Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/351

 DELAWARE COUNTY. 327 peared to be muskets on their shoulders. The four secreted themselves until the Canadians got between them, when what appeared to be guns, were mere clubs of black birch. They all arose simultaneously, and presenting, ordered them to sur- render. Being unarmed, (except with hunting-knives,) they complied, and very demurely walked to the American camp. Soon after Murphy came to Schoharie, he went on a hunt- ing and scouting excursion, and as he was returning, late in the evening, he saw several men setting fire to an out-house of a building near the Schoharie river. When he arrived within half a mile of the place, he saw several tories standing at the corner of the house, and one peeping in the window. After a short time the inmates were aroused, and a man, a negro and two boys, came rushing out of doors to extinguish the fire. The tories then hid behind the fence, excepting one, more re- solute than the rest, who fired, most probably at the man, but hit one of the boys, who fell, and was carried into the house by the mother who had been alarmed by his cries. This aroused the vengeance of Murphy, who stood on his knees be- hind a stump, and laying his rifle over the stump, he shot the tory to the very heart. The others, on seeing him fall, and hearing the repo^'t in an unexpected direction, scampered away. Murphy then walked up, and was hailed by the inhabi- tants with tears of joy. No sleep was enjoyed by them that night. In the morning, the tory killed was found to be no less a person than, who had pretended to be a whig. Verily, he received the reward of his treachery ! The next day the family removed to the fort, where the boy recovered in a short time from his wounds. Shortly after the war, a Fourth of July was celebrated, at a tavern near G-allupville, which Murphy attended. In the evening they commenced drinking healths, and after several patriotic toasts were ofi'ered, a tory gave, in ridicule, ^^A health to George IIV This Murphy determined not to suffer with