangers that did not
exist, and they moved with confidence and steadily wherever
duty called. Not only was the inner gate opened and passed,
but the outer also, the simple precaution of stationing a man
at the first being the only safeguard taken.

When outside of the palisades, the captain and his companions
proceeded at once towards the body. It was now
sunrise, and a rich light was illuminating the hill-tops,
though the direct rays of the luminary had not yet descended
to the valley. There lay the Indian, precisely as he had
fallen, no warrior having interposed to save him from the
scalping-knife. His head had reached the earth first, and
the legs and body were tumbled on it, in a manner to render
the form a confused pile of legs and blanket, rather than
a bold savage stretched in the repose of death.

“Poor fellow!” exclaimed the captain, as the three approached
the spot; “it is to be hoped Blodget's bullet did its
commission faithfully, else the fall must have hurt him
sadly.”

“By Jove, 'tis nothing but a stuffed soldier!” cried Joyce,
rolling the ingeniously contrived bundle over with his foot;
“and here, the lad's ball has passed directly through its
head! This is Injin deviltry, sir; it has been tried, in order
to see whether our sentinels were or were not asleep.”

“To me, Joyce, it seems more like a white man's clumsiness.
The fellow has been made to resemble an Indian, but
people of our own colour have had a hand in the affair.”

“Well, sir, let that be as it may, it is lucky our youngster
had so quick an eye, and so nimble a finger. See, your
honour; here is the pole by which the effigy was raised to
the top of the palisades, and here is the trail on the grass
yet, by which his supporter has crept off. The fellow seems
to have scrambled along in a hurry; his trail is as plain as
that of a whole company.”

The captain examined the marks left on the grass, and
was of opinion that more than one man had been employed
to set up the decoy figure, a circumstance that seemed probable
in itself, when the weight of the image and the danger
of exposure were remembered. Let that be as it might, he
was rejoiced on reflection that no one was hurt, and he still
retained the hope of being able to come to such an understanding
with his invaders as to supersede the necessity of
actual violence.

“At all events, your honour, I will carry the quaker in,”
said Joyce, tossing the stuffed figure on a shoulder. “He
will do to man the quaker gun at least, and may be of use

in frightening some one of the other side, more than he has
yet frightened us.”

Captain Willoughby did not object, though he reminded
Joyce that the desertions had probably put the enemy in
possession of a minute statement of their defences and force,
including the history of the wooden gun. If Joel and his
fellow-delinquents had joined the party at the mill, the name,
age, character and spirit of every man remaining in the
garrison were probably known to its leaders; and neither
quakers nor paddies would count for much in opposing an
assault.

The captain came within the gate of the palisades last,
closing, barring, and locking it with his own hands, when
all immediate apprehensions from the enemy ceased. He
knew, certainly, that it would probably exceed his present
means of resistance, to withstand a vigorous assault; but,
on the other hand, he felt assured that Indians would never
approach a stockade in open day, and expose themselves to
the hazards of losing some fifteen or twenty of their numbers,
before they could carry the place. This was opposed
to all their notions of war, neither honour nor advantage
tempting them to adopt it. As for the first, agreeably to
savage notions, glory was to be measured by the number
of scalps taken and lost; and, counting all the women left
in the Hut, there would not be heads enough to supply a
sufficient number to prove an offset to those which would
probably be lost in the assault.

All this did the captain discuss in few words, with the
serjeant, when he proceeded to join his anxious and expecting
wife and daughters.

“God has looked down upon us in mercy, and protected
us this night,” said the grateful Mrs. Willoughby, with
streaming eyes, as she received and returned her husband's
warm embrace. “We cannot be too thankful, when we
look at these dear girls, and our precious little Evert. If
Robert were only with us now, I should be entirely happy!”

“Such is human nature, my little Maud”—answered the
captain, drawing his darling towards himself and kissing
her polished forehead. “The very thoughts of being in our
actual strait would have made your mother as miserable as
her worst enemy could wish — if, indeed, there be such a

monster on earth as her enemy — and, now she protests
she is delighted because our throats were not all cut last
night. We are safe enough for the day I think, and not
another night shall one of you pass in the Hut, if I can have
my way. If there be such a thing as desertion, there is
such a thing as evacuation also.”

“Hugh!—What can you, do you mean! Remember, we
are surrounded by a wilderness.”

“I know our position reasonably well, wife of mine, and
intend to turn that knowledge to some account, God willing,
and aiding. I mean to place old Hugh Willoughby by the
side of Xenophon and Washington, and let the world see
what a man is capable of, on a retreat, when he has such a
wife, two such daughters, and a grandson like that, on his
hands. As for Bob, I would not have him here, on any
account. The young dog would run away with half the
glory.”

The ladies were too delighted to find their father and
husband in such spirits, to be critical, and all soon after sat
down to an early breakfast, to eat with what appetite they
could.