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Allen stood by the bedside of the sleeping commandant.
"Get up!" shouted the mountaineer.
The voice was loud enough to rouse the sleeper, who thought that theFrench had taken a fancy to come down the lake and try to recapture thefortress.
"Get up!"
The commandant sat up in bed.
"What do you want? Who are you?"
"Surrender this fortress instantly."
"By what authority?"
Allen flourished his sword as he replied:
"In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"
Delaplace did not hesitate.
A sword was in close proximity to his heart, the shouts of the menoutside showed that the enemy was in possession of the fort, so whatcould he do but surrender?
He reached to the side of the bed and took his sword.
"There is my sword, sir. I trust that you will allow me to dress."
"Certainly; report to me in half an hour. Sorry to disturb your sleep,captain, but war, you know, is not always considerate."
The English flag was borne on the breeze, and floated proudly over thefort.
Allen looked up at it and sighed.
It was a gallant flag, and a brave man does not like to see a flag of agreat nation humiliated, even though he is fighting against it.
"Haul down the flag!"
"What shall we run up, colonel?"
The Provincials had no flag, and Allen ordered the English flag to beagain run up, but with the Union down.
Across the waters of the lake the men were watching, and when they sawthe flag run up, with the Union down, they knew that the fort had beentaken, and they set up a cheer that could be heard across the water.
A hundred and twenty cannon and a vast amount of military stores fellinto the hands of the Americans.
Great Britain had expended forty million dollars on Fort Ticonderogafrom first to last, and a few undisciplined Mountain Boys wre
sted thisproud possession from her.
Boats brought over the rest of the combined forces of Arnold and Allen,and the leader of the mountaineers made good his promise that theyshould breakfast in the fort on rations paid for by their enemy.
When an inventory had been made and sent in duplicate to the assemblyof Connecticut and of Massachusetts by trusty messengers, Allen calledtogether his officers and thrilled them by declaring that their workhad only just begun.
"To-day we have captured the strongest fortress in America; in two daysmore we must be in Crown Point."
"And again we pledge ourselves to the hero of Ticonderoga, who willlead us to triumph!" exclaimed Baker.
"Ay, and our cry shall be," echoed Forest, "Liberty Freedom andIndependence!"
