The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-10-03

the only light which seemed to be n
the party. Then walked prisoner
with his arms tightly bound behind him
and directly after Cunningham, the
provost marshal, and FIVE or six soldiers
with muskets on their shoulders.
One, two, three,' repeated the young
man to himself, as if counting the nun
ber Of men approaching, "twelve in all.
lis desperate undertaking, but my
comrade shall not die if can save him.
Now for skill and courage. Be cool.
Dick Martin! You hare been on still
more perilous occasions; if your COM
manding officer speaks the truth"
He glided back again on his old rest
ingp!ace, when he stumbled into new
ly dug grave, that he had not noticed
before, just in the rear of the gallows.
His first impulse was to leap out, for
the depth of the grave did not exceed
three feet; but second thought alter
ed his determination, and he murmer-
ed: "This is the best place for me, they
certainly will not think Of looking for
"A living man in the gravel, and he qui.
city stretced himself at full length in
the narrow house, that he knew one
day or other he would have to fill
They entered the burial ground and
proceeded directly to the galows.-
Forming a circle, the black fellow with
the lantern. Cunningham, and the pris-
oner in the centre, preparations were
made to go through with the awful GER
emony, that Of depriving fellow being
of his life.
The black fellow looked up at the
gallows from which the two bodies
were hanging, and then proceeded ve-
ny deliberately to cut them down, OBJ
serving: 'Dese chaps hab hung long a..
nuf. lguess day amt much better dan
dead niggers now.'
The prisoner looked on witt, glance
of no common interest, tor he ieIl that
his soul was huttering on the confines
of eternity. 1t is useless to talk OF
bravery whena man in the full vlgor of
health behods the preparations making
to deprive him ofexistence. True, he
may meet death with manliness and
forlitude, and display TO no human eye,
any of the physical shrinkings by which
we are apt to measure the outward
courage of man but within there is
a feeling that the great Creator alone
perceives, and He judges whether or
no The man is prepared 10 die.
The negro had passed rope thro'
the beam, where but few moments
before hung the inanimate clods that
now encumbered as it were, the ground
beneath the gallows. This done,he said
"Dar Massa Cunningham, is rope
dat will hold de prisoner long a'nuti,
reckon. Guinea Sambono stop aboard
a man o'war for muffin, | guess.
earn TO reeve dat not wild hitch dat
de debble couldn't break"
AS he finished this classical speech,
he very deliberately kicked the body Of
one of the dead soldiers aside, and roll
ed the other very coolly into the grave
where lay the young man; and the dead
rested with the living! A shuGder
ran through the frame of the youth as
ne felt pressing above him the cold form
Of one who but the day before had been
as full of life as he now was, but not
sound escaped him, for he knew that ST.
ence was his only preservation.
swell, rascal. you see what sou are
coming too, for deserting from his Ma
jesty's service. A haltar, | suppose, is
more agreeable Than good treatment
and soldiers pay"
Thus spoke Cunningham to the pris-
pner.
81 entered into the refugee corps for
my own reasons. They have proved
satisfactory" the prisoner said, looking
At Cunningham with bold counte-
nance.
"Yes, Internally satisfactory, you re-
bel spawn Of damnation! A spy, |
s'pose3 DeLancy's refugees would be
4 pretty set II they We're all ike you,
rougue. No, no, had my eye on We
when ye listed month ago, end i told
DE Laucy what | believed We was.-
Not royal refugee. bat rebel scoun-
lrel. was right, rogue, eh?"
"Yes, you was right as TO my enlist
ng. AS to being rebel scoundrel,
why there is set-of-you are roy
u knave and u blood-thisrty villian.r-
All the Information | wanted to send
o the great Washington he has got be-
ore this--so hand away! But ] should
ike five minutes communion with my
God first. if you have the manliness to
grant it,"
Astonished as Cunningham was by
he boldness Of the mans speech, he
new full well that he was detested by
he English soldiery for his tyranny,