University of Virginia Library

12. CHAPTER XII.

The next morning after the affair at the Lower
Falls, between our Green Mountain Boys and the
hired minions of Colonel Reed, a separation, as the
reader will readily remember, took place among the
former, the several individuals who had occupied a
conspicuous place in our story, departing in different
directions, and with objects as diverse as their various
destinations. Some of these individuals, still
designed to sustain a close connection with the
events we have undertaken to delineate, have been
neglected through several of our last chapters, in order
to preserve, as unbroken as possible, the chain of
the leading part of the narrative, in several scenes
we had commenced so nearly connected as to render
a break alike disagreeable to both reader and
writer. But being allowed a short respite before following
those, with whom we have just parted, we
now hasten to bestow, in the first place, some attention
on our friend Selden and his new charge, the
volatile, but not ungifted, Jessy Reed, by following
them to the destination, for which they were on the
point of embarking when we left them. This was

at Skenesboro', near the south end of the lake, so called
from the name of the proprietor of a large body of
land at this place,—Colonel Skeen, who, being not
only a wealthy land holder, but the commander of
one of the king's regiments, had here constructed a
large, strong stone house, and made it a sort of military
post, as well as the residence of his family and
various dependents. The whole of this curious establishment,
not a little resembling that of one of
the ancient feudal lords, was at this time, under the
command of Major Skene, a son of the proprietor,
the father having been some months absent, engaged
in negociations for his own aggrandizement at the
British court. It was to this place that Miss Reed
had so fearlessly undertaken a voyage in an open
skiff, with one oarsman and Selden, her volunteer
knight attendant. But a description of this voyage,
together with many circumstances which preceded
it, we will now, agreeably to a previous intimation,
allow the fair voyager to give in her own language.
And for this purpose we present the following letter,
sent by her a few days after her arrival at Skenesboro',
and received on the morning following the
events recorded in the last chapter:—

`I have most serious doubts, my dear Alma, whether
I am exactly myself. And should you be equally
dubious, as I expect you will, when you have perused
all that I shall now, under the rose, impart,
you may set it down, if you please, as the relation
of a pretty dream, which has passed through the
brain of Philip Skene's half courted high-flyer,
while dozing under the soporific thoughts of a matter
of course, all very suitable sort of a match, with

his grave and calculating majorship. One thing,
however, I imagine, is certain; and that is, that I
am here at Skenesboro', snugly immured in the Major's
stone castle. And why I am so positive of this
is, that I feel so sleepy, and have felt so ever since
he left us. He! who? Ah! that sets me afloat
again! But I will begin at the beginning; and
dream or no dream, you shall have the whole of my
adventures with (now be making up your mouth for
interjections!) those horrid, brave, dear ugly Green
Mountain Boys.

Accompanying my father from Montreal, with my
half Indian girl, Zilpah Wampum, under the arrangement
that we should be left, and stationed at
Skenesboro' during his contemplated sojourn of
some time in the city of New York, I besought him
right earnestly on the way, to let me go with him to
visit his possessions up Otter Creek, to which he intended
to return for a day after landing us at the
Major's. After a few of those not very alarming
affairs, pshaws! pishes! &c., I carried my point, as
I generally do, with my, I fear, too indulgent parent.
And what was a still greater victory, and certainly
much harder to be won, I prevailed upon him at
last to let us remain there for a few days after he
had proceeded on his journey, under the condition
that I should take a very fair, warm, and very calm
day, within a week at farthest, and, with our best
boat, and two of our most careful men there, proceed
to our original destination.

Well, there we remained at that wild, romantic
place, happy as larks; by day rambling round the
fields for flowers, skirting the woods for spruce gum,
boxberries and birds' nests, and at night, listening to
the adventures of the men, or quizzing the honest

old McIntosh, the commander of the post, as he
calls himself—there we remained, I say, till the
fourth day after father had left us, when, who should
make his appearance, but that plausible and oily
tongued beau of yours, Jacob Sherwood, announcing
that a band of Green Mountain Boys, headed
by Warrington, the outlaw, was in full march to lay
waste, burn and destroy our possessions, and murder
every soul to be found on the premises, or at least
to carry us off as captives to their dens in the mountains!
My heart beat like a young drummer! And
as for Zilpah, though mute as a fish, her complexion
wonderfully improved about that time, I assure
you. However, being a soldier's daughter, as well
as yourself, I soon made up my mind not to die of
fright, at least; so I flew round, helped the men to
make cartridges, and whatever else I could do, in
preparation for the expected visit. Sherwood was
invited to aid in putting the garrison in a state of
defence, and remain with us through the coming
siege. But O, no! he couldn't possibly! He must
be off to the woods to watch the enemy's approach,
and give us signal guns when they arrived at the
clearing. Well, after the whole establishment had
resounded with the din of preparation about an hour,
and every thing was prepared for their reception, M'Intosh
called us together, women and all, for a council
of war, to hear the different plans that might be
offered as to the best mode of conducting the defence,
though doggedly determined, all the while,
that none but his own should be adopted. And what
think you that was? Why, that all the men should
take the field against the enemy, and fight their way
back, under cover of log-heaps, to the works, leaving
us, poor women, entirely alone, to unbar the
gate to receive them when they should reach it and
give the watch-word. This sage plan of operations,
as you may well suppose, did not at all strike my
fancy. But finding opposition useless, I submitted
with the best grace I could, demanding, however, as
the terms of my compliance, that they should leave
me a good musket, (a Major's wife at one of our
stations, some years ago, having taught me how to
load and fire one,) for our defence, in case I should
have occasion to use it. This settled, McIntosh
marshalled his men, sallied out and lay in ambush
till the enemy appeared, when a battle commenced,
in which powder enough was burnt to have slain a
regiment, though, strange to tell, not one drop of
blood was spilled on either side.

Now comes my part of this queer drama. While
I stood at the gate listening, with palpitating heart,
to the thunders of the musketry in the field, and
anxiously awaiting the signal to open to our men, I
heard steps outside the enclosure, which I knew
could not proceed from any of our party. Almost
desperate with fear, I seized the loaded gun which
had been left for me, and stood on the defensive,
while poor Zilpah, still worse frightened, fled into
the house. All for a few moments was quiet, when
happening to look round, I beheld, to my utter surprise
and consternation, one of the enemy approaching
me, three of them, it seems, having already scaled
the walls behind the house. Heaven forgive me!
in the desperation of the moment I fired my gun at
him, though thanks to the same Heaven, without
hitting him. He proved to be the Lieutenant of
Warrington, who now, with the other man, rushed
forward from behind the house, when all stood confronting
me. But what do you think they did?

Seize me like ruffians, as from Sherwood's tale of
the horribles, I expected? No, they came forward,
and, in the most mild, and gentlemanly manner, advised,
nay, entreated me to retire into the house, to
which I now suffered myself to be conducted by
Lieutenant Selden, who had just providentially escaped
death by my hand! I think I must have appeared
like a fool. I certainly felt like one.

I need not inform you that our men now soon
surrendered to the Green Mountain Boys, who took
possession, claiming, however, none of the moveables,
and asking only that the men should leave the place
the next day. The treatment I received, and the explanations
given me by Warrington (who by the way
is a noble looking fellow; Alma, I wish you could
see him,) in regard to this war about titles, soon
overset all my preconceived opinions of the Green
Mountain Boys. Indeed, if we can rely on their
statements, I hardly know how our people can be
justified in driving these poor settlers from their
farms.

But what shall I say of him—Mr. Selden, I mean?
Who would credit it,—I would not a week ago, I am
sure—that, after having called him a ruffian and
monster to his face, as I did when he first approached
me, I was found in the twilight of the same evening,
rambling, arm in arm, with the handsome, quizzical,
audacious rogue, along the freshly flowered
banks of the Otter, quoting poetry with him, or listening
to the better poetry of his own brilliant conceptions,
which sometimes flowed from his lips in
bursts of surpassing eloquence, and sometimes in
sallies of wit, so original and irresistibly humorous,
that I would defy the gravest puritan in the land to
keep his risibles from breaking loose on the occasion.

He volunteered to attend me to Skenesboro',
the next day, and I—now don't suspect me of being
captivated with the fellow, Alma—I accepted his
offer—how could I do less? Well, the next morning,
with Zilpah, bag and baggage—the bag, you
will say, perhaps, should have been given to him—
and with one of father's trusty and strong armed
Highlanders for an oarsman, we shipped aboard boat,
and proceeded down the creek. The day was most
serenely fair. And our voyage to the mouth of the
stream, as we glided along with the gently flowing
current in its meandering course, was indeed delightful.
The forest-lined banks were beautifully frosted
with the white wood violet, or blushing with beds of
wild tulips; while the budding branches of the over-hanging
trees above seemed fairly vivified by the
thousand melodious duets that were joyously bursting
from the happy little hearts of these minstrel
lovers of the grove.

After we had reached the open lake, we found a
pretty breeze blowing freshly from the westward.
And the gentleman, fixing up a blanket for a sail,
our little craft swept through the lake right merrily,
I assure you. We were soon abreast of your charming
situation. And I could hardly consent to pass
you without hauling up for a short morning call;
but the men urging that by improving the breeze
we could easily reach our destination by night,
when otherwise we might fail of so doing, I reluctantly
agreed to forego the pleasure of seeing you,
and introducing my Green Mountain Phœnix—not
that I am particularly charmed with him myself, but
I think you would have been gratified in beholding
so rare an avis, as a gentleman, as he really is, from
so wild and savage a region as this Green Mountain
country.

At noon we dined quite romantically from off the
middle seat of our boat, on edibles furnished from
our store-basket, and neatly arranged by Zilpah. I
never partook with greater zest; and what with the
keenness of our appetites, the novelty of the affair,
and the thousand spicy things said on the occasion,
I don't believe I should have enjoyed the banquet of
a princess with half the pleasure that I did this
meal.

After we had taken our refreshment and again
got under weigh, for we had run into a little cove
beautifully over arched by a cluster of whispering
pines, the saucy rogue so managed as to get Zilpah
and the oarsman into one part of the boat, and
himself and your humble servant into the other,
with our blanket sail forming an impenetrable
screen between. Here, after sentimentalizing, and
poetizing awhile over the ever changing views of
scenery, alternating with the majestic and beautiful,
as we rapidly glided by them, he began a set of
compliments so very pointed, and squinting loveward,
but at the same time so oddly framed, that I
knew not whether to laugh or be angry. I should
have severely chided so much boldness in a stranger,
however, on one or two occasions, had not the
provoking creature, carefully watching my countenance,
thrown in some remark that gave an entire different
turn to the whole meaning of what he had begun
to say. So you see, Alma, how far I am from
any thing like the tender passion in this strangely begun,and
no less strangely maintained acquaintance.

The remainder of our voyage was now mostly
occupied by him in giving me a history of his life
as far as he knew it himself, relating the singular
and certainly very romantic adventures through

which he passed, from his childhood to the present
hour. Having neither time nor space to detail them
now, I will only say briefly, that he was horn somewhere
in New England, as he supposes; for he neither
knows his birth place, nor the name of his parents.
But by some means or other falling into
mercenary hands when a mere child, he was sold as
a slave,—passed through several hands, and at length
carried over the waters,—taken into the protection
of a philanthropie nobleman in England, by whom
he was liberally educated and furnished with a
handsome outfit to purchase a commission in the
army, or seek his fortune wherever he could find it.
He then after wandering awhile in Europe, obeyed
the impulse of his own heart, and came to visit his
own country; when, being enamoured of a sylvan
life, and thinking he should enjoy the excitements
usually to be found in a border settlement, he soon
found his way to the New Hampshire Grants, and
enlisted in the controversy, which he here found
going on between the settlers and the New Yorkers.

By the time he had closed this very interesting,
and delightfully told autobiography, we hove in sight
of the castellated establishment of the Skenes'. It
was then, almost for the first time, that it occurred
to me, that, attended as I was, my meeting with the
family must be an extremely awkward one, since
the feelings of the major, as well as those of his father,
the colonel, are known to be hostile to the
Green Mountain boys, and I could not forbear hinting
this to Selden, and suggesting, at the same time,
the expediency of withholding from the family, till
he had gone, all knowledge of the late affair at the
Falls, or his passing incog, among them.

`O, no,' was his prompt reply, `mince no matters
on my account, fair lady. Having made my peace
with her who is most interested, and obtained an
absolution for my offences—have I not? at least,'
he continued with a tone and smile so sweet, so
tender and yet so imploring, that I found my head
nodding an assent before I knew it, `at least, may I
not be permitted to hope I shall, my dear Miss Reed
—having done this, they must be singularly disposed
indeed to espouse the quarrels of others if they offer
me any personal disrespect. No, no, fear it not,
and should you feel disposed to countenance my remaining
at this place through the night, I shall gladly
risk all consequences to myself from so doing.'

We had now reached the landing, and in a moment
the inmates of the house, who were expecting
me about these days, and had conjectured who we
were, all rushed out, and Marge and Mary Skene
with their brother, came flying like two paper kites
with a lubberly boy at their tails, down to the boat
to receive us. I don't know how I made my tongue
do its office in returning their salutations, for my
heart certainly leaped right up plump into my mouth,
and I cannot conceive how that poor little member,
so shamefully belied in our sex, could have possibly
found room to wag! It did, however, and I introduced
Mr. Selden, by name, to them all. The girls,
I thought, seemed rather pleased that I had brought
them a new candidate for their toils, and so fine a
looking fellow into the bargain. But the major,
reckoning on the possibility, I suppose, that the other
might become a candidate for the toils of somebody
besides sisters, looked rather askew at my gentleman,
nevertheless not knowing exactly what
might be a safe conclusion on such uncertain premises,

he soon brought himself to behave quite decently,
and escorted us all to the house without further
ado. But further trials were in store for me:
For Mr. Selden, as soon as we all had got comfortably
seated, to my surprise, broke the ice at once:
—and, after craving their attention a moment while
he relieved Miss Reed, as he said, of a task which
he could readily conceive would be an unpleasant
one for her to perform, very coolly related the whole
transaction which led to his acquaintance with me,
and the consequent responsibility that devolved on
him of seeing me safe to my friends.

I felt, though I can scarcely tell why I should,
like a criminal while Mr. Selden was making this
developement, which, I had many fears, would involve
his personal safety; notwithstanding he has
done nothing as yet, he tells me, that the York government
consider worthy of death or bonds. All
seemed much surprised at what they heard, and in
the major's face—that is, as soon as he could comprehend
the matter, for it takes an idea some time,
you know, to get through his cranium, and no great
wonder neither considering how far it has to go—
in the major's face I saw evident signs of a gathering
storm. But knowing, that, on a resonable calculation,
Mr. S. might count on two days at least
before a cloud engendering in so cold a climate
would become sufficiently charged to be dangerous,
I did not feel greatly alarmed, and especially so as
the girls seemed disposed to laugh at the affair.
And Marge, on Mr. Selden's playfully proposing to
submit himself to us ladies to pass sentence for his
crimes, quite smartly observed, that we would sentence
him to an imprisonment of a week in their
stone jug, as she termed their house, and be let out

to attend us on horseback or in a boat ride each
day.

We now passed the remainder of the evening
very pleasantly. And for the next two days we almost
literally inflicted on Mr. Selden the sentence
which had been so queerly imposed. We read,
walked, sailed and rode, alternately; and a right
merry time we had of it, I assure you—Mr. Selden
in the mean time becoming a great favorite with the
girls, especially with Marge, to whom, I thought, he
was rather more particular than he should have
been in strict politeness to the rest of us. He had
an object however, I presume, in conciliating the
girls by his attentions. Do you think, Alma, that
Marge Skene is so very handsome as some pretend
to think her?

`But where was my doughty Major in the meanwhile?'
you will ask. Why he was so unacountably
busy with the workmen in the field just about those
days, that he could not, on any account, attend us on
any of our delightful excursions. And when he
joined us at our meals, he was as grave as a Turk.
Mr. S. however, I thought, was less alarmed than
amused at his awefulness of countenance.

After two days thus spent, and on the morning of
the third after our arrival, Mr. S. suddenly announced
to us his intention of an immediate departure.
The girls were evidently touched with regret and
disappointment at this unexpected announcement,
thinking, perhaps, that their work was but half
complete. But if ever Margery, or Mary Skene, is
selected by him for a cynosure I have mistaken his
taste; and yet, I confess, his conduct has sometimes
not a little puzzled me. He thanked me for the consideration
I had shown him under unpleasant circumstances

of our first acquaintance in a manner so
handsome and feeling, that it made me feel like a
condemned and guilty one, when I thought of that
mad act of mine, which marked the introduction to
which he alluded. He then very politely thanked
the girls for their kindness and hospitality, and was
about to depart, when Marge found tongue to invite
him to renew his visit.

`I know not,' he answered, somewhat pensively,
`that circumstances will ever permit me that pleasure
in person, but if you know of any way, fair ladies.'
—he continued glancing quite meaningly at somebody,
as the girls in their jokes would afterwards
have it—`any way of receiving the visits I may pay
you in dreams, I doubt not that you will often be
favored with the repetition you have so kindly invited.—Adieu,
ladies, adieu.'

I do not certainly know the reason of Mr. Selden's
abrupt departure, but from what I can gather,
I suspect the major had that morning despatched
an express to the authorities at Albany, with a
view to get the former arrested. This I presume,
he, by some means or other, got wind of, and I am
glad of it, if for no other reason than that it defeated
Philip's jealous meanness. He gave us all quite
a lecture that night for being so familiar with one
who was so much a stranger, and threw out many
ill-natured remarks about Mr. S. that helped his
own cause, perhaps, less than he imagined, I wish
heaven had made him such a man.

I must now close this long, and, I fear, very foolish
letter. I dare not read it over for fear I should
burn it. I shall remain here for the present—I
must I suppose, till father returns. O, what will he
say, when he hears what they have done with his

possessions! For myself, I care little, or nothing
about it. He loses only what he paid for the land—
a mere trifle. As for the labor and improvements
bestowed there, he has been more than twice paid,
by the profits received. Besides, he is wealthy
enough without this property, which, I really suspect,
he cruelly took from the poor settlers, who had as
good a right to it as himself—perhaps better.

P. S. I said I must stay here till father's return,
but should he tarry some months, I might contrive,
perhaps, to come and spend a few weeks with you.
If I should, as Mr. S. will be somewhere in your vicinity,
probably, and may claim me as an acquaintance,
you might possibly have an opportunity of
being introduced to him—that is, if he knew that I
was there. Now, my dear girl, I must bid you good
bye, with the charge—now lift up your hand and
swear—that you will neither show this, nor breathe
aught of its contents to mortal ear! Remember!!
Write soon—adieu.