"There'll be no fighting to-day, boys," he said, turning to the men,
"you'd better let off your muskets, so there may be no accidents. Fire
in the air," and thus with a ringing salvo, that echoed and reechoed
among the hills and was answered with acclamations from the multitude
in the village, the Stockbridge battalion, with the girl riding at its
head, entered Great Barrington, and breaking ranks, mingled with the
crowd.
"Bully, we be jess in time to see the fun," cried Obadiah delightedly,
as the courthouse bell rang out, thereby announcing that the justices
had left their lodgings to proceed to the courthouse and open court.
"I declar for't," exclaimed Jabez, "I wonder ef they be gonter try tew
hole court 'n spite o' all that crowd. Thar they be sure's rates."
And, indeed, as he spoke, the door of the residence of Justice Dwight
opened, and High Sheriff Israel Dickinson, followed by Justice Dwight
and the three other justices of the quorum, issued therefrom, and took
up their march directly toward the courthouse, seemingly oblivious of
the surging mass of a thousand men, which barred their way.
The sheriff advanced with a goose step, carrying his wand of office,
and the justices strode in Indian file behind him.
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