The Thistle against the Crown: Chapter 9

Horatio and Dougal learn where best to recruit men, but it's not without its challenges

It didn't take long for things to calm down in the North Star once the British officers left, but Dougal was ever vigilant as Mrs. Abernathy had taken Horatio to her office to discuss the information that the pair of them were looking for. Despite her age, Mrs. Ruth Abernathy always seemed to be well informed of what was going on around the port town.

     The door closed to the small back office and Mrs. Abernathy sat in a chair behind the desk while Horatio stood in front of it.

     "Oh for Pete's sake, sit down Horatio Cameron, you'll make me nervous." Mrs. Abernathy said waving her hand, and motioning him to sit. Mrs. Abernathy was a kind old woman in her late fifties. Her husband had passed away almost five years earlier and somehow she had managed to keep the North Star. Many wondered how she did it when under Massachusetts' law, women could not own property, but no one had bothered her. The joke was that if anyone ever tried they'd have to fight through the crowd of people who had found the North Star a home away from home, and then face Mrs. Abernathy herself, likely armed with a blunderbuss full of nails. Anyone who was a regular of the North Star took a liking to Mrs. Abernathy and would be willing to protect her and her establishment if necessary.

     "So what brings you to Kittery, Mr. Cameron?" Mrs. Abernathy asked, "You clearly aren't coming back from the north country this time."

     "No, Mrs. Abernathy, indeed we are not." Horatio replied. There was part of him that wondered if he should tell her the truth of why they were there, but he knew that Mrs. Abernathy was not a loyalist. Not knowing the particulars of her political opinion, he guessed that she was neutral, but were she to pick a side, he was confident that it would be the side of the rebels. "Surely you've heard the news out of Boston."

     Mrs. Abernathy nodded her head as a soft smile came to her face, "I was wondering if you would join up for this. All those years of saying you want a peaceful life, I could see right through it! You've always wanted to fight."

     "Aye..." Horatio admitted, "The only time I ever really know what I'm doing."

     "Such is the story of many the warrior." Mrs. Abernathy replied, "It was the same with your father. Even in his later years he longed to be out on the campaign trail rather than that lavish home in Berwick." She picked up a long clay pipe and lit it off a candle that was sitting on her desk, "That still doesn't answer my question. What are you doing in Kittery?"

     "We're looking for men who might want to join up." Horatio said, "I already have around seventy in camp a few miles from here, but we'll take anyone we can get."

     "It'll be hard with those Redcoats and Tars around." she cautioned, "But there are such men here in town." She took a puff from her pipe, "You'll find a lot of Scottish and Irish immigrants as well as poor English indentured servants coming off the boats a few wharves over. They may like what you are offering. I'll send word over to Connor O'Cullen who works at the saw mill. He's never had a love for the English since they murdered his family back home. He'll meet you at your camp."

     Horatio smiled and nodded, "Aye, any help would be greatly appreciated."

     "The least I can do for helping poor Emily out there." Mrs. Abernathy said, "Poor lass didn't know what to do. God graced her with a lovely form, but gave her the brains of a goat I'm afraid. Sixteen and unmarried, I don't know what I'm going to do with her. She'll be an old maid soon and then I'll never be rid of her."

     "Is she not a hard worker?" Horatio asked.

     "Quite the contrary." Mrs. Abernathy replied, "She works as hard as a mule, but she's not the whitest egg in the basket."

     "I'm sure she'll blossom into her own." Horatio smiled softly, "She seems like a good lass." He stood knowing that time was something they didn't have much of. They had one day to get their task done and they still had to get back to camp in time to head off that British supply column. "Mrs. Abernathy, I can't thank you enough for your help."

     "Think nothing of it, dear." Mrs. Abernathy replied, "You just mind yourself and come find us when the war is over." She smiled at Horatio as he nodded to her and walked out the door and back into the main part of the tavern.

     "Dougal." Horatio called to his companion.

     "Sir." Dougal walked over to where Horatio stood by the door.

     "The dockyards. Mrs. Abernathy says that Scottish, Irish, and former indentured servants often offload on one of the wharves down the way a bit. Most of them have few prospects and no love of the English, so we might do well recruiting there." Horatio kept his voice low so that only the two of them could hear the conversation.

     "Aye, I'd hate for this trip to be for nothing then." Dougal said, "Trying to get in a fight with an English officer, are you mad?"

     "Only sometimes." Horatio said with a laugh as he opened the door and walked outside putting his bonnet on.

     "Aye, it's the sometimes that worry me, sir." Dougal said following Horatio.

     The two men untied their horses from the wooden rail that they were tied to and started walking down the street with them. The town was busy, with a few sailors going here and there, and the townspeople going about their business. A wagon would travel down the street before stopping at a store to make a delivery, while a carriage rolled by the other way delivering a wealthy couple to the courthouse or the general store. It looked peaceful. Even with the presence of the English military it was looked much as it did before the war started. Anyone who was unaware of what was going on in Boston, couldn't guess that soon the entirety of American Colonies would be at war with their mother country.

     The two men found another fence and tied their horses to it before walking down the street to the wharf. It was messy, and several beggars were huddled by the streets with tin cups held out for any change that someone might be kind enough to part with. Horatio put a coin in each of the cups as he walked by and the two men and one woman blessed him and wished him well as he continued to walk by.

     Horatio and Dougal soon found themselves looking at a large group of men, with a few women and children mixed in that were coming off of a ship anchored offshore. Their eyes scanned the crowd and it looked to be much of what Mrs. Abernathy had promised them, immigrants, and former indentured servants hoping to find work or buy land in the wilderness so that they could have a chance at their own fortunes.

     "Excuse me lad, would you be interested in undertaking a great expedition? Could be dangerous but would have a great payoff!" Horatio asked one of the younger men as he had tried to walk by. He and Dougal had already decided to try and recruit for a land speculating expedition, and tell the men the truth once they were out of town. Those who wanted to leave could return to Kittery, and even if they told the authorities, Horatio would have the Berwick Company up and moved before the authorities could get there. But if the men wanted to join then they could continue on and they would be armed by the extra firearms that the Berwick Company had brought with them.

     "How about it, lad? We could use a good strong man like you! How 'bout it?" Dougal asked another young man who nodded and shook his hand.

     "Harry O'Riley." The man said with a thick Irish accent. He was a large man, but looked incredibly young despite his build.

     "And how old are you, lad?" Dougal asked.

     "Seventeen, but does that matter? I'd love to see the north country." O'Riley said enthusiastically.

     "Well, we aren't completely sure where this expedition will be going, but we'll be glad to have you with us. Just wait over there while we try and get some more of these fine, strapping men." Dougal said. It was very awkward for him. Dougal was usually the one who stood in the back and remained quiet and yet here he was trying to be the salesman. It felt uncomfortable for him but he knew that every man they could recruit could be another man they could offer the Second New Hampshire unit that they were hoping to join.

     "How about you, man? Fancy a little adventure?" Horatio asked a burly looking man with a brown beard. He stood nearly as tall as Dougal and his hands showed that he had been used to hard manual labor most of his life, which suited Horatio just fine, it meant he wouldn't be afraid of hardship.

     "Aye, I might be." The man replied, "What are you offering?"

     "Well, what's your trade?" Horatio asked looking at the man and folding his arms.

     "I can do anything from hunting and fishing, to ripping out the roots of trees to build a house on." The man said, "Even been known to build a bench or table now and again if the tools are there."

     "You'll be of great help to us!" Horatio said, "We'll offer around six dollars a day, paid for by the New Hampshire Committee of Safety, and the ability to sell anything you might find along the way. Make you a pretty hefty bounty with your skills. Now why'd you leave Scotland?"

     "English burned my family out of our house near Inverness." The man said, "Accused us of plotting against the King." He looked around and leaned closer, "We weren't until that day. So I was taken as an indentured servant to help pay off my family's debt. I served for seven years in Iroquois country, helping a land speculator such as yourself. So when you say your committee of safety is funding this expedition, I say you're full of shite up to your ears. I know what you're doing, and I want in on it." He held out his hand, "Dougal Ross."

     "Horatio Cameron. Glad to have you." Horatio smiled shaking the man's hand, "Have a seat over there and we'll be leaving soon. Don't tell anyone what we're up to just yet."

     Ross nodded and walked over to where O'Riley sat with two or three other recruits. Slowly the numbers were growing as more and more men began to take notice of the two Scotsmen. However not all the men who took notice of Horatio and Dougal were happy about their presence there. In fact two men who had tables set up a little ways down and were used to recruiting a great number of employees even though they offered to pay them next to nothing, had taken some offense that nearly ten potential employees were being taken by these two upstarts who had just arrived out of nowhere.

     Dougal was the first to notice the two men walking towards them with a very unfriendly demeanor. He tapped Horatio on the arm to alert him but Dougal was already feeling as though it were time for them to go.

     "Excuse me, sirs. If we might have a word with you." The first man said. He was a wiry man, perhaps in his early fifties with thin grey hair, a very thin frame, and small round glasses.

     Horatio turned towards the men, "Yes, gentlemen what can I do for you this fine day?"

     "We must protest your sudden appearance at the docks. Our employers take great care to communicate with the customs office every week when a new ship arrives." The thin man said.

     "Yes, there are rules that must be followed gentlemen." The second man said. This one was much larger, and looked like he had not found it difficult to afford food for his table. His clothes were very finely cut and he wore a powered wig on top of his large head, "And you just showing up and taking men without following the proper procedure simply will not do."

     "So we must ask you to take the men you have and leave." The thin man finished for both of them.

     "Aye, well, I am sorry that we didn't follow protocol. We're new here and all that. We got a tip from a gentleman in town that if we were looking to hire good men for a dangerous expedition, this would be the place to do it, and we certainly weren't disappointed." Horatio said with a large smile, "So, yes, we will take our men and leave you two gentlemen to enslave these folks again."

     "Excuse me sir, we do not enslave anyone." The thin man said in a very pointed manner, "We employ people who would not otherwise be able to find work."

     "Oh yes, I'm sorry, and I'm sure you pay these men fair wages, yes?" Horatio looked at them, "Enough for them and their families to live on, buy land, build a home?"

     "Well, I'm sure if they are wise with their funds they... they would be able to do that." The larger man replied, somewhat at a loss for words.

     "Ahh, yes, then those are mighty fine employment options indeed." He looked at the crowd of people walking by, "You hear that lads? Work for these two fine men and you'll eventually be able to pay for a home, instead of taking your hard earned money and bounties and setting out into the wilderness to find your fortunes yourselves. There's plenty of land for the taking. Cheap lands, land where you won't be living by the leave of men like this lot." He said pointing to the two men in front of him, "I bid you good day gentlemen, and the best of luck on your employment opportunities."

     Horatio turned to Dougal and patted his friend on the back. Dougal was much more cautious to walk away from the two men. That was twice that Horatio had made a spectacle of himself, though he couldn't say that he disagreed with what his friend had said. It was obvious that the other two men were taking advantage of the misfortune of the families coming off the boats and making a profit off of their labors. It was completely legal but to Dougal and Horatio, it was no different than slavery.

     Horatio and Dougal walked up to get their horses, followed by the fifteen recruits that they had gathered out of the crowd of men coming off the ship. Had they stayed, they might have been able to recruit more, but hardly any of the fifteen they had recruited knew what their real goal was. Most of them still believed this was an employment opportunity, not a war. Horatio would have to correct this, and quickly or risk the small white lie becoming something much more dire.

     "I think it's time we were away from here." Dougal said mounting his horse.

     "Aye." Horatio said before mounting his horse. He sat quietly in the saddle as he began to hear the drums of the British Marines begin to sound on the wharf. The British supply convoy was preparing to move out, they would have to hurry if they wanted to intercept it. He looked at his recruits, he would tell them what they were bound for, but he could not do it here. "Let's get moving gentlemen." He said as he turned his horse and rode out of Kittery with fifteen men that he hoped would fight for freedom.

Author's Note

Another rough draft of a chapter. I'm hoping that this will help move the story along and provide more character development. More action will be coming soon. Things are about to get very busy for our heroes, so please bear with me. I hope you all are enjoying it so far though!!!