University of Vermont - Ariel Yearbook (Burlington, VT)

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THE ARIEL, 1907 21 than be unprepared for it! The young patriot's heart beat fast against his ribs as he crept up the darkening slope of the mountain, but it was with excitement rather than fear,- else he had speedily sought conceal- ment in that vast wilderness of woods. Yet he proceeded with caution, for he realized the importance of the mission on which he had been sent and would not endanger its accomplishment by any indiscretion or foolhardiness. At length, coming to a series of bare ledges, mounting one above another like the steps of a giant's stairway, he saw on the topmost shelf the figure of an old man, extending his right arm as if in command over the fast-darkening valley. Clearly audible now to the listener was the voice of that strange personage, as it rang out over the woods and lake:- Halt! Fix bayonets! Column left-march! Charge! As he gave this last command the old man ran excitedly to and fro along the edge of the rock, waving his arms and cheering till the cliffs and woods echoed. To the wondering Green Mountain Boy, concealed in the edge of the-forest, it seemed as if indeed regiments of soldiers must be pouring down the mountain side, and he listened, trembling, for the clank of scabbards and the tread of a thousand feet. Yet all was still as death throughout the woods,- all save the echoes of that wildly ringing, imperious voice. Could it be that this old man was indeed alone on the mountain? Was he mad, that he shouted thus to invisible hosts? Slowly the truth forced itself upon the Green Mountain Boy, that here was no real military commander, ordering the movements of actual troops, but only some crazed hermit, to whose disordered imagination platoons of shadows were marching through the air. At length the young man determined to step forth and make his presence known. Advancing beyond the shadow of the woods, therefore, and climbing to the top of the first ledge, he interrupted the frenzy of the old man with a ringing shout. ' The fantastic figure stopped and gazed downward. Coward! why hast thou lagged behind? 'i he shouted. VVhoever thou art, I command thee, hasten forward to thy place in rank! See! the army has reached the shore of the lake, and is about to embark. Hasten! or thou wilt be

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4 20 TI-IE ARIEL, 1907 they should assemble at Chimney Point, on Lake Champlain, one week from that day, to form themselves into a company, ready to march to the Nation's defence. Ethan Allen's no less eager and burning lieutenant was off upon his mission ere the sun of that day had reached the zenith. He went on foot and alone, traversing the almost pathless woods along Otter Creek and Little Otter, crossing both streams in the clumsy dug-outs of settlers and bearing gradually southwestward till he came out upon the shore of Lake Champlain and saw its beautiful mountain-bordered waters sparkling in the sun. Thence he followed the shore till he came opposite frowning Fort Ticonderoga, where a British garrison under Laplace lay in careless, insolent security. The Green Mountain Boy watched the fort intently for a time, hoping to gather some report of the garrison there to bear to his commander, but not a human being stirred outside the gloomy walls, the fort lay as grim and silent as if deserted. Suddenly, however, the young patriot started. A voice rang out over the forest-mantled wilderness,-a voice faint and far away, yet clear and resonant as some chapel bell. It was evening, and mists were gathering on the lake and floating over its surface like wandering spirits. At first, the young man thought the voice might come from some 'voyagemds canoe, hidden in the drifting fog, but presently he perceived that it came from above rather than below, from behind and not in front. He bent his head like a listening hound. The voice seemed ringing out in sharp, clear, distinct commands, like military orders. More than once the Green Mountain Boy was sure he heard the command March! and his eyes involuntarily sought the gray fort, scarce half a mile away across the narrowing channel of the lake. But there all was as still and motionless as if the whole garrison lay wrapped in sleep. At length the' listener became convinced that the voice proceeded from the rugged, precipitous side of Mount Defiance, towering behind him on the Vermont side of the lake, and he determined, while yet the light lingered, to investigate. Perhaps reinforcements for the British were coming over the mountain. Here would indeed be important, though unwelcome news for Ethan Allen. But better know the worst 1

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22 THE ARIEL, 1907 too late to aid in the overthrow of the cursed invader. For weeks have I encamped my army opposite to the British foe, and now has come the glorious moment of assault! Forward, I command thee! The first boats, crowded with soldiers, are already putting forth into the lake. See how they are sunk to the water's edge! If thou wouldst be even among the last to embark, on, coward! Every man is needed nowf, So earnestly, so passionately, with such a convincing sense of the reality of what he saw, did the old man speak, that the Green Mountain Boy, instead of obeying the command given him, climbed eagerly to the top of the second ledge and looked forth, almost believing that he should see embarking that expedition of which Ethan Allen had hinted ere they partedf But, looking out over the tops of the trees, all he could see was the surface of the sleeping lake, with the evening mists drifting across it. But he noted that these mists were indeed drifting westward, toward Eort Ticonderoga, and seemed not unlike a flotilla of ghostly barges laden with ghostly soldiers. Pshaw! exclaimed the young patriot, descending to the woods again. It is but the vision of a crazed old man, a mad master of the mist, who fancies he sees in the evening fog an army of soldiers obedient to his commandsf' Farewell, old man! he shouted, raising his voice. Hold thy post, and some day thou mayst see a veritable army crossing with thy shadows to dislodge the British from yonder fortlv So saying, he plunged into the woods, made his way back to the lake shore, and con- tinued his journey to the cabin of the nearest settler. News spreads fast, even in the wilderness, when there are hearts eager to hear and equally eager to bear it, and in less than a week's time a goodly number of the Green Nlountain Boys had assembled at the old storehouse on Chimney Point, which Ethan Allen had designated as the rendezvous. There was no long deliberation amongst the leaders of that little band of patriots. Ethan Allen had long before determined to strike his first blow against the British garrison then occupying Fort Ticon- deroga, and well he knew that the sooner the blow was delivered the less expected and more effectual it would be. So, the second night after his little band had assembled, he formed them into two companies, one