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He knew that the farmers were tories, but he shrank not from his task.
He was supplied with a small amount of money, and was empowered to pay,by notes, for any food he secured.
About a mile from camp a poultry farm was reached, and Allen at oncerequisited all the poultry.
The farmer demurred, but the soldiers were the strongest, and very soona quantity of young turkeys, hens and ducks were in the wagons, much tothe delight of the foragers.
At the next house a determined opposition was organized.
At the fence the patriots were met by a number of men, armed with allsorts of weapons.
"We are prepared to pay for what we get," said Allen.
"I guess you will pay for what you get; that would be right easy, foryou'll not get a durn thing."
"My friend, you make a mistake."
"Move on there or I'll set the dogs on you."
To emphasize his assertion he whistled, and immediately two splendidanimals sprang to his side.
"Call off those dogs; we do not war on dumb animals," Allen called.
"I guess I'll not call 'em off. At' em, beauties."
The dogs sprang over the fence, and with glaring eyes and open mouthsmade for the nearest soldier.
Two pistol shots prevented them doing any damage, and Allen gave theorder to his men to charge the obstructives and take whatever food theycould find.
However determined men may be, they cannot stand against muskets andswords, when their weapons are only hay forks and crowbars.
The farm helpers were driven back, and a wagon was quickly loaded withflour and grain and vegetables.
The foraging expedition was a great success, though Allen would havepreferred purchasing the food, if any could have been found to sell.
The next day he was sent out again, and met with good success until hewas ready to return.
A company of soldiers had been quartered on one of the farms by theEnglish, and Allen was unprepared for the encounter.
When he found he was in for a fight, he felt better satisfied to thinkhe met foemen worthy of his steel, instead of a set of half-fed andbadly armed farmers' men.
The English can fight well, and Allen knew that his troops wereinferior in every way to the enemy, but he did not hesitate.
"Men, we are outnumbered, but we are not beaten; shall we retire asprisoners, or fight until death claims us?"
"Fight!"
"We cannot surrender without a struggle."
"Who can tell but we may defeat them?"
Allen, pleased with the speeches of his comrades, gave the order tocharge the enemy.
The fight was a sharp one.
Hand-to-hand struggles always partake more of the brutish, and thetruth about such encounters is far more horrible than any description.
Allen was in the thickest of the fight all the time; his sword wasdripping with blood every time he raised it above his head, and thatwas just as frequently as he could free his arm from the crush to wieldhis weapon.
