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In the barrack yard Gen. Prescott confronted him.
"Are you the Col. Allen who captured Ticonderoga?" he asked.
"I am."
A long string of expletives poured from the general's lips, and heswore that Allen should be shot.
He raised his cane to strike Allen across the face, but the GreenMountain Boy placed himself in fighting attitude.
"I am unarmed, you coward, but strike me and I will show you that myfists can smash your dastardly head."
An officer pulled the English general away, and Allen had nooppor
tunity to avenge himself at that time.
"By Jove! I'll hang every one of you," shouted Gen. Prescott."Colonel, see that thirteen of these d--d rebels are hanged within anhour; take the first thirteen--quick--there shall be no delay."
"If you dare to do it, I swear that you shall die within an hourafter," shouted Allen, defiantly.
It was a strange threat for an unarmed prisoner to make.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
ON THE GASPEE.
Never before had English officer been spoken to in that manner byprisoner.
Prescott knew not what to make of it. Had he dared he would have shotAllen on the spot, but he well knew that to do so would be the cause ofan investigation into his conduct, and Prescott was guilty of manythings which, if sworn to before a court-martial, would have led to hisdismissal from the army, if no other punishment was incurred.
So he allowed himself to be led away, but as he went he shook his fistat Allen and shouted:
"I will not hang them just now, but you, you infernal rebel, shallgrace a halter at Tyburn."
Even the soldiers shuddered as they heard the threat, for Tyburn wasthe place, in England, where the most brutal murderers and criminalswere hung in chains and allowed to stay there until their flesh rottedfrom their bones.
To be hung at Tyburn carried with it disgrace throughout allgenerations.
Gen. Prescott was in a fury; why, it was difficult to say, for Allenhad never injured him personally.
"I'll hang that fellow," he reiterated to the colonel of his ownregiment.
"My dear Prescott, you will do nothing of the kind; he is a prisoner ofwar."
"War be hanged! he is a rebel, not a soldier."
"And being a rebel, he must be tried by the home authorities."
"Col. Gilmartin, answer me; if he were to be on board a war ship andfall overboard and be drowned, could I be blamed?"
"Of course not."
"If by accident he should be given a dose of oxalic acid in mistake forEpsom salts, would that be charged against me?"
"What are you hinting at, general?"
"That fellow threatened me----"
"He was exasperated."
