13th that Washington finally reached New York City. The populace were thick in the streets and received him with thunderous cheers. Guns were fired, though the ammunition could be ill spared, and a medley of colonial flags fluttered in the breeze.

[142]As it happened, Tryon, the British governor, had just arrived in the “Asia,” a huge ship of the line, to replace Colden once more. Mounting the ramparts of the fort he noted the tumult of color and the seething sea of citizens.

[142]

“What,” cried he, to those of his staff who bore him company, “I did not know that I had grown so popular with the townsfolk.”

“The rebel leader, Mr. Washington, has just reached the city, Your Excellency,” said some one; “and I fear that it is he whom they are welcoming.”

Tryon’s face darkened. “Ah,” sneered he, “is it so? Well, we will shortly see how they will welcome the cannon shots that I’ll send about their ears. I doubt if they will then be so overjoyed.”

George Prentiss heard this from the lips of the young ensign who had shown him the way to General Putnam’s headquarters a few weeks before. This young man’s name was Noel, and George, in his few meetings with him, had found him to be a student of the times and of the conspicuous figures therein.

“Quite a setback for old Tryon,” laughed[143] young Noel. “Must have jarred him quite a bit, I’ll warrant you. But the conceit of the wretch, to think that any community would take a step out of its way to cheer him. What else but an uprising could Lord North and the rest of the king’s ministers expect, when they appoint such as he to rule the province?”

[143]

“I have heard very little of him,” said George, “except that he is a tyrant.”

“Some ten years ago,” said the ensign Noel, “he was made governor of North Carolina, vice Dobbs deceased. He built a palace at Newberne and gave entertainments that were the talk of the province. And to pay for all this the taxes went up by leaps and bounds; his administration was one black history of crime and extortion; and at last the ‘Regulator’ movement began that ended in his being withdrawn.”

“And not being good enough for North Carolina, they saddled him upon New York,” smiled young Prentiss.

“Precisely. But he’s 

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