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The people on the dock pushed and stared at the Green Mountain men.
"Why, they aren't green!" exclaimed one of the bystanders with disgust.
"No, they aren't Americans; they're Irish," said another.
"Of course they're Irish; Americans are black."
"No, red."
"Not by a long shot; they're all as yellow as guineas."
Absurd as it may appear at this day to have to record such ideas, it isan absolute fact that when it was rumored that the Green Mountainheroes were on their way to England the prevalent idea was that theyderived their name from the color of their skin.
When the other prisoners disembarked the march was commenced to thebarracks.
The people flocked round the prisoners so that progress was impeded.
The soldiers had to charge the crowd with bayonets many times.
"What did they mean by saying they thought we were Irish?" asked Eben."I heard an Englishman say in New York that if it had not been for theIrish the Americans would not have rebelled. Of course it wasnonsense, but the people do not know us yet, while they do know theIrish."
At the barracks the prisoners were received with as much curiosity aswe can imagine was shown by Ferdinand and Isabella when Columbuspresented the American Indians in 1492.
Every man was made to answer a lot of questions, and many times over.
Allen was questioned about the strength of the American army, andreplied:
"I know not its numbers, but it is well equipped and can beat all thearmies you can send over there."
"They are rebels, and only the lowest people sympathize with them."
"Do you call George Washington a common man?" asked Allen.
"He is a rebel, and ought to know better."
"And Richard Montgomery, who fought with you at Havana and Martinique?"
"Is he with the rebels?"
"I had the honor of serving under him."
"He will be hanged, for he was a soldier of his majesty."
"You will have to capture him first."
They could not make anything of Allen, so they desisted questioning andsent all the prisoners to the guardroom.
It was a difficult question for the government of England to decide.
The men were locked up in the barracks at Falmouth, but England did notknow what to do with them.
If the prisoners were hanged as rebels, England would be blamed byother civilized nations, and yet it would not do to pardon them.
There was a very powerful opposition among the English people to harshmeasures, and, in fact, many English wished America success in itsstruggle with the tory ministry.
And so Allen and his friends remained in jail, simply because theministry did not know what to do with them.
CHAPTER XXX.
