I blushed to tell him, and further confessed what had occurred that very evening in the open fields before Johnstown.
"Well," said he coolly, "it is well to be rid of vermin. Now you should pick your men in safety, Mr. Drogue. And if none will volunteer--such as have families or are not fit material for rangers--you are authorized to go out into the wilderness and recruit any forest-running fellow you can persuade."
He drove one gloved hand into the palm of the other to emphasize what he said:
"I want real rangers, not militia! I want young men who laugh at any face old Death can pull at them! I want strong men, keen men, tough men, rough men.
"I want men who fear G.o.d, if that may be, or who fear the devil, if that may be; but who fear nothing else on earth!"
He shot a look at Nick, "--like that boy there!" he exclaimed--"or I am no judge of men! And like yourself, Mr. Drogue, when once they blood you! Come, sir; can you find a few such men for me, and take full charge?"
"Yes, sir."
"A pledge!" he exclaimed, beating his gloved palms. "And when you can collect a dozen--the first full dozen--I want you to stop the Iroquois trail at the Sacandaga. That"s where you shall chiefly operate--along the Sacandaga and the mountains northward! That"s where I expect trouble. There lies this accursed war-trail; and along it there is like to be a very b.l.o.o.d.y business!"
He turned aside and stood smiting his hands softly together, his preoccupied eyes regarding the candles.
"A very b.l.o.o.d.y business," he repeated absently to himself. "Only rangers can aid us now.... Help us a little in this dreadful crisis.... Until we can recruit--build forts----"
An officer appeared at the open door and saluted.
"Well, sir," inquired Dayton sharply.
"Lady Johnson is not to be discovered in the town, sir."
"What? Has Lady Johnson run away also? Does the poor, deluded woman imagine that any man in my command would offer insult to her?"
"It is reported, sir, that Lady Johnson said some very bitter things concerning us. It is further reported that Lady Johnson is gone in a great rage to the hunting lodge of the late Sir William, as there were already family servants there at last accounts."
"Where"s this place?" demanded Dayton, turning to me.
"The summer house on the Vlaie, sir."
"Very well. Take what men you can collect and go there instantly, Mr.
Drogue, and place that foolish woman under arrest!"
A most painful colour burnt my face, but I saluted in silence.
"The little fool," muttered Dayton, "to think we meant to insult her!"
And to me: "Let her remain there, Mr. Drogue, if she so desires. Only guard well the house. I shall march a battalion of my regiment thither in the morning, and later I shall order a company of Colonel Livingston"s regiment to Fish House. And then we shall see what we shall see," he added grimly to the officer in the doorway, who smiled in return.
There ensued a silence through which, very far away, we heard the music of another regiment marching into the town, which lay below us under the calm, high stars.
"That"s Livingston, now!" said Colonel Dayton, briskly; and went out in a hurry, his sword and spurs ringing loudly in the hall. And a moment later we heard him ride away at a gallop, and the loud clatter of hors.e.m.e.n at his heels.
I pulled a bit of jerked venison from my sack and bit into it. Nick Stoner filled his mouth with cold johnnycake.
And so, munching our supper, we left the Hall, headed for the Drowned Lands to make prisoner an unhappy girl who had gone off in a rage to Summer House Point.
CHAPTER X
A NIGHT MARCH
The village of Johnstown was more brightly lighted than I had ever before seen it. Indeed, as we came out of the Hall the glow of it showed rosy in the sky and the distant bustle in the streets came quite plainly to our ears.
Near the hedge fence outside the Hall we came upon remnants of our militia company, which had just been dismissed from further duty, and the men permitted to go home.
Some already were walking away across the fields toward the Fonda"s Bush road, and these all were farmers; but I saw De Luysnes and Johnny Silver, the French trappers, talking to old man Stoner and his younger boy; and Nick and I went over to where they were gathered near a splinter torch, which burned with a clear, straight flame like a candle.
Joe Scott, too, was there, and I told him about my commission, whereupon he gave me the officer"s salute and we shook hands very gravely.
"There is scarce a handful remaining of our company," said he, "and you had best choose from us such as may qualify for rangers, and who are willing to go with you. As for me, I can not go, John, because I have here a letter but just delivered from Honikol Herkimer, calling me to the Canajoharie Regiment."
It appeared, also, that old man Stoner had already enlisted with Colonel Livingston"s regiment, and his thirteen-year-old boy, also, had been taken into the same command as a drummer.
Dries Bowman shook his head when I appealed to him, saying he had a wife and children to look after, and would not leave them alone in the Bush.
None could find fault with such an answer, though his surly tone troubled me a little.
However, the two French trappers offered to enlist in my company of Rangers, and they instantly began to strap up their packs like men prepared to start on any journey at a moment"s notice.
Then G.o.dfrey Shew, of Fish House, said to me very simply that his conscience and his country weighed more together than did his cabin; and that he was quite ready to go with me at once.
At that, Joe de Golyer, of Varick"s, fetched a laugh and came up in the torch-light and stood there towering six foot eight in his greasy buckskins, and showing every hound"s tooth in his boyish head.
"Give me my shilling, John," quoth he, "for I, also, am going with you.
I"ve a grist-mill and a cabin and a glebe fair cleared at Varick"s. But my father was all French; I have seen red for many a day; and if the King of England wants my mill I shall take my pay for it where I find it!"
Silver began to grin and strut and comb out his scarlet thrums with dirty fingers.
"Enfin," said he, with both thumbs in his arm-pits, "we shall be ver"
happee familee in our pretee Bush. No more Toree, no more Iroquois!
Tryon Bush all belong to us."
"All that belongs to us today," remarked G.o.dfrey grimly, "is what we hold over our proper rifles, Johnny Silver!"
Old man Stoner nodded: "What you look at over your rifle sight is all that"ll ever feed and clothe you now, Silver."
"Oh, sure, by gar!" cried Silver with his lively grin. "Deer in blue coat, man in red coat, meme chose, savvy? All good game to Johnee Silver. Ver" fine cha.s.se! Ah, sacre garce!" And he strutted about like a c.o.c.k-partridge, slapping his hips.
Nick Stoner burst into a loud laugh.
"Ours is like to be a rough companionship, John!" he said. "For the first shot fired will hum in our ears like new ale; and the first screech from the Iroquois will turn us into devils!"
"Come," said I with a shiver I could not control.