University of Virginia Library

5. CHAPTER V.

Real causes of excitement have frequently, and
perhaps generally, been found to produce the soundest
slumber; while those that are artificial, or imaginary,
have an equal tendency to prevent it, Doctor
Young's poetic philosophy to the contrary notwithstanding.
It was thus with Warrington: While
the images of the past and future, which fancy had
called up, were operating in his bosom, he vainly
sought the arms of `tired nature's sweet restorer.'
But after he had found a just cause for excitement,
and experienced the utmost of its legitimate effects,
that restorer came unbidden and instantly. And
the next morning was considerably advanced before
he and his companion awoke from the deep and
sense-absorbing slumbers which for many hours had
sealed their every faculty in blank oblivion. They
simultaneously arose, and went to the window to
ascertain from whom proceeded the noise of the
axe, whose heavy resounding blows in the adjoining
forest had first awakened them from their quiet repose.
At the border of the woods, a short distance
to the south of the house, and in plain sight of
their loop-hole, for the window was nothing more,
stood the amazon owner, and almost sole creator of
this little opening in the dark wilderness, plying her
axe, with masculine dexterity and effect, into the

huge trunk of a standing hemlock. In a short time
this princely tenant of the Green Mountain forest
began to tremble, totter and bow beneath the supple
arm of its life-sapping foe, and at length came
down with a thundering crash upon the ground, filling
the air around with a cloud of dust, splinters,
broken and powdered limbs, and causing the earth
and surrounding woods to rebound at the shock.—
When the obstructing cloud had cleard away from
the spot, our observant friends beheld the object of
their attention mounted on the trunk of the prostrate
tree, and proceeding to mark it off into such
lengths for chopping as suited her purpose. While
thus engaged, her attention seemed to be suddenly
arrested by something she observed about the house,
or in a line with it beyond. Hastily descending
from her stand on the trunk, and seizing her rifle,
which stood at the foot of a tree near the stump of
the one just felled, she approached with a rapid step,
and with some appearance of concern, till within a
few rods of the house, when she slackened her pace
and soon halted.

`Tall, stout and stately,' said Selden, still standing
with his friend so near the window as to have a
fair view of the person of their hostess; `tall, stout
and stately,' he repeated, running his admiring eye
over her erect and imposing figure; `face and features
even yet handsome, despite the ravages and
cares of forty! And then that queenly port!—
Heavens! what a specimen of Eve's daughters!—
Surely, Warrington, she must be the very Juno of
your Green Mountains! But why not unbar the
door and go out to meet her? We shall appear a
pretty brace of heroes, if she come here and find us
hid up like a couple of runaways! She has perceived

us, I presume, but is doubtful whether we
are friends or foes.'

`Stay a moment,' said the other, who had been
regarding the movements of the woman quite as
intensely as his friend, though for different purposes;
`I suspect you will soon see that other objects
than ourselves are engrossing her attention.'

Scarcely had the last speaker ceased, when they
caught an oblique view of the approaching forms of
a number of men, whom they instantly recognized
to be Munroe and his party. Hastily retreating
from the window, and preparing their arms for action,
should their use become necessary either for
defending themselves within the house, or protecting
their hostess without, our two friends took positions
at small apertures between the logs of the
wall, where, without revealing themselves, they
could easily observe their foes, and stood silently
watching the progress of events in the yard.—
Meanwhile the hardy widow had planted herself directly
in the path in which the Yorkers were approaching
from the main road to her door. And
now boldly advancing and confronting them, she
demanded what might be their object in turning into
a lone woman's dwelling.

`Why, my good woman,' said the sheriff, pausing
and hesitating in evident surprise at the commanding
appearance and determined tone of the person
he was addressing; `we are all as hungry as so many
kites, after the long morning's march we have
had—and now can't you contrive to work up something
in the shape of a breakfast for us?'

`I know of but two reasons, sir, why I may not
comply with your request,' replied the woman, with
an air of quiet scorn.

`And what may they be, woman?' asked Munroe;
in doubt as to the drift of her discourse.

`The lack of means, and the lack of inclination,
sir,' rejoined the other in the same calm and scornful
manner.

`Short and sweet,' said Munroe; `but I think
we can remove your objections easily enough, mistress—my
men here have a plenty of salt junk, and
some bread, which will make out the main materials
for a meal—so you will have nothing to do but
cook and serve up for us, and if we pay you well
for your trouble, this will cure both your objections
at once I suppose.'

`Think you, sir, I would be hired to serve a Yorker
of your stamp?' replied the woman, with increasing
disdain; `why, the money got in that manner
would burn through my pockets as quick as if
it came at the call of one in league with the arch
fiend, and all hissing hot from the burning mint in
the regions below! Even the very food bought
with it would stick my throat, and poison my children
to death in the eating.'

`Tut, tut! madam madcap!' exclaimed the sheriff,
resuming his wonted roughness, and now begining
to chafe under the biting sarcasms of the other;
`you show about as much of the Tartar as any
thing I have met with in my travels for a long while.
I wish the rebels much joy in their petticoat champion!
But it is time to look a little to such as you.
The authorities of the king are neither to be resisted,
nor insulted with impunity, you will do well to
bear in mind, perhaps.'

`Cowards are always allowed the privilege of
blustering before women,' tartly rejoined the other;
`your threats, valient sheriff, will hurt me about as

much, probably, as they frighten me, and if any
thing further is attempted, you will find I can defend
myself.'

`We will see, my trooper!' muttered Munroe,
making a sudden movement towards the other, apparently
to disarm or seize her.

Eluding his grasp and hastily retreating a few
steps, the fearless woman cocked her rifle and
brought it to her shoulder. `Another step towards
me, sir, and your blood be on your own head,' she
cried, in a cool, determined tone.

`Hang me!' exclaimed Munroe, after standing a
moment in mute surprise at this bold and unexpected
movement of the woman, who, he began to suspect,
could scarcely have been brought to show
such singular fearlesness, but from a knowledge that
help was near; `hang me, if I don't believe the termagant
is standing guard to some of these skulking
outlaws, whom she has concealed in the house!—
We must see to this immediately,' he continued,
moving round his opponent toward the house, and
beckoning his men to follow.

`O, is that all you want,' said the widow, taking
her piece in her hand, and moving aside with the
air of one relieved from a personal fear; `you are
welcome to all the outlaws you will find here, but
you must beware how you attempt to touch me.—
However, you had better look out for yourself, brave
sheriff,' she added in a sneering laugh; `take care,
sir, that some of those terrible Green Mountain
Boys concealed within there, don't blow you through
the head with their rifles!'

`The door is fastened, woman,' said Munroe, as,
stepping up, he tried in vain to open it; `the door

is fastened on the inside—see that it is opened, or
I will force it!'

`O, no, no! why, you would spoil my door,
man!' cried the widow, with the utmost apparent
concern for the safety of her door; `yes, ruin it entirely—'twould
cost me a hard dollar to get it mended.
I forgot to tell you it was barred up inside.—
We do not stay here nights for fear of the visits of
such strolling gentry as yourselves. But if you really
wish to handle over my greasy pots and kettles,
or crawl under my beds, you can go in as I came
out, by going up on the ends of the logs at the corner
yonder, and removing a piece of that bark
roof.'

`But honestly, woman, have you seen nothing of
Warrington and his band this way last night, or
this morning?' asked the sheriff, his suspicions
seeming to be pretty much allayed by the well managed
demeanor and conduct of the other.

`Warrington—Warrington,' said she musingly, as
if attempting to recal the name of one of whom
she might have perhaps heard; `not captain Warrington?
Yes, I have heard of him, I am sure. Is
he in this section? Where is he? I should like
to see that brave fellow. Why, he was the one that
so handsomely beeeh-sealed one of the York authorities,
down Bennington way last year—now what
was his name—I will think in a minute'—

`O, no matter, no matter,' hastily interrupted the
sheriff, unwilling that the story of his own former
discomfiture should be made known to his present
followers; `come, boys,' he continued, moving away
from the house and calling to his men; `we shan't
be able to make any thing of this crabstick of a
woman—so we may as well be on the move again,

and as we have lost our guide, instead of going
back through the woods, we will up the creek to
the ford, and then down the military road to Ticonderoga.'

`Adroitly done, by heavens!' exclaimed Selden
to his companion, as the sounds of the retreating
footsteps of their foes died away on their ears;—
`the woman's tact has saved us, to say the least,
Captain, from a troublesome contest. But shall I
now unbar the door?'

`No—let her continue to manage in her own
way,' replied the other; `the Yorkers may take it
into their heads to stop and reconnoiter the house
awhile from the woods. And she may deem it prudent
to guard against their making any discoveries
in that way by remaining awhile without, or by entering
the house in the manner she pointed out to
Munroe.'

The woodswoman, if the term be admissible, wary
as she was fearless, immediately adopted one of the
precautions anticipated by Warrington. And the
sheriff and his posse had no sooner fairly disappeared
in the forest than our friends heard her
mounting the house, removing one of the broad
pieces of spruce bark, which constituted the rude
covering of the roof, and descending into the chamber
or garret above them. In another moment she
stood before them with a countenance animated with
a look, of triumph and a smile of congratulation.

`Now a thousand thanks to mistress Story,'
warmly exclaimed Warrington, after presenting his
friend and exchanging the ordinary salutations; `a
thousand thanks not only for yesterday's timely notice,
but for the shield which a woman's tact only
could have so successfully thrown over us this morning!

But how came you apprised that we were in
possession of your castle, as we were without the
shadow of a license from its owner?'

`Partly anticipating a visit from some of you,' replied
the widow, `I purposely left the door unfastened
when we left last night. And a peep through
the cracks when I returned this morning, and
found it barred, told me very nearly the character
of the occupants. But you do'nt know,' she added
jocosely; `how sorely I was tempted, as I saw
you lying there on the floor asleep, as helpless as
children, to creep in, bind you, deliver you over to
Munroe, and claim the reward!'

`When you was praying, “lead us not into
temptation,” at this moment of your trial,' said
Warrington, laughingly, `and thought of the next
sentence, “deliver us from evil,” you concluded it
best to take sides with the Green Mountain Boys,—
did you?'

`Why,' replied she, `it might certainly be a matter
of some consideration, who it were wisest to
make friends, and who foes, in such a case; and
especially so, since it now seems that ten Yorkers
can be put to flight by one old woman.'

`Ay, ay!' gaily responded the Captain; `and
that fact, sir,' he added, turning with an arch look
to Selden, `shows the wisdom of the doubts and
apprehensions you seemed to entertain last night in
approaching, without leave, the house of one who
might become so formidable a foe.'

`I should be sorry to spoil the Captain's joke,' replied
Selden in the same spirit; `but in taking possession
thus unceremoniously, I think we both depended
somewhat on the effect of the peace offering
we brought,' he continued, pointing to the game

suspended on the wall, `in appeasing the house-hold
gods for the outrage.'

`An ample atonement!' said the dame; `so
much so, indeed, that I suspect my nine little hungry
house-hold gods will think the obligation wholly
on their side. Yes, yes, that mark of your kindness,
gentlemen, I noticed when I took my stolen
peep in here, and my heart has been thanking you
ever since; for my larder, as you may well imagine,
is none of the fullest, considering the number depending
upon it. It makes my heart ache to put
the little kites on so short an allowance, as I am often
compelled to do here, in a place so difficult to
obtain provisions.'

`But where are your children?' asked Warrington.

`My children? all in T'other World, sir!' replied
the woman, with a sort of comic gravity.

`In the other world! what can the woman mean?'
asked Warrington, turning a puzzled look upon his
hostess. `But for the mention you have just made
of your children, and your roguish looks, which belie
your assertions, one might be startled at the import
of your words!'

`Not so much of a belieing neither,' said the woman,
`but come, we will open Sesame now,' she
continued, proceeding to unbar the door, `and after
seeing if my brood cannot be conjured back into
the world again, for the purpose of assisting me,
and quieting your apprehensions for their safety,
Captain, we will see what can be done in the way
of breakfast.'

`Let me attend you to witness the process of
conjuration,' said Warrington, who had more reasons
for making the request than were known to either
of his companions.

`No, Sir, no! keep house till I return, or, my
word for it, you get no breakfast this time,' replied
the other, in a sportive yet determined manner, as
she quitted the house on her proposed errand, leaving
her guests to indulge in such conjectures as they
chose respecting the place to which she had gone to
summon her concealed family. They were not allowed
much time, however, for discussing this curious
question: for in a short time their ears were
saluted by the mingled sounds of jabbering voices
approaching from the woods in the rear of the house.
And in a moment more the dame came up to the
door, with her nearly half score of hardy little urchins,
trooping along in noisy glee at her side.

`I will shake hands with the young Captain first!'
exclaimed one of the boys, endeavoring to outstrip
the rest, as they all made a rush at the door.

`You shan't!' vociferated another, springing forward
and eagerly elbowing his way through the
throng that was now choaking up the entrance. `I
say you shan't, now, Dick! He likes me best; Ned,
you hold him back!'

`I don't care, I will have the first kith!' cried a
lisping little image of her mother; `I will! mayn't
I, ma?' she added, throwing back her long unfettered
hair from before her laughing black eyes with a
pretty toss of the head, and entering with high glee
into the keen strife going forward for obtaining the
first notice of one, who, in former calls at the house,
seemed to have made warm friends of the whole
band of these tiny rivals for his favors.

The next moment the person of Warrington, like
that of Gulliver among the Lilliputians, was almost
literally covered by the little beings, two sitting on
each knee shaking his imprisoned hands with all

their might; the little Julia standing between, turning
up her pretty cheek invitingly for the expected
kiss, which, for all her declaration, instinctive modesty
forbade her to ask for; one or two hold of each
arm, and one, more daring and active than the rest,
having clambered aloft, was sitting astride the neck,
and crowing loud over the rest from his elevated situation;
while all were clinging, laughing and chattering
like a bevy of monkies exhibiting on an elephant
at the show of some travelling menagerie.

Those fashionable misanthropes of the Rochefacauldt
or Lacon school, who are forever moralizing
and mourning over the selfishness of man; who can
see no unadulterated benevolence, no disinterested
friendship in the moral deserts of the human heart,
might find one oasis at least to revive their jaundiced
vision, and go to refute the sweeping dictums of
their cold and cheerless philosophy, would they but
turn their eyes to the artless actions, and examine the
untutored and guileless hearts of children. How
spontaneous their affections! With what intuitive
and unerring certainty and quickness they single out
those who love them, whether kindred or stranger;
and with what confiding readiness and generous
ardour is the friendship thus bestowed upon
them forever reciprocated; and that, too, with no detracting
alloy of selfish feeling, no worldly calculating
of results, and no influencing considerations of
interest! Verily! while they go to school to us for
the improvement of the head, methinks it would
be well for us if the tables were so far turned that
they could become our only instructors in the lessons
of the heart.

The dame, now calling off such of her children
as she needed to assist her, and despatching one for

water, another for wood, and a third to go on some
whispered destination, proceeded rapidly in her preparations
for the promised repast. And in a short
space of time a tempting meal from the offering of
her guests was smoking on the table. The meal,
which was enlivened by a recital of the adventures
of the band the preceding evening, was no sooner
ended, than Selden, rising first from the table, departed,
at the suggestion of his superior, to see that
the party at the other house were in readiness to
commence their march.

`Now, Captain, where are you going with your
men?' earnestly asked the widow, as soon as Selden
was fairly gone; `I have reasons for wishing to
know.'

Warrington, after a slight hesitation, imparted the
desired information.

`Will you make me one promise,' resumed the
woman, `and at the same time receive from me in
kindness one caution?'

`On conditions, I will venture to say yes.'

`What may they be? If any thing that I can
properly comply with,'—

`I would impose no other terms, certainly—so
now for the promise you would exact?'

`Simply this, that the family, with whom the
young Indian I sent you last evening resides—no
question now about their names or residence!—that
this family, I say, shall not be molested, should you
or your men ever come across them. They hold under
a York title, besure, but turned no one off to
get possession. Will you promise?'

`For your sake, and the Indian's sake, if the facts
are as you state, I will promise my influence in their
behalf.'

`Now hear my caution—beware of that fellow
you chastised last night—beware of that Sherwood
—he will be a serpent in your path.'

`Do you know him?'

`I think I do, but must say no more. And now
let's hear your conditions.'

`Only that you shall expound my dream, or vision,
of last night.'

`A dream! vision!'

`Yes—a something, at all events, which conveyed
to my ear, as I thought, the sounds of a voice discoursing
most heavenly music.'

`A sleeping, or a waking dream?'

`The latter, I afterwards made up my mind to believe,
as the readiest way of solving the mystery;
but this morning I have begun to suspect'—

`At what time last night, and on what particular
spot, did this strange trance fall on you, sir?' interrupted
the widow in a bantering tone, which was accompanied,
however, with a look betraying considerable
curiosity and uneasiness.

`O, about the usual time of such visitations—the
witching hour of midnight. And the scene should
be laid, I think, more particularly than at any other
spot, near the foot of a certain charmed tree, or rather
the hollow trunk of one, standing not far from the
bank of the creek down here, to which, leaving my
companion asleep, I had wandered alone to shake off
a fit of watchfulness, that the spirits of the air, or
something else, had unaccountably sent me.'

`And did you relate your adventures to your companion,
on your return, or since?'

`No!'

`That settles the question with me, then, as to
what I should now do,' seriously observed the woman;

`Captain Warrington, I clearly see that you
have accidentally, and very singularly, hit upon a
clue to matters which I thought most prudent to conceal,
even from you, friend to the settlers and my
family, as you are. Follow me, and you shall know
more.'

So saying, with rapid step she led the way in silence
toward the creek, closely followed by her guest,
eager to witness the promised developement. Passing
directly by the hollow tree, to which she pointed
with a significant smile as they went along, she conducted
him to the brink of the high, steep bank,
which was here covered with a thick growth of young
evergreens, whose tangled boughs overhung the waters
below. Now grasping firmly hold of a projecting
root, she swung herself down on to a narrow shelf
or offset in the bank, a few feet above the surface of
the water. As soon as this position was gained by
them both, she proceeded along the shelf a few yards,
and, removing a small fir-tree top, which had been,
to all appearance, blown down the bank, disclosed
the mouth of a narrow passage running back horizontally
into the earth. Into this she immediately entered,
still followed by her companion. After groping
their way about a rod through the dark zigzag
windings of this passage, they emerged into a spacious
room, formed entirely by an artificial excavation
of the earth, which, from a begining at the outside,
had been removed in small parcels and thrown
into the stream, till the whole was completed. The
walls or sides, which had been cut down perpendicularly
from the solid mould and plastered over with
thin mud, now presented a hard, compact surface.
The ceiling, which was in the form of an arch, coming,
probably, at the top or centre, within a foot of

the surface above, was supported by the thickly
spreading roots of the trees, standing, many of them,
directly over the excavation, and forming a kind of
net-work, curiously, and so strongly interwoven as effectually
to prevent the earth from caving in from
above. The whole interior was divided into two
parts of unequal dimensions, by a slight willow-work
partition, the lesser of which, being designed for the
sleeping apartment, was neatly carpeted with a thick
dry moss, collected from the spruce knolls in the vicinity;
while on one side was extended, at suitable
intervals, a row of little, oblong platforms, raised about
a foot above the general level by repeated doublings
of the same light, springy substance. These, on which
were laid such beds as the occupant could furnish,
afforded, with, or without, any further additions, soft
and pleasant couches, safely protected against the
damps of a ground floor. Beside one of the walls of
the larger room was a rude fire-place, constructed of
flat stones and built up several feet high to receive
fuel and give direction to the smoke, which, ascending
through a sort of retreating flue cut into the bank,
escaped through the cavity of the identical hollow
stub that Warrington had discovered to be in some
way connected with the mysterious melody heard by
him the evening before.

`This, Captain Warrington,' said the dame, after
showing her admiring guest every part of her subterraneous
establishment, which she had lit up on entering
by throwing a few light combustibles on the fire
still remaining on the hearth; `this is my city of refuge—my
strong hold, or my `T'other World,' as I
have accustomed myself and children to call it, fancying,
in my wish to keep the secret of its existence
to ourselves, that some such name would lessen the

chances of a discovery, which might accidentally be
made, perhaps, by referring to it before others by a
proper designation. It was dug out by myself and
my little boys, who took to digging as naturally as
young foxes, and greatly assisted me. My neighbor
below, however, aided me in the most difficult parts
of the work; and in case of dangers he is to occupy
it with me.'

`But what were the immediate dangers you apprehended,
that led you to so uncommon an undertaking?'
asked the other.

`For myself I might feel, perhaps, no apprehensions,'
replied the provident mother. `For my children,
I feel differently. All parents, Captain, however
brave they may be for themselves, are always
cowards for their children. No real dangers, it is
true, might beset us here for years; and then again,
they might come like a thief in the night. To say
nothing of the heartless Yorkers, who might burn my
house, or turn us out shelterless into the snow—to
say nothing of the wolves, that have been known, in
the desperation of hunger, to attack folks in their
houses—to say nothing of these, which are sufficiently
fearful for most people, what security have we, in
these outposts of the settlement, even in times of
peace, against a hostile visit from the Indians? But
when, as now, the rumors of war come floating on
every breeze, that danger is daily increasing. The
sad experience of my father's family, who were half
slain by these hell-hounds of the wilderness at the
outbreak of the last war, has taught me the wisdom
of precaution. In peace they are even to be
distrusted; and the first rumor of war that strikes
their ears will put them to whetting their knives for
slaughter; while they are sure to anticipate the

coming contest by striking the first blow on the defenceless
families of the frontiers. Now with these
views, is it strange,' she added with a smile, `that
the mother of nine children, with but one neighbor
within miles of her, should forsee the evil and
hide herself?'

`Surely not,' replied Warrington, struck not less
by the forcible language of the woman, than by her
prudent forecast; `you are right in believing that
the storm of a new war is gathering over us; and
if you think of remaining here, these precautions
are but the part of wisdom, as we know not when,
or where, the storm may burst. But do you occupy
this retreat every night, now?'

`We do.'

`You enter, as we did, taking your children down
the bank, I suppose?'

`Sometimes but more generally by approaching
from the creek in my canoe, (which is kept hid in
the bushes a few rods below,) lest by coming down
the bank constantly, we wear a path, which might
lead to a discovery of our retreat.'

`And you all lodged here last night, of course?'

`Yes.'

`Part of the mystery, then, stands explained—why
should the rest be kept back?'

`What is there more that you do not comprehend?'

`The singing'—

`Might have been my own, if you heard any.—
You never heard any of my lullaby performances
before, I suppose?' said the woman, with an evasive
smile.

`No, but I have once heard the performances of
another, whese voice is not easily to be forgotten,'

replied Warrington, turning a keen, searching gaze
on the slightly confused face of the widow.

`Warrington, Warrington!' said the woman, resuming
a tone of seriousness, and intently reading
the looks of the other; `as much as I hate deception,
I wish I could have misled you. But I saw by
your disappointed looks, when you entered, and
glanced around these empty apartments, that you
expected to find here what you have not. And I
now see, that you still have certain impressions,
which I wish could have been done away. But as
you seem bent on following up your clue, I will not
attempt to mislead you. From what I have gathered
from you and others, I have for some time secretly
suspected the identity of persons yet supposed
to be different, and that I have long known
those whose present residence you have little
dreamed of: Captain Warrington, there is indeed
a rose bud in this wilderness, which I should not
have been displeased to see placed in your bosom.
But seek it not now—there is a hedge about it too
high for your leaping.'

`Where is she? I ask but to know where,' enquired
the other with impatient eagerness.

`Not here, nor near here, now,' replied the woman;
`the secret is not mine to reveal: I have said
too much already; so question me no further. But
come, let us leave for the upper world,' she added,
rapidly leading the way out, and allowing the other
no further chance to resume his importunities till
they had gained the top of the bank.

`But surely you will not leave the matter here,
after informing me so far?' said Warrington, in an
expostulating tone, as he perceived that the other
seemed to expect that he would now depart.

`For the present I surely shall,' replied the woman
decidedly; `you will urge in vain one, who
understands her duties to all. Go! your men
await you—good morning, and God speed you in
the cause of the settlers,' and imperiously waving
her hand for the departure of her reluctant and
tantalized guest, she suddenly turned away and disappeared
in the forest.