Revere's cries awoke the farmers; they sprang from their beds and looked out. They could not see the speeding horse, but they heard the clatter of its hooves running fast down the road, and they understood the cry, "Up, up, and defend yourselves!"
"It is the alarm! The redcoats are coming," they said to each other, referring to the British soldiers who wore red uniforms. Then they took their guns, their axes, anything they could find, and they hurried out of their homes, ready to fight.
Through the night, Paul Revere rode toward Concord. At every farmhouse and every village he repeated his call, waking the people.
The alarm spread quickly. The villagers fired their guns and rang the bells, waking anyone up who had not heard Paul's cries. For miles around everyone raced out of their beds and into the streets.
The king's soldiers were surprised to find everybody awake along the road when they thought they would all be asleep at that late hour.
