Edwards somewhat intimidated him, and he fell back a step, and
his eye became unsteady. Dr. Partridge walked to the window, looked
out, and then turning around, said coolly:
"I suppose it is our duty to arrest you, Hamlin, and hand you over to
the militia, but hang me if I wish you any harm. The militia are just
turning into the green, and if you expect to get away, you have not a
second to lose."
"Run! Run!" cried Desire, speaking for the first time.
Perez glanced out at the window and saw his pursuers not ten rods off.
"I will go," he said, looking at Desire. "I will escape, since you
tell me to, but I will come again some day," and opening the door and
rushing out, he leaped on his horse and galloped away on the road to
Lee, the baffled militiamen satisfying themselves with yelling and
firing one or two vain shots after him.
Sedgwick, aware that in the ticklish state of public opinion, the
government party could not afford to provide the malcontents with any
martyrs, had postponed the attempt to arrest Perez until affairs were
fully ripe for it. The militia company of Captain Stoddard had been
quietly reorganized, so that the very night of Perez' flight, patrols
were established, and a regular military occupation of the town began.
Pages:
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398