Ethan was about to refuse permission for Tom to accompany the boys, but perceiving the look of intense desire upon his son’s face, and as Jock increased his solicitations, he relented, and together the boys started up the street.
It was nearly two hours later when they returned, and as Ethan perceived them, he said, “I hope ye got yer money’s worth, boys.”
“It wasn’t our fault if we didn’t,” laughed Jock. “Now, Ethan, we want to look about the place a little. Will you come with us?”
“I s’pose I’d better, or ye’ll git lost,” replied the boatman; and soon afterward the little party was walking about the town, which, in its architecture and life, presented many contrasts to that with which they were more familiar.
When they approached the public buildings, Ethan related the story of the rescue which a party of American soldiers had made there in the War of 1812. It seemed that a considerable body of prisoners had been secured by the British, and confined in the jail at Brockville, or Elizabethtown, as the place was known in the earlier days. Their friends on the other side of the river had assembled for their rescue, and crossed the ice one dark night and fell upon the guard, and at last secured the release of their fellows. Ethan told the story with many quaint additions of his own, and we may be sure his young friends were deeply interested.
“This is a great country,” said Ben, when Ethan ceased. “It’s historic ground from one end of the river to the other.”
“I s’pose so,” remarked Ethan, quietly, “though I don’t take much interest in such things. Folks is queer. They call it hist’ry when a lot o’ men git up with guns and shoot at one another; but when they are peaceable like, and just ’tend to their farms an’ mind their own business, then it isn’t any hist’ry at all. I’ve seen a crowd gather in a minit up at the bay or Clayton around a man what’s drunk, but when a man is sober and decent they don’t pay no ’tention to him at all. It seems to me this ‘hist’ry’ you’re talkin’ about is a good deal like that.”
“Perhaps it is,” admitted Ben. “I hadn’t thought of it before.”
On their way back to the boat Ethan stopped to make a few purchases, and carefully stowed the packages on board when they set sail.
“We’ll go a bit farther down the river,” he said, as he headed the boat down the stream. “We’ve time enough.”