AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They were marshaled in line and awaited their doom.
Soon a bedecked officer appeared on deck accompanied by one of the mostvillainous-looking seamen that ever stepped upon a deck.
"Are these all?" asked the English officer.
"Yes, general."
"Which is Ethan Allen?"
Allen was pointed out, and the gold-laced, red-coated officer raisedhis pince-nez and looked at Allen as he would at any curiosity.
"Which is Eben Pike?"
The young scout was pointed out by the officer in charge, and he had toundergo a similar inspection.
"And these are rebels? Well, well! England has nothing to fear ifthis is a sample of those fighting against her. So you are EthanAllen? You are the man who broke into Ticonderoga? Well, well, well!You achieved fame, but whether it will avail you much when you stand onthe gallows is for you to say."
The English officer had jerked out these sentences more to himself thanto the prisoners.
He turned to the villainous old salt by his side.
"What do you think of your cargo?"
"I'd rather have pigs."
"You show sense, but as you cannot have pigs you must take these. Youare under bonds to land them in England--how I don't care--only theymust have strength enough to stand upright on the gallows, for JackKetch must not have too great a task."
The seaman chuckled.
"I've carried lots of cattle afore, and I never lose any, save a few Itoss overboard to save trouble. I'll land these or give an account of'em."
Every word was uttered with a view of enraging the prisoners.
Allen learned afterward that the provocation was intended anddeliberate, its object being to get him to commit some overt act sothat he could be hanged or shot for insubordination.
The seaman was the captain of a sailing merchantman bound for England,who had been engaged to transport the Americans to that country.
After a list had been made of the prisoners they were marched off the_Gaspee_ onto a barge, which was towed out to a merchantman lying inthe bay. Four rowboats were engaged to tow the barge, and just as theystarted the hawser broke and the barge was adrift.
After several minor accidents the prisoners were landed on the deck ofthe merchantman, and soon found they had exchanged bad for worse.
A portion of the vessel had been boarded off by white oak planks,making a space about twenty-two feet long by twenty feet wide.
Into this space thirty-four American prisoners were pushed, handcuffedin pairs.
Allen refused to enter.
The captain asked who he was that he should dare to disobey orders.
"I surrendered to the British under a pledge that I should be treatedas a prisoner of war, and I demand that we shall all be treated ashuman beings, not as cattle."
The captain laughed brutishly.
"Ha! ha! ha! That is good! Do you think I would treat cattle thatway? They would all be dead before they reached England. No, no, mydear rebel! you are treated as rebels, not cattle."
Two seamen took hold of Allen and threw him into the little inclosure,closing the door as soon as he was within.
An hour later Allen was called out.
