The Minute Boys of the Mohawk Valley | Page 4

a force that can do good work in what's before us, if

they're given a show, an' I'll answer for half a dozen of 'em,
guaranteein' they'll show themselves to be men."
"Are you speaking of the lads?" my uncle asked in surprise, and the old
man replied promptly;
"Ay, that I am, sir, an', unless all signs fail, there's never one of 'em
who'll bring reproach upon the settlement."
"What is your plan, Sergeant Braun?" Master Dunlap, the preacher,
asked, for so great did all believe the danger which threatened, that
every man, whether able-bodied or crippled, had been summoned to the
council.
"It ain't what you might rightly call a plan, sir," Sergeant Corney
replied. "It's only an idee, brought out by the fact that from this time
we've got to keep a close watch on what's happenin' in this 'ere valley,
unless we're willin' to be murdered in our beds. There are boys enough
in the settlement to do the scoutin', leavin' the elders to stand by for
defence, an' I see no good reason why they shouldn't perform full share
of military duty."
"Think you a lad like my nephew Noel could render any valuable
assistance at such a time as this?" my uncle asked, with a smile, as if
believing he had put an end to the old man's proposition, and my
cheeks reddened with excitement and fear lest Sergeant Corney should
allow himself to be backed down, as I listened intently for the answer.
It was not long in coming, and I could have kissed the old soldier for
speaking as he did.
"Give me him an' Jacob Sitz, sir, an' I'll guarantee to follow
Thayendanega an' his precious scoundrels till we know what deviltry
they've got in mind."
"You shall have full charge of all the boys in the settlement, and we
will see if you can make good your boast," my uncle, who held
command of our fighting force, said after a brief pause, and in a

twinkling Sergeant Corney left the building, beckoning us lads to
follow, for our company had gathered with the men to learn what was
to be done.
The old soldier did not need very much time in which to lay his plans;
in fact, I believe he had mapped out the whole course before having
spoken.
He divided our company into squads of six, not reckoning in either
Jacob or me, and these he gave stations at different points within a mile
of the settlement, cautioning every one to be on the alert, for now had
come the time when it was possible for them to prove the value of the
Minute Boys as soldiers. It was to be their duty, by night as well as by
day, to keep careful watch lest the Indians creep up unawares, and I
could well understand that never one would shirk his duty, since upon
their vigilance depended the lives or liberty of all the dwellers
nearabout.
Then, when some one asked why neither Jacob nor I had been assigned
to sentinel duty, Sergeant Corney replied, gravely:
"I promised that with two lads I would follow Thayendanega's gang
until we found out what the villains were about, as all of you well know,
an' within the hour we three will set off."
Several of the more venturesome lads pleaded their right to take part in
the dangerous service, claiming that they should not be left at home
when it was possible to make names for themselves among men; but to
all these entreaties Sergeant Corney made but one reply.
"It was Colonel Campbell himself who mentioned Noel's name, an' of a
surety he has the right to say who shall go or stay. As for Jacob, have
any of you a better claim than he to follow the murderers?"
This silenced the eager ones; but I would have been glad indeed had
any member of the company shown that he had a better right to
accompany the old soldier than I, for of a verity I was not itching to
hug the heels of those savages who were doing the bidding of the

Tories. However faint-hearted I might have been, however, I would
have bitten the end of my tongue off before saying that which should
show to my comrades that I was more than willing to remain behind,
for if the captain of the Minute Boys showed the white feather, what
might not have been excused in the rank and file?
Never one of all that company raised his voice against my right to
follow Sergeant Corney, however, and I did my best at making it
appear that the work in hand was exactly to my liking.
Even the dullest among us understood that we three might be absent
from the