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No, not all, for Eben only pretended to sleep; he was wide awake, forhe feared treachery, and determined to be on the alert.
The boy was a natural wonder. He never knew what it was to be tired.He could march farther than most men, eat less and do without sleep,and never did he appear to be the least wearied.
The hour of midnight had passed and the early morning, according to themanner of marking time, had commenced; in other words, it was oneo'clock when Eben fancied he heard a slight noise.
He was in a position where he could see everything outside, and as themoon was shining brightly he was not long in discerning a number of menmoving toward the barn.
He crawled across to Ethan and gently shook him.
"Colonel, we are betrayed."
Allen was about to jump, when Eben whispered:
"Lie still or you will be seen; the loft door is open. I can wake theothers, and would it not be well to let them come right up into theloft before we strike?"
"Eben, you ought to be a general. Wake the others and caution them tolie still."
The boy crawled round the loft and quickly did his work.
When Ethan knew that all were awake he spoke in a loud whisper to them:
"Eben has suggested a plan of campaign and I shall adopt it. We mustall pretend to be asleep. Let the English enter the loft, and, whenthe opportunity arises, let the English be on the ground and thepatriots above them."
Every man lay perfectly still, and it really seemed as though Eben hadbeen mistaken, for the time was so long before any attempt was made toenter the loft.
Eben knew all that was transpiring. He saw a man's head rise above thefloor and look around, and then he heard the man descend the ladder.
It was fully five minutes after he had reached the ground before heagain ascended.
The man crawled along the floor and lay perfectly still.
Another, then another, ascended the ladder, until a dozen soldiers inuniform were in the loft.
Eben was not the only one who had watched their movements, for each ofthe Mountain Boys had one eye sufficiently open to see them.
A rustling of the hay was the signal given by the sergeant for theEnglish to rise.
Each man rose to his feet and stood over the apparently sleepingcolonials.
But no sooner had the enemy taken its position than the mountaineersput out their hands suddenly and grasped the soldiers by the legs.
In an instant every soldier was on his back, thrown to the floor with aviolence which he did not relish.
And over each man stood one of the mountaineers, ready to blow out thesoldier's brains did he attempt to move.
"Get up!" commanded Allen.
Each man rose, looking very sheepish.
"Hand over your guns and other weapons."
The soldiers obeyed. Not because they desired to do so, but at eachman's head was a pistol, and in each pistol was a bullet which meant anameless grave for the man who received it.
The captured men were made to descend the ladder, but no chance ofescape was given them, for at the foot of the ladder stood some of theMountain Boys, ready to fire if necessary.
There was a coil of rope in the barn, and this Allen utilized insecuring the prisoners in a novel fashion. He ordered the men to betied in couples, the right leg of one to the left leg of his mate,after the fashion of a three-legged race. Then the couples were unitedby a rope which wound round their arms and passed from one couple toanother, to prevent the party separating.
Warner roused the farmer, and that man was so indignant that heproposed shooting each of the prisoners.
