Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-03-29
LIONEL MNCoLN-C ooper's .ve,c .Norel.
CATTLE OF BUNKER's HILL.


which seemed To ovci hang the place opened at
times, when faint star hight icll from the heavens
and rendered the black hulis Ol the vessels of war
that lay m"ored before the town, and the tcmt out
lines of tnc opposite shore, dImly visible The
stlu' IS of midnight rested the scene, aud when
the loud calls IA "all's we'll assembled from the
ships aud batteries, the momeutary cry was sue
cerded 10y quiet aS deep as If the universe slum-
eIed uuie, Ini> n>Su ancc uf safety. At such an
Instant when the light bre,thing> of the night
ali were audible the sound of 'ipplns waters. ike
that produced 10y aiSimg paddle with cxtrcme cau-
ton. was boJuc To- the of the young soldier He
listened mtemty, and then bending his eyes in the
direction of the faint sounds, he saw a small ca
noe gliding alon. the surface of the water and soon
shoot upon the gIavclN shore, at the foot of tho
hIii. with motion easy and uniform as scarcely
To curl "A wave ON the land. Curious to know who
could be moving about the harbour at this hour. in
such secret manner, Lionel was in the act of
raising to descend, when he the dim Il ,uie OF IA
man land from the beat and climb up the hill, di-
rectly in line with his position. SURPRISING
even the sounds of his BREATH and drawing his body
back within the deepest shadow cast from a point
Of the hill little above him, Lionel awaited un-
Ill the figure had approached within ten feet of
him, when it stopped, and appeared, like himself
to be endeavo'ng tn suppress all other sounds aud
feelings i'll the absorbing act of deep attention.
The young soldier looseucd his sword in its sheath
before he said
'We have chosen private spot; aud secret
hour, sir, for our medtations"
Had the figure possessed the inpalpa bic ma ture
OF an nnma erial being, it could not have received
this remark. startling from its suddeuuess, with
greater al athy than the man to whom it was adj
dressed. He turned slowly towards the speaker,
aud seemed 10 look at him earnestly before he an
Swercd, in a low, menacing voice
''iheTCS II trrUuDu on th,. hill ,.;tb u an, md
baggonct, walking among the cannon, and if he
hears people talking down here he II make them
prisoners, though one OF them should be Major Lin
coin
"ila job" said Lione-"and is j, you meet
prowliug about like thief at night?-or what err
rand of mischi have you heen sent this gime:"
"lf job thief for coming 10 sec the graves on
Cops" returned the lad suiienly, "thrre's two OF
them"
well answered boy!" said Lionel with smile:
"hut repeat, on what errand have you r,tu5uct 10
the town a this unreasonable and ,uSpCiuus hour.
JOB loves To come up among the graves before
the cocks crow; they say the dead walk when liv-
ing men sleep
"And would you hold communion with the dead,
th,n;
Ills sinful to ask them many questions, and
such as you do pot should be made IN the Holy
name returned the lad in a tone 81 solemn, that
connected with the place and the scene, it caused
the blood oi Lionel to thrll-'hut job loves To be
near ihcu. 10 use him to the damps, 10 the time
he shall be called to walk himself in a sneet at
midnight"
"Hush!' said Lionel-''what noise is that"
Job stood momGnt listening as intenlly as his
cOmpauCn before he answered
"rhrrrS noise bu, the ,roaning of the wind
in the bay, the tumbimg on the breakers OF
the islands"
IT'S neithe,," said Lionel Il heard the low
hum Of a hundred voices, my ears have played
me falsely
May be the spirits speak to each other" said
the ad-they say their voices are like the rushing
winds
Lionel passed his hand across his brow, and Ell.
dedvoufcd to recover the tone of his mind, which
had been strangely disordered by the solemn man.
ner of his companion, and walked SLOWLY f ON the
spot; closely attended by the silent changcing He
dld not s,oi until he had ached the inner ahgle OF
! the wall that enclosed the field of the dead, when
he paused and leaning on the fence, again listened
intemtiy.
Boy, know not how your silly conversation
may have warped my BRAIN" he said, "but there
is surely strange and nnearthly sounds lingering
about this place. tonight! BY heavens there Is
another rush of voices, if Nh, air above the wa
tiers were file, with living beings: and then again,
think hear a noise as if heavy weights were fall
| ing TO the earth"
SAY" said Job, "'tis the coAs on the cofIi,Is the
dead going into their graves ag'in. and It's
time that should leave them to their own
grounds"
! WheD the heavy sleep of the morning fell upou
his sensfs. visions OF the past and future ming led
with wild confusion in the cams of the youthful
soldier. The form of hi, father stood before him.
as he had known it in his childhood, faic in the
b mr. nd of
vim those eyes of benigmant, bur melancholy AFT
trction which characterized their expression after
he had become the sole Joy of his widow ed parent
While his breast was warming the sight. the f.
CURE melted away, and was succt e,ed by finfas-
tic nnamlows. which appeared 10 dance among the
gsaves on CUpp led along in those gambols which,
partuok OF tn" CHASTITY horrors of the dead Lv Jr.
Pay. vino gided among the tombs like a being of
another world. Sudden and loud thunder then
burst upon them, and the shadows fed into their
secret places, from whence he could see, eve. and
anon, some CLASSY eyes and spectral faces pee ING
out upon him, II conscious of the rover thy
possessed to chill the blood of the living His Wis
ions nsE became painfully distinct, aud his sleey
was oppressed with their vividness When his senses
burst thei unnatural bonds and me awoke The
air OF morning wa, breaking through his open cui
tdnS, and the light of day had already shed itself
upon the dusky roofs of the town. Lionel arose
from his bed, and paced his chamber several times
in vain effort to shake off the images that had
haunted his SlumherS' when the sounds which broke
upon the stiffness OF the air became too plain to be
longer mistaken by praCtised ear.
"Ha. lie muttered to himself ~ have been
dreaming but by halves-thrse are the sounds of no
iancIed tempest, bu: cannon, speaking most plainly
to the soldier."
He opened his window, and looked out upon the
surrounding scene. The roar of artillery was
now quick aud heavy. aud Lionel heat his eyes
about him to discover the cause of this unusual
cuuence. il had been the policy OF G re to await
the arrival of his endorsements before he struck
blow which was intended to he decisive; and the
Americans were well known to be too scantiIv sup
Piled with the munitions 81 war; to waste sinrle
charge Ot powder IN any of the VAN attscLy OF