primed his musket. "The lobster is going to fire," cried a boy. Waving his
piece about, the sentinel pulled the trigger.

8. "If you fire you must die for it," said Henry Knox, who was passing by.
"I don't care," replied the sentry, "if they touch me, I'll fire." "Fire!"
shouted the boys, for they were persuaded he could not do it without leave
from a civil officer; and a young fellow spoke out, "We will knock him
down for snapping," while they whistled through their fingers and huzzaed.
"Stand off !" said the sentry, and shouted aloud, "Turn out, main guard!"
"They are killing the sentinel," reported a servant from the customhouse,
running to the main guard. "Turn out! why don't you turn cut?" cried
Preston, who was captain of the day, to the guard.

9. A party of six, two of whom, Kilroi and Montgomery, had been worsted at
the ropewalk, formed, with a corporal in front and Preston following. With
bayonets fixed, they "rushed through the people" upon the trot, cursing
them, and pushing them as they went along. They found about ten persons
round the sentry, while about fifty or sixty came down with them. "For
God's sake," said Knox! holding Preston by the coat, "take your men back
again; if they fire, your life must answer for the consequences." "I know
what I am about," said he hastily, and much agitated.

10. None pressed on them or provoked them till they began loading, when a
party of about twelve in number, with sticks in their hands, moved from
the middle of the street where they had been standing, gave three cheers,
and passed along the front of the soldiers, whose muskets some of them
struck as they went by. "You are cowardly rascals," they said, "for
bringing arms against naked men." "Lay aside your guns, and we are ready
for you." "Are the soldiers loaded?" inquired Palmes of Preston. "Yes," he
answered, "with powder and ball." "Are they going to fire upon the