forced him, with rough kindness, into a chair by the table.

“You sit there,” he said gruffly. “I want to talk turkey to you.”

Then he rung a bell, and as the orderly entered, he gruffly ordered up the “nearest smith and a good dinner.” The orderly did not seem to be amazed at the singular order. He was an old dragoon, who had once been a ranger of Stark’s company in the French and Indian war. He saluted, and wheeled swiftly about, departing without a word.

“Now, see here, captain,” began the eccentric General, as the door closed, “don’t misunderstand me. I’m going to keep you here, because I know you can’t get back to your General now. Burgoyne has a body of his infernal dragoons on the road here, and to-night I march to meet them. I’ll not put myself under the orders of Congress—that’s flat. They’ve cheated Arnold and me out of our fairly-won commissions, and my State has granted what they refuse. I’m going to whip these British and Hessian dragoons out of their boots, on my own hook, and if Congress don’t like it, they can lump it. That’s flat, too. When I’ve whipped the enemy, you can carry the news to Phil, if you please, and I shall be glad of your help. What do you say now?”

Adrian had been silent during this singular address, which was spoken in short jerks, the General stumping round the room all the time.

[Pg 52]

[Pg 52]

When he had finished, the hussar answered:

“I say you’re a strange man, General; but I’ll stay with you, if you like. At all events, I can help you, till the road’s clear.”

Stark laughed in his abrupt manner, and clapped the other on the shoulder, saying:

“You’re the right grit, lad, and if I don’t show you a few English flags, the day after to-morrow, it’s because Molly Stark will be a widow.”

The door opened, and in clamped a big country blacksmith, with his basket of tools, while his blue coat, brass scales, and tall hat-plume showed that he had just come in from “training.”

“Hang it, Zeke, we don’t want to shoe a horse here,” said Stark, grinning. “This gentleman has been unfortunate enough to fall into British 

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