CHAPTER V. "If you had been the wife of Hercules, CORIOLANUS. REAL causes of excitement have frequently, and perhaps generally, been found to produce the soundest slumber; while those that are artificial, or imaginary, have an equal tendency to prevent it, Doctor Young's poetic philosophy to the contrary notwithstanding. It was thus with Warrington. While the images of the past and the future, which fancy had called up, were operating in his bosom, he vainly sought the arms of " tired nature's sweet restorer." But after he had found a just cause for excitement, and experienced the utmost of its legitimate effects, that restorer came unbidden and instantly. And the next morning was considerably advanced before he and his companion awoke from the deep and sense-absorbing slumbers which, for many hours, had sealed their every faculty in blank oblivion. They simultaneously arose, and went to the window to ascertain from whom proceeded the noise of the axe, whose heavy, resounding blows, in the adjoining forest, had first awakened them from their quiet repose. At the border of the woods, a short distance to the south of the house, and in plain sight of their loop-hole, for the window was nothing more, stood the amazon owner, and almost sole creator of this little opening in the dark wilderness, plying her axe, with masculine dexterity and effect, into the huge trunk of a standing hemlock. In a short time this princely tenant of the Green Mountain forest began to tremble, totter, and bow beneath the supple arm of its life-sapping foe, and at length came down with a thundering crash upon the ground, filling the air around with a cloud of dust, splinters, broken and powdered limbs, and causing the earth and surrounding woods to rebound at the shock. When the obstructing cloud had cleared away from the spot, our observant friends beheld the object of their attention mounted on the trunk of the prostrate tree, and proceeding to mark it off into such lengths for chopping, as suited her purpose. While thus engaged, her attention seemed to be suddenly arrested by something she observed about the house, or in a line with it beyond. Hastily descending from her stand on the trunk, and seizing her rifle, which stood at the foot of a tree, near the stump of the one just felled, she approached with a rapid step, and with some appearance of concern, till within a few rods of the house, when she slackened her pace and soon halted. "Tall, stout, and stately," said Selden, still standing with his friend so near the window as to have a fair view of the person of their hostess;" tall, stout and stately," he repeated, running his admiring eye over her erect and imposing figure; "face and features even yet handsome, despite the ravages and cares of forty! And then that queenly port! Heavens! what a specimen of Eve's daughters! Surely, Warrington, she must be the very Juno of your Green Mountains! But why not unbar the door and go out to meet her? We shall appear a pretty brace of heroes, if she come here and find us hid up like a couple of runaways! She has perceived us I presume, but is doubtful whether we are friends or foes." "Stay a moment," said the other, who had been regarding the movements of the woman quite as intensely as his friend, though for different purposes; "I suspect you will soon see that other objects than ourselves are engrossing her attention." Scarcely had the last speaker ceased, when they caught an oblique view of the approaching forms of a number of men, whom they instantly recognized to be Munroe and his party. Hastily retreating from the window, and preparing their arms for action, should their use become necessary either for defending themselves within the house, or protecting their hostess without, our two friends took positions at small apertures between the logs of the wall, where, without revealing themselves, they could easily observe their foes, and stood silently watching the progress of events in the yard. Meanwhile the hardy widow had planted herself directly in the path in which the Yorkers were approaching from the main road to her door. And now boldly advancing and confronting them, she demanded what might be their object in turning into a lone woman's dwelling. Why, my good woman," said the sheriff, pausing and hesitating in evident surprise at the commanding appearance and determined tone of the person he was addressing; 66 we are all as hungry as so many kites, after the long morning's march we have had; and now can't you contrive to work up something in the shape of a breakfast for us?" "I know of but two reasons, sir, why I may not comply with your request," replied the woman, with an air of quiet scorn. "And what may they be, woman?" asked Munroe, in doubt as to the drift of her discourse. “The lack of means, and the lack of inclination, sir,” rejoined the other in the same calm and scornful manner. "Short and sweet," said Munroe; "but I think we can remove your objections easily enough, mistress; my men here have a plenty of salt junk, and some bread, which will make out the main materials for a meal; so you will have nothing to do but cook and serve up for us, and if we pay you well for your trouble, this will cure both your objections at once I suppose.' "Think you, sir, I would be hired to serve a Yorker of your stamp?" replied the woman, with increasing disdain; "why the money got in that manner would burn through my pockets as quick as if it came at the call of one in league with the arch fiend, and all hissing hot from the burning mint in the regions below! Even the very food bought with it would stick my throat, and poison my children to death in the eating." 66 Tut, tut! madam madcap!" exclaimed the sheriff, resuming his wonted roughness, and now beginning to chafe under the biting sarcasms of the other; you show about as much of the tartar as any thing I have met with in my travels for a long while. I wish the rebels much joy in their petticoat champion! But it is time to look a little to such as you. The authorities of the king are neither to be resisted nor insulted with impunity, you will do well to bear in mind, perhaps." "Cowards are always allowed the privilege of blustering before women,” tartly rejoined the other; "your threats, valiant sheriff, will hurt me about as much, probably, as they frighten me, and if anything further is attempted, you will find I can defend myself." "We will see, my trooper!" muttered Munroe, making a sudden movement towards the other, apparently to disarm or seize her. Eluding his grasp, and hastily retreating a few steps, the fearless woman cocked her rifle and brought it to her shoulder. "Another step towards me, sir, and your blood be on your own head," she cried, in a cool, determined tone. Hang me!" exclaimed Munroe, after standing a moment in mute surprise at this bold and unexpected movement of the woman, who, he began to suspect, could scarcely have been brought to show such singular fearlessness, but from a knowledge that help was near; "hang me if I don't believe the termagant is standing guard to some of these skulking outlaws, whom she has concealed in the house! We must see to this immediately," he continued, moving round his opponent toward the house, and beckoning his men to follow. "O, is that all you want," said the widow, taking her piece in her hand, and moving aside with the air of one relieved from a personal fear; you are welcome to all the outlaws you will find here, but you must beware how you attempt to touch me. However, you had better look out for yourself, brave sheriff," she added in a sneering laugh; "take care, sir, that some of those terrible Green Mountain Boys concealed within there, do n't blow you through the head with their rifles!" "The door is fastened, woman,” said Munroe, as, stepping up, he tried in vain to open it; "the door is fastened on the inside; see that it is opened, or I will force it! "O, no, no! why, you would spoil my door, man!" cried the widow, with the utmost apparent concern for the safety of her door; "yes, ruin it entirely, 't would cost me a hard dollar to get it mended. I forgot to tell you it was barred up inside. We do not stay here nights for fear of the visits of such strolling gentry as yourselves. But if you really wish to handle over my greasy pots and kettles, or crawl under my beds, you can go in as I came out, by going up on the ends of the logs at the corner yonder, and removing a piece of that bark roof.” "But honestly, woman, have you seen nothing of Warrington and his band this way last night, or. this morning?" asked the sheriff, his suspicions seeming to be pretty much allayed by the well managed demeanor and conduct of the other. "Warrington --Warrington," said she, musingly, as if attempting to recall the name of one of whom she might have perhaps heard; "not Captain Warrington? Yes, I have heard of him. I am sure. Is he in this section? Where is he? I should like to see that brave fellow. Why, he was the one that so handsomely beech-sealed one of the York authorities down Bennington way, last year. -now what was his name - I will think in a minute “O, no matter, no matter," hastily interrupted the sheriff, unwilling that the story of his own former discomfiture should be made known to his present followers; come, boys," he continued, moving away from the house and calling to his men; we shan't be able to make anything of this crabstick of a woman, so we may as well be on the move again, and as we have lost our guide, instead of going back through the woods, we will 66 up the Creek to the ford, and then down the military road to Ticonderoga." 66 Adroitly done, by heavens !" exclaimed Selden to his companion, as the sounds of the retreating footsteps of their foes died away on their ears; "the woman's tact has saved us, to say the least, Captain, from a troublesome contest. But shall I now unbar the door?" "No-let her continue to manage in her own way, replied the other; the Yorkers may take it into their heads to stop and reconnoitre the house awhile from the woods. And she may deem it prudent to guard against their making any discoveries in that way by remaining a while without, or by entering the house in the manner she pointed out to Munroe." The woodswoman, if the term be admissible, wary as she was fearless, immediately adopted one of the precautions anticipated by Warrington. And the sheriff and his posse had no sooner fairly disappeared in the forest than our friends heard her mounting the house, removing one of the broad pieces of spruce bark, which constituted the rude covering of the roof, and descending into the chamber or garret above them. In another moment she stood before them with a countenance animated with a look of triumph and a smile of congratulation. "Now a thousand thanks to mistress Story," warmly exclaimed Warrington, after presenting his friend, and exchanging the ordinary salutations; "a thousand thanks, not only for yesterday's timely notice, but for the shield which a woman's tact only could have so successfully thrown over us this morning! But how came you apprised that we were in possession of your castle, as we were without the shadow of a license from its owner?" 66 Partly anticipating a visit from some of you," replied the widow, "I purposely left the door unfastened when we left last night. And a peep through the cracks when I returned this morning, and found it barred, told me very nearly the character of the occupants. But you don't know," she added, jocosely, "how sorely I was tempted, as I saw you lying there on the floor asleep, as helpless as children, to creep in, bind you, deliver you over to Munroe, and claim the reward!" "When you was praying, 'lead us not into temptation,' at this moment of your trial," said Warrington laughingly, "and thought of the next sentence, 'deliver us from evil,' you concluded it best to take sides with the Green Mountain Boys, did you?" "Why," replied she, "it might certainly be a matter of some consideration, who it were wisest to make friends, and who foes, in |