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"It is, if you want to have the people assemble."
Talbot wished himself back at Concord.
With Quincy he went to the house of the sheriff and obtained hispermission to call the men together.
Every man, it seemed, was at the meeting.
Talbot told them that he was sent by the governor of New Hampshire witha message for Ethan Allen.
"Then why don't you give him the message?" asked Remember Baker.
"I have done so and he refuses to accede to the governor's request."
"Then you may be sure that the governor is in the wrong."
"What is the message?" asked Peleg Sunderland.
Talbot told them all he was instructed to do, and a loud laugh went upfrom every man as he heard.
"So Col. Allen refuses to go?"
"He does."
"Then that is an end of the matter."
"No, it is not," answered Talbot, quickly; "you are all bound to givesuch military service as the governor may require."
"That is true."
"Then I call upon you to arrest and convey to Concord the body of EthanAllen."
Seth Warner moved up to the judge's bench.
"Are you jesting?" he asked.
"No."
"You mean to insist that we shall do such service as you have outlined?"
"It is my order, acting in the name of the governor."
"Then tell the governor that there is not a man in all the grants thatwill lay a finger on Col. Ethan Allen."
"Thank you, my friends," Allen said, speaking for the first time; "Irefuse to obey the order to go under arrest, but I will go voluntarilyand tell the chief executive officer of the colony that free men arenot going to be ordered about like lackeys."
"And quite right, too. We will go with you."
"No, Seth Warner, I will go alone."
"Excuse me, colonel, but we have something to say about that. We shalltake a few days off and go to Concord."
And as Allen had refused to obey the governor, so the Green MountainBoys declined to stay at home, even when their leader so requested.
On the next morning fifteen of the brave mountaineers accompanied theircolonel to the seat of government of the colony.
It was not a formidable military force, but it was sufficient to showthe governor that he had to deal with sturdy men.
Gov. Wentworth received the mountain heroes at ones [Transcriber'snote: once?].
