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Seth Warner called to the sentinel who stood guard at the gate.
"Tell your commander that I must see him at once."
"I cannot leave my post."
"Spoken like a brave soldier. Surrender!"
"To whom?"
"To the army of the Continental Congress."
"I am a soldier of the king, and to no one else will I surrender mygun, except my superior so wills it."
"Brave soldier. I shall be under the necessity of taking the gun awayfrom you by force."
The man fired the musket in the air.
That was a signal for the garrison to assemble.
Seeing a hundred men with Warner, the sergeant quickly raised the whiteflag, and so, without the shedding of a drop of blood, two of thestrongest forts on Lake Champlain passed into the hands of the bravemen who were fighting for the liberty of their native land.
A garrison was left in charge of Crown Point, and then Warner marchedback to Ticonderoga.
Remember Baker was full of gratitude for the rescue of his sister, andwould have liked to meet Farmer Mervale at that hour, for the farmerhad got off too easily, he thought.
CHAPTER XVIII.
"WHO IS COMMANDER?"
Within five days of the capture of Ticonderoga, the Green MountainBoys, under the command of Capt. Herrick, had captured Skenesborough,while another detachment under Capt. Douglass had taken Panton, astrong fort on the lake.
As the Assembly of Connecticut had authorized the capture of FortTiconderoga, Allen dispatched two trusty messengers to New Haven toacquaint the governor and assembly.
So that no unfairness could be charged, the two selected were EliForest and Remember Baker.
Ethan Allen was seated in his room in the barracks alone smoking acorncob pipe, a favorite with him and most Green Mountain farmers.
A timid knock was heard at the door, and Allen called out cheerily:
"Come in!"
The door opened and Eben entered.
"Why, Eben, you are a stranger; where have you been?"
"In the fort, colonel, almost a prisoner."
"A prisoner?"
"Yes, colonel. That man--pardon me, I mean Col. Arnold--has told me tokeep to my own quarters and not move about the fort until I am ordered."
"By what authority?"
"He says he is commander of the fort and will not have me spying round;that is what he calls it."
"I am commander here, and I expect you to obey me."
"Yes, colonel. Did you know that the colonel--Arnold, I mean--isarranging to send ammunition to New Haven?"
