“When people live together, in a wilderness like this,” commenced the captain, “there ought to be no secrets between them, my friends, in matters that touch the common interests.  We are like men on a remote island; a sort of colony of our own; and we must act fairly and frankly by each other.  In this spirit, then, I am now about to lay before you, all that I know myself, concerning an affair of the last importance to the colonies, and to the empire.”  Here Joel pricked up his ears, and cast a knowing glance at ‘the miller,’ a countryman and early neighbour of his own, who had charge of the grinding for the settlement, and who went by that appellation ‘par excellence!’ “You all know,” continued the captain, “that there have been serious difficulties between the colonies and parliament, now, for more than ten years; difficulties that have been, once or twice, partially settled, but which have as often broken out, in some new shape, as soon as an old quarrel was adjusted.”

Here the captain paused a moment; and Joel, who was the usual spokesman of ‘the people,’ took an occasion to put a question.

“The captain means, I s’pose,” he said, in a sly, half-honest, half-jesuitical manner, “the right of parliament to tax us Americans, without our own consent, or our having any members in their le_gys_la_toore_?”

“I mean what you say.  The tax on tea, the shutting the port of Boston, and other steps, have brought larger bodies of the king’s troops among us, than have been usual.  Boston, as you probably know, has had a strong garrison, now, for some months.  About six weeks since, the commander-in-chief sent a detachment out as far as Concord, in New Hampshire, to destroy certain stores.  This detachment had a meeting with the minute-men, and blood was drawn.  A running fight ensued, in which several hundreds have been killed and wounded; and I think I know both sides sufficiently well, to predict that a long and bloody civil war is begun.  These are facts you should know, and accordingly I tell them to you.”

This simple, but explicit, account was received very differently, by the different listeners.  Joel Strides leaned forward, with intense interest, so as not to lose a syllable.  Most of the New Englanders, or Yankees, paid great attention, and exchanged meaning glances with each other, when the captain had got through.  As for Mike, he grasped a shillelah that he habitually carried, when not at work, looking round, as if waiting for orders from the captain, on whom to begin.  Jamie was thoughtful and grave, and, once or twice, as the captain proceeded, he scratched his head in doubt.  The Dutch seemed curious, but bewildered, gaping at each other like men who might make up their minds, if you would give them time, but who certainly had not yet.  As for the blacks, their eyes began to open like saucers, when they heard of the quarrel; when it got to the blows, their mouths were all grinning with the delight of a thing so exciting.