Corporal 'Lige's Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga. Otis James
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tree as a method of saving labor.
One of the Tories, he who appeared to be the elder, and who was directing the movements of the others, stood a few paces from his comrades, and, taking deliberate aim at him, Isaac shouted:
“Throw down your weapons, and surrender, or you are dead men!”
The words had but just been spoken when he discharged the musket, and a scream of pain from the living target told that the bullet had sped true to its mark.
The two men who were as yet unarmed dropped the rope they were holding and sprang toward their weapons, which had been left on the ground near by; but before they could reach them, Isaac had emptied a second musket, and another cry of pain rang out.
“Throw down your weapons and surrender, or you are dead men!” he shouted again, and at this the third Tory, who must have believed there was more than one man in the thicket, took to his heels in alarm, while Corporal ’Lige, who had received no worse injury than a severe choking, seized upon the three muskets which were lying close beside him.
Even now, when two of the intruders were wounded and the third running for dear life, Isaac was doubtful as to whether he should show himself.
He remained in concealment, while the corporal gazed around him in surprise for a dozen seconds or more, and gave no token of his whereabouts until the old man shouted:
“Hello, friends! Show yourselves!”
“Is it all right?” Isaac asked timidly, and in a tone which was little better than a squeak. “Is it all right, corporal?”
“Come in here, Isaac Rice. Can it be it was you who fired those shots?”
The raw recruit came forward almost timidly, and Corporal ’Lige, shifting the three muskets he had taken possession of over on to his left arm, seized the boy by the hand.
“I’ve done a good bit of soldierin’ in my day, lad; seen surprises, an’ ambushes, an’ attacks of a similar kind without number; but never did I know of anything that was done with more neatness an’ dispatch than this same job of yours, which has saved my neck from bein’ stretched. I’m proud of you, lad!”
Isaac was overwhelmed by this praise, yet not to such an extent but that there was a great fear in his mind lest he had taken a human life, and he asked anxiously:
“Do you suppose I hurt either of them seriously, Corporal ’Lige?” and he pointed to where the wounded men lay.
“It is to be hoped you killed ’em both, so that we may be spared any further trouble with the vermin,” and not until then did the corporal condescend to give any attention to those enemies who had been so sadly worsted by a boy.
Just at this moment the wounded Tories suffered more in mind than in body, for they now understood who had made the attack upon them, and it can readily be fancied that both were ashamed at having been thus defeated in their purpose by one whom they had considered of so little importance that no effort was made to deprive him of his liberty when they surprised the encampment.
It was with the most intense relief that young Rice heard the corporal’s report, which was to the effect that he who had acted as leader of the party had a severe but apparently not exceedingly dangerous wound in the shoulder, while his comrade was suffering from a bullet-hole in the leg.
“They’re disabled, lad, but not killed, an’ the first bit of soldierin’ that you have been called on to do is like to give great credit with such as Colonel Allen and Colonel Easton. Tell me how you happened to think of overcoming them in this shape?”
“I didn’t think of it,” the boy replied. “It seemed to me you were like to be hanged and I only did what was in my power.”
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