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"One of you has got the wallet, and the writs of dispossess are in it."
"I haven't."
"Neither have I."
"One of you must have got it."
"It's a lie!"
"Call me a liar?" asked the sheriff, of his deputies.
"If you say we have got the writs, yes."
The sheriff raised his musket club fashion, and would have brained thespeaker had not Isaac Gerston, one of the posse, caught his arm.
"Father Abraham!" he ejaculated, "are you mad? What if the wallet isin the grass? Have you searched everywhere?"
The sheriff lowered his weapon, and all went on their hands and kneesand felt among the grass, searching very diligently, but no walletcould be found.
A council of war was held. If the writs could not be found the sheriffwould be punished. What excuse could be given?
"What shall we do?"
"Let us go to this man Allen's house, and surprise him. He will notresist, and we can take him prisoner, and in the meantime another writcan be obtained."
It was a risky thing to attempt, but there seemed no other course open,so the march was recommenced.
The loss of the wallet was a mystery. Not one of the posse believed ithad been stolen, for they could not think a thief could have escapeddetection.
The only surmise was that some squirrels had carried it up a tree. Itwas a ridiculous assumption, but the only one tenable.
When within a mile of Bennington Crossroads, where the Allens lived,one of the posse caught his foot in the root of a tree and fell flat onhis face.
As he raised himself he felt something soft and slippery. He picked itup, and holding it above his head, cried out:
"The wallet! The wallet!"
The others, who had been a little behind, ran forward, and the sheriffat once accused him of having had the wallet all the time, and onlywhen he fell and dropped it would admit its possession.
The man was indignant at the charge, but the suspicion was so strongthat most of his companions believed the sheriff was right.
The latter opened the wallet and saw the great red seal. That was allhe cared about it, and, placing it in his pocket securely, he verygenerously proposed that no more should be said about it.
CHAPTER IV.
"THE RISING OF THE MOON."
Eben Pike burst open the door of Ethan Allen's house without anyceremony.
Ethan and Seth Warner were sitting on the settee in the chimney,talking about the inaction of the governor of New York.
Off flew one of the bolts, and Ethan jumped to his feet and caught thelad by the shoulder, and was giving him a good shaking, when Eben criedout:
"Kill me if you like, colonel, but hear me first."
"Well, what is it?"
"The sheriff of Albany and a big lot of armed men are on their wayhere. I heard all their plans, and I have run all the way from Eagle'sBridge to tell you. You, colonel, are to be dispossessed first, andthen Seth Warner, and if they can kill you, colonel, they will do so."
