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"Boys, are you all ready?"
"Ay, Allen."
"I think they will let us reach them before they emerge, and they willfire at us from each side; so, Seth, you take half our men and I willlook after the others. You give back good answers to the men on theright; we will take notice of those on the left."
"All right, sir."
"Mount!"
The men swung themselves in the saddles as unconcerned as though theyhad been partaking of lunch and suspected no enemy to be on the lookoutfor them.
They rode forward, and were within a few yards of the enemy, when theYorkers leaped from their ambush and massed themselves on the road.
"In the name of the king, surrender, Ethan Allen!"
"In the name of common sense, who are you? A lot of clowns from acountry fair?"
"We are the king's good subjects, and command you to surrender yourselfa prisoner."
"Stand out of the way, you fool, or I will have to teach you a lesson."
Allen had spoken sharply, for he was sick of the formality whichprefaced the fight which was to come.
Both sides were well matched. All were on good horses, and every manpossessed a heavy musket.
"Do you refuse to surrender?"
"A Green Mountain Boy only surrenders to superiors."
"Then we shall have to make you, unless you acknowledge us as yoursuperiors."
"Men of the mountains!" shouted Allen, "ride through thesefellows--ride over them if they will not get out of the way."
Edwards ordered his men to resist and to fire upon the mountaineers.
"So you want to play the part of highwaymen, do you? Boys, return thefire."
One volley was fired by each party, and then the two opposing bodiesbecame mixed up in inextricable confusion.
Muskets were clubbed and heads were cracked as the heavy buttsdescended on them.
Horses reared, and plunged, and knocked down those men who had becomeunhorsed.
The fight was furious for a few minutes.
Ethan and his brother, Ira, were in the thick of the struggle all thetime, while Seth Warner seemed a very Trojan in valor.
Both sides fought well, and had the contest been a short one it wouldhave been impossible to say which would have been the victor, but itwas prolonged, and the mountaineers had the physical stamina which themen of the valleys lacked, and the longer the fight lasted the greaterwas the victory of the brave followers of Ethan Allen.
Edwards was taken prisoner, and on the understanding that he wouldreveal all he knew of the plot against the men of the grants, Allenallowed all the others to go free.
Two Yorkers were killed, while Allen's ranks had lost only one, and heonly wounded, though severely.
In triumph the boys returned to the green hills of Vermont, and werereceived with many congratulations.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CONVENTION.
