Then he gave orders to bring horses from the barn for his prisoners, and shortly the entire party rode away.
Ira, left alone with the women, tried to soothe them by saying:
“General Burgoyne will send an army down here as soon as he hears of this, and tired as I am, I will be off at once if I can have a fresh horse.”
A small boy went to the barn with the scout, showing him which animal to take, and within fifteen minutes after the horsemen had departed, Ira was following them toward the main road. Arriving there, he found Dan Cushing in waiting, and, after heartily greeting each other, both started for the village, Dan saying as they rode along:
“When I left you last night, Ira, I pushed straight on to Bennington, arriving at Captain Park’s house before he was up; but he wasn’t slow after readin’ General Schuyler’s letter. First he gave me a fine breakfast, after which he said I was to go to bed an’ get some sleep. Then he hurried off to consult with the town committee. They must have hustled, for when I awakened a little after noon, the captain told me there were already four companies of militia in the village, guarding the stores, an’ that a messenger had been sent off to Derryfield, New Hampshire, after Colonel John Stark to take command of the troops, which are expected to number two thousand by to-morrow night.”
“They mean business, don’t they?” his comrade interrupted; “but go on, Dan, with your story.”
“The rest is soon told. Captain Park sent me down the road to be on the lookout for you an’ the Tory. He thought the old feller would stop at Master Earle’s, because the two are great cronies. I got to the cross-roads an hour ’fore you did, put a red rag on the bush so you’d know I was ’round, an’ then hid in the woods. I heerd an’ answered your signal, then went back to town for the troopers. There’s only one thing more to tell you. The Safety Committee want to see you when we get into town. They’ve got something to talk over with you.”
“I expected it,” Ira replied. “Where am I to find them?”
“At the captain’s, where we’re to stop. They thought you would be tired, an’ so agreed to be right there when you arrived.”
In less than an hour the two lads were at their destination, and when a servant had taken their horses, both entered the huge kitchen of the mansion to find themselves face to face with twelve men, whose resolute countenances said more plainly than words that they were not to be trifled with when the enterprise they were engaged in was a righteous one. The men were seated around a long table, and Dan, stepping in advance of his comrade, announced: