to court."

"Put your harness aboard my double sleigh standing in the tavern yard
yonder, Harry. And I am sorry I have too much of a load to ask you to
ride yourself. But where shall I leave the arness?"

"At Greenleaf's store, at the river, if you will; for I conclude you
are bound to Westminster, as well as the rest of us."

"I am, and shall soon be along after you, as I wish to go through
to-night, if possible, being suspicious of a flood, that may prevent
me from getting there with a team, by to-morrow. Neither the rain nor
thaw is over yet, if I can read prognostics. How strong and hot this
south wind blows! And just cast your eye over on to West River
mountain, yonder--how rapidly those long, ragged masses of fog are
creeping up its sides towards the summit! That sign is never failing."

Woodburn's brief arrangements were soon completed; when he and his
newly-encountered foot companions, each provided with a pair of
rackets, or snow-shoes,--articles with which foot-travellers, when the
snow was deep, often, in those times, went furnished,--took up their
line of march down the road leading to the Connecticut, leaving Peters
and his company, as well as all others who had teams, refresing
themselves or their horses at the village inn.

But, before we close this chapter, in order that the reader not versed
in the antiquarian lore of those times may more clearly understand
some of the allusions of the preceding pages, and also that he may not
question the probability that such a company as we have introduced
should be thus brought together, and be thus on their way to a court