CHAPTER XV
NEW ADVENTURES
"It will be a good day to put a quilt in the frame," said Aunt Prissy,the morning after Faith's birthday. "You and Donald can help me withit right after breakfast; then while you children are off to the lakeI will mark the pattern."
"Can't I help mark the pattern?" asked Faith, who had sometimes helpedher mother, and thought it the most interesting part of the quilting.
The quilting-frame, four long strips of wood, was brought into thesitting-room and rested on the backs of four stout wooden chairs,forming a square. The frame was held firmly together at the corners byclamps and screws, so that it could be changed and adjusted to fit thequilt.
This quilt was a very pretty one, Faith thought, as she watched AuntPrissy fasten it to the frame with stout linen thread. It was made ofbits of bright woolen cloth. There were pieces of Faith's new dresses,and of the dresses made for Louise, and they were neatly stitchedtogether in a diamond-shaped pattern. Faith had made a good many ofthese, and so had Louise in the evenings as they sat with Aunt Prissybefore the open fire.
First of all Aunt Prissy had fastened the lining for the quilt to theframe. Over this she spread an even layer of soft wool, and then overthis the bright patchwork was spread and fastened. And now it wasready to mark the quilting pattern.
Aunt Prissy took a ball of firm twine and rubbed it well with whitechalk. The cord was fastened tightly across the surface of the quilt.
"Now," said Aunt Prissy, and Faith took the tight cord up and "snap"it went when her fingers released their hold, leaving a straight whitemark across the quilt. Back and forth they stretched the cord and"snapped" the line, until the quilt was marked in a checkerboardpattern of white lines, which the quilters would follow with theirneat stitches.
"I believe I'll have a quilting bee to-morrow," said Aunt Prissy."When you and Donald start out you can go down and ask the minister'swife, and be sure and say that we shall expect Mr. Fairbanks to tea.Then ask Neighbor Willis and her husband, and Mrs. Tuttle. I thinkthat will be a pleasant number."
"May I help quilt?" asked Faith.
"Of course you may. Tell Mrs. Tuttle to bring her daughter. And now,my dear, in what manner will you ask our friends to the quilting partyand to tea?" asked Aunt Prissy, looking down at her little niece withher pretty smile.
"I shall rap at the minister's door first, of course; and when Mrs.Fairbanks opens the door I shall make my best curtsy, like this:" andFaith took a bit of her skirt in each hand, and bent in a very prettycurtsy indeed; "and I shall say: 'Good-morning, Mrs. Fairbanks. MyAunt Prissy will be very happy if you and the minister will come toher quilting bee to-morrow afternoon and stay to tea.'"
Aunt Prissy nodded approvingly. "I think that will do very nicelyindeed. Now put on your things and run along. Donald is waiting."
Donald and "Scotchie" were at the door when Faith was ready to start.The big dog barked his delight at being allowed to go with thechildren.
"I'd like to harness him to the sled; he could draw us both,"suggested Donald, but Faith was sure that "Scotchie" would upset thesled; so her cousin gave up the project.
"We can go on the lake just below Mrs. Tuttle's house, and skate alongthe shore home; can't we, Cousin Faith?" asked Donald, after they hadstopped at Mrs. Willis' house and that of the clergyman.
"Let's call and get Louise," suggested Faith.
"Oh, there won't be time. Look, there goes an English soldier into theshoemaker's now. The boys all say that the shoemaker is an Englishspy," answered Donald.
They were nearly in front of Mr. Trent's shop now, and Faith noticedthat the soldier was the one who had been on the lake the previousday, and who had called her "a little rebel."
"Come to the back door, Donald. Just a moment, while I speak toLouise. And make 'Scotchie' keep still," said Faith, turning into thepath leading to the back door.
"Scotchie" was barking fiercely as if he resented the sight of theredcoat.
The soldier turned quickly. "Stop that dog before I put a bullet intohim," he called.
"He's afraid," Donald whispered to Faith, with a word to "Scotchie,"and Faith ran up the path and entered the house.
Donald and "Scotchie" stood waiting, the dog growling now and then,whenever the soldier moved about on the door-step. It was evident thatthe shoemaker was not at home, for no answer came to the raps. In amoment Louise appeared at the door and told the man that her fatherwas not at home.
"Send that boy with the dog about his business," said the soldier.
"'Tis the public road, sir; and 'tis not likely he'd mind what I mightsay," responded Louise smilingly, as she closed the door.
Donald rested his mittened hand on "Scotchie's" head.
"You needn't be afraid. I won't let him hurt you," Donald called.
The soldier came down the path scowling.
"I've a great mind to kick the beast," he said.
"You'd better not," said Donald.
Evidently the man agreed, for he went past as quickly as possible.Donald watched him with a little scornful smile. The boy was not oldenough to realize, as Faith did, the difference between these hiredsoldiers of England, and the brave Americans who were ready toundertake any sacrifice to secure the freedom of their country, but hewas a brave boy, and thought poorly of this soldier's courage.
Louise listened to Faith's hurried account of the proposed quiltingparty.
"And you must come too, Louise," she concluded, "and come early."
Louise promised. She had never been to a quilting party, and was surethat it would be a great experience. She could not go to the lake, forshe must not leave the house until her father returned.
When Faith rejoined Donald he told her of the soldier's evident fearof the dog. "I don't see what made 'Scotchie' growl so," added Donald.
"I'm glad he did," responded Faith. "Come on; let's hurry, or we won'thave much time on the ice," so off they went across the field.
But as they reached the shore they looked at each other questioningly.The lake seemed to be in the possession of the redcoats. At leasthalf the garrison of the fort were on the ice; skating, racing, andevidently enjoying themselves.
"We had better go home," said Faith, and Donald made no objections.The two children, disappointed of their morning's sport, went slowlyback toward home.
"That's the way they take everything," declared Faith, renewing herpromise to herself to try in some way to let Ethan Allen know how easyit would be to drive the English from Ticonderoga.
"I am glad you did not venture on the ice," Aunt Prissy said whenDonald and Faith told their story. "The English become less friendlyevery day. Well, we will not think of them when there is so much to doas we have before us."
"I asked Louise to come to the quilting," said Faith.
"That's right; and I am going to send Donald to ask a number of yourschoolmates to come in the evening. The moon will be full to lightthem home, and you children can have the kitchen to yourselves aftersupper, and make molasses candy," said Aunt Prissy.
This seemed a very delightful idea to both Faith and Donald. Thethought of making candy reminded Faith of Esther Eldridge, and of thebear's sudden appearance at the kitchen door. Mr. Carew had promisedFaith to ask Esther's father to bring her to visit Faith on her returnhome, and Faith often thought of how much she and Esther would have totell each other.
That afternoon Faith helped her Aunt Prissy in preparing for thequilting. Aunt Prissy was cooking a ham, and the brick oven held someof the spiced cakes that the children liked so well. Donald cracked abig dish full of hickory-nuts, while Faith rubbed the pewter platesand pitchers until they shone like silver. The two younger boys ran inand out of the kitchen, thinking a quilting party must be a greataffair.
Mr. Scott had been cutting wood at the edge of the forest, and did notreturn until nearly dusk; and when he arrived there was a man withhim--evidently a traveler, for there was a pack on his back, and hewas tired. Faith heard her Aunt Prissy call the s
tranger by name, andwelcome him.
"Why, it is Esther's father. Of course it is!" she exclaimed suddenly.
Mr. Eldridge told her all about Esther, and promised that his littledaughter should again visit the Wilderness cabin. Faith wondered whatbusiness it was that took Mr. Eldridge through the Wilderness and upand down the lakes. Long afterward she discovered that he was one ofthe trusted messengers of the American leaders, and through him theAmerican settlers along the lake shores and through the New HampshireGrants were kept informed of what the English were doing. She did notknow that he underwent constant danger.
The little boys went early to bed that night, but Faith was notsleepy. The firelight in the sitting-room made dancing pictures on thewall, as she sat in a small chair at the end of the sofa. The sound ofAunt Prissy's knitting needles made her think of the silvery tinkle ofthe mill-stream under the winter ice in her Wilderness home. Mr.Eldridge and her uncle were talking quietly. She heard her uncle saythat: "Ticonderoga was the lock to the gate of the country," and Mr.Eldridge respond that until Crown Point and Ticonderoga were taken bythe Americans that none of the colonies could be safe.
"If there were any way to get into Fort Ticonderoga," said Mr.Eldridge. "They say there's a secret passageway."
Faith was all attention at this. She quite forgot that she waslistening to conversation not intended for her ears, as she heard heruncle answer:
"There is such a door, but no way for an American to find it. If someone could get entrance to the fort in that way, discover just the planof the place, and escape, it would be of the greatest service to theAmericans when the right time came to take the fort."
"Time for bed, Faithie," said Aunt Prissy, and, very reluctantly, thelittle girl went up-stairs. She was thinking of all that her uncle andMr. Eldridge had said, and of the unguarded door opening on the cliffat the fort. She wondered if she could make her way up that steepcliff as easily as Nathan had declared he had so often done.
"Perhaps Nathan will help capture the fort," she thought. "Anyway hecould show the Green Mountain Boys the way. If I were at home I wouldput a note in that cave near Lake Dunmore and tell Ethan Allen aboutNathan."
Only Ethan Allen and a few of his friends knew of this mountain cave,and it was there messages were left for him by the men of theWilderness.