CHAPTER XVIII
TRIUMPH
The day following the return of Rebecca and Anna Weston from theirperilous and difficult undertaking to bring the much needed powder andshot to Machias was Sunday, the eleventh of June, 1775.
Very early that morning there was an air of unusual excitement about thelittle settlement. It was known that the English officers from thegunboat would attend service in the meeting-house that morning; and theMachias men had decided, with the approval of Parson Lyon, to surroundthe church and capture them before they had time to carry out theirplans against the settlement.
Rebby and Danna were eating their breakfast when Captain Benjamin Fosterappeared at the kitchen door, saying that he had come to thank them fortheir courageous effort to aid the men in defending their rights. As heentered the room the girls jumped up from their seats at the table andcurtseyed; and as he went on to praise their loyalty and valor, the twolittle girls, hand in hand, stood before him with downcast eyes, flushedand happy at his approving words.
In spite of anxious thoughts as to the result of the conflict betweenthe men of Machias and the English soldiers, Mrs. Weston was very proudand happy that morning as she walked to church with Rebecca and Annabeside her. Many neighbors stopped them to praise the little girls, andall declared that the people of the settlement would always rememberwhat they had done.
Even Parson Lyon and his wife were waiting at the church door to speakto the two little heroines; and Melvina and Luretta felt as if theyshared in their friends' honors as they walked up the aisle of thechurch beside them.
Before the English officers had landed from their boat a number of theMachias men had quietly hidden their guns in the building; while CaptainBenjamin Foster, with men armed and ready for action, were concealedamong the tall pines close at hand, ready to surround the church andseize the English officers; and had they taken London Atus into theirconfidence this well-prepared scheme might have succeeded.
But London was entirely innocent of any trouble near at hand. From hisplace in a side pew he kept a watchful eye upon Melvina, and perhapswondered a little at all the attention lavished on the little Westongirls.
Rebby saw Captain and Mrs. Horton and Lucia, with Captain Jones, enterthe church. Lucia did not look toward the group of girls seated in theWestons' pew. The Hortons were no longer trusted by their neighbors, andafter that morning in church they vanished from the community and neverreturned.
Rebby's glance now rested on London. How queerly he looked, she thoughtwonderingly. He was leaning sideways peering out of an open window. AsRebecca watched him he rose to his feet with a loud cry, and before anyrestraining word could reach him he had leaped through the open window.
In a moment all was confusion. There were loud cries of "Stop him!" Menrushed from the church, but the English officers, followed by CaptainJones and the Hortons, had scrambled through the open windows and werewell on their flight toward their boats, which they reached in safety,although numerous shots were fired after them. The gunboat at onceturned her guns on the town. Shot after shot echoed across the quietwaters of the harbor, but the range was too long, and no harm was done.
The women and children huddled in the pews of the church, until ParsonLyon, musket in hand, came up from the shore to tell them that all wasquiet and to return to their homes.
Melvina and Anna left the church together, and Luretta and Rebbyfollowed with Mrs. Weston. Melvina said good-bye to her friends verysoberly, and clasped her father's hand very closely as they walkedtoward home.
"Will the English soldiers shoot down our liberty pole, Father?" sheasked.
"The English captain has sent us word that we are to take it down beforesunset, so that he may be saved that trouble," replied Parson Lyon, histone indicating that he considered the English captain's remark as anamusing utterance, not to be seriously considered.
"But it will not be taken down," said Melvina confidently.
"Indeed it will not. And had that scamp London but held his peaceinstead of mistaking Captain Foster's men for an armed enemy marchingupon us, the English would be our prisoners at this moment," declaredher father. "But that is but postponed," he added quietly, "andto-morrow morning Machias men will give the English captain a lesson."
There were many anxious hearts in the settlement that night, for it hadbeen determined that in the early dawn of the following morning the menshould seize the sloop _Unity_, and make the attempt to capture theEnglish gunboat. Neither Rebecca nor Anna knew of this plan; and, stilltired from their journey, as well as by the excitement that morning atthe church, they were glad to go early to bed and were soon soundasleep. Mrs. Weston, unable to sleep, waited in the kitchen for herhusband's return. For Mr. Weston and his neighbors were busy with theirpreparations for the coming battle. It was decided that Captain O'Brienshould take command of the sloop, and before the sun rose the nextmorning forty Machias men were on board the _Unity_. Half this numberwere armed with broad-axes and pitchforks; the remainder had muskets.
It was just at sunrise when a warning shot from the gunboat reverberatedalong the harbor, and Rebecca awakened suddenly. She realized at oncethat the conflict had begun. In an instant she was out of bed, slippedquickly into her clothing, and leaving Danna sound asleep, she sped downthe path and along the trail to the high bluff that commanded a view ofthe harbor.
There was a favoring wind and the _Unity_, with her crew of untrainedmen, was now in full chase of a vessel well-armed and equipped. On sweptthe sloop, and a sudden volley of musketry from her deck astonished andconfused the enemy. The gunboat swerved, and the bowsprit of the _Unity_plunged into her mainsail, holding the two vessels together for a briefmoment.
Rebecca, standing on the bluff, shouted aloud. She was sure that themoment of triumph for the Machias men was close at hand. But victory wasnot so easily achieved; the vessels suddenly parted, and now a storm ofbullets rained upon the _Unity_.
Captain O'Brien swung the sloop alongside the _Margaretta_ and twenty ofhis men armed with pitchforks sprang to the enemy's deck. A hand-to-handconflict ensued. Surprised by the dauntless valor of the Machias menthe English were forced to yield. The English flag was pulled down amidtriumphant shouts of the Americans; the wounded were cared for, andEnglish officers and crew made prisoners of war.
When Rebecca saw the English flag vanish from the gunboat's mast andheard the resounding cheers, she knew that the Americans had conqueredtheir enemy, and that the liberty tree would stand unchallenged. But shedid not realize that she had been a witness to the first naval exploitin America after the battle of Lexington.
All the women and children and such men as had been left behind, werenow hurrying toward the wharves. Cheer after cheer rang out across theharbor as the _Unity_ and the captured gunboat came slowly to theiranchorage.
Mrs. Weston and Anna came hurrying down the path and Rebby ran to meetthem.
"I saw the battle, Mother!" she exclaimed eagerly. "I was on the bluffand saw it all." But before Mrs. Weston could respond to thisastonishing statement a boat-load of men from the _Unity_ had landed.
"Your father is safe," whispered Mrs. Weston, "and now let me see ofwhat use I can be to the wounded men. Rebby, take Anna back to the houseand stay there until I come."
The two little girls walked silently back to the house. The battle thathad been so feared was over; the enemy was conquered, and Rebecca andAnna knew that by their bringing the powder from Chandler's River theyhad helped to win the conflict. But just then they did not think ofthat. They could think only of the wounded men, who had been socarefully brought on shore by their companions.
On the following day the inhabitants, such as were not caring for thewounded English and American soldiers, gathered at the liberty pole. Itwas a quiet and reverent gathering. Several men of the settlement hadbeen wounded, and two had given their lives for America's cause. ParsonLyon gave loving tribute to these heroes, as he offered thanks for th
etriumph of loyalty.
And then, before all the people, he praised Rebecca and Anna Weston fortheir courage in undertaking the difficult and dangerous journey throughthe wilderness to bring aid to the settlement.
"Step forward, Rebecca and Anna Weston," he said smilingly; and, alittle fearfully, the sisters, hand in hand, left their mother's sideand approached the liberty pole. Taking each by the hand Parson Lyonsmiled down upon them.
There was a little murmur of approval among the people, and one by onethe older members of the congregation came forward and praised thelittle girls.
"It is Rebby who should be praised, not me," Anna insisted. "It is notfair for me to be praised." While Rebecca, in her turn, declared eagerlythat she could never have brought home the powder without Anna's help.
There were many hard and troublous days ahead for the little settlement,but their courage did not falter. The valor of the Machias men wasspeedily recognized by the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, who, onJune 26, 1775, passed a resolution extending to them the thanks of theCongress for their courageous conduct. The news of the brilliant victorywas heralded throughout the land, stimulating the colonists everywhereto emulate the example of the courageous settlers of Machias.
Rebecca often thought of her former friend, Lucia Horton; but she nevertold the story of the night when, misled by Lucia's plausible story,she had tried to defeat the loyalty of the settlers by setting theirliberty tree adrift. As she looked up at the tall sapling, the emblem ofthe loyalty of the settlement, she was proud indeed that she had been ofuse in its protection.
Anna's gold chain was her greatest treasure. It was shown to everylittle girl in the settlement, and each one knew its story. The goldensovereign given to Rebecca was no less highly prized.
"That sovereign has a value beyond money. It is a medal for valor," herfather said; and on the year when peace was firmly established betweenEngland and America Rebecca's golden sovereign was smoothed, and upon itthese words were engraved:
"Presented to A Brave Little Maid of Maine, For Loyalty, June, 1775."
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The Stories In this Series are:
A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN. A LITTLE MAID OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY. A LITTLE MAID OF NARRAGANSETT BAY. A LITTLE MAID OF BUNKER HILL. A LITTLE MAID OF TICONDEROGA. A LITTLE MAID OF OLD CONNECTICUT. A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA. A LITTLE MAID OF OLD MAINE. A LITTLE MAID OF OLD NEW YORK. A LITTLE MAID OF VIRGINIA.
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Transcriber's Notes:
1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.2. Rebecca's birthday is inconsistently reported as the 10th of May and the 10th of September.
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