The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-08-14

the rear OF the aallows. Ills frs, impulse
was 10 leap out Tor tho depth Of The grave
dad u0t exceed three feot. bu. second
thought altered his determination, aud he
musmuied;
:" This Is tho best place FOR me they
certainly will not link Of looking for nv.
M man IN The grave and lac stretched
himself a. iull length 10 the narrow house
that ho knew one day or another he should
have to fill
| They entered the burial ground and pro,
reeded directly to tho galloss. under which
they halted Forming circle, the black
tel.ow with The lantern, Cunningham aud
the prisoner in tho centre, prepata,loaa
acre made n 20 through With the awful
ceremony-ihat Of dcprlsus fellow being
Ut life.
! The black fellow looked up al the gal
lows, IRON which The ~ 0 bodies were hlu1
lus, anl proceeded very deliberately to cut
them doan, observing
Desc chaps hab hung long a'auG |
guess dey Gn'! much better daa dead mig
sers nov"
The prisoner looked on with sl1nce Of
no common interests, FOX ho fol; tha; lis
soul was fI..c,ing Oh The confines o, etor.
mty. II 10 useless TO talk Of bravery when
] man IL The luIl visor 0! health Deho.J7
preparations making 10 deprive him o. ex.
lstsnce. Tue; he may meot death 9Th
nanibcs5 aud lorlIude, and display 10 no
I haman eye any Of the physical ahaalan q
/ BY which we arc APT 10 measure tic oQ:.
ward courage ot nun; but within there Is
/ a feeling Tia, the great Creator alone per.
ce.ses, aud Ilo judges whether OF u TII
Man IS prepared 10 die.
The negro had passed rope through the
! beam where bu' iew nomeuts beto,o hung
lheau4nlmate clgds that nov encountered
as II we're The ground beueaIh tue g4llows.
ibi- dene, 10 sald-
DIR, Massa Cunningham, ls 0 rope dat
viii hoi bs prisoner long a'uui, ! reckon,
Guinea Sambo no Stop poard a!4n o'@sf
Tor naAia'. guess. : Iafn TO reeve dat
knot wld blcl dat do debb,l co4!du',
break"
As ha finished his classical speech he We.
~ deliberately kicked tho body OF one Of
the dead soldiers aside, and rolled tho o,h.
or very coolly into into the grave where
lay the young man aud tho dead rested up
on The living A shudder ran through the
frame Of tho youth as he felt pressing above
him tho cold form Of one who but the day
before had been as full Of life as he noE
wus, bui not a sound escaping him, tor he
knew that silence Gas his ouly preserve
tioa.
Well, rascal. you SEQ what you are
coming TO for deserving from his muJ sly 5
service. A halter, | suppose, IS moro a.
gteeaJIo than good treatment aud sol.
dler's pay"
Thus spoke Cunningham TO the prisoner,
| entered into the refugee corps for my
own reasons. They have proved satstac
tory the prisoner looking al Cunningham
with bold counienunce.
Yes internally satisfactory, YOU rebel
spauu Of dann4uoa A spy, / 'sPose =
Delaney 5 refugees would be q pretty sci
IT they were oil like you, rogue. No, 10;
| had my eye on Sc when you listed,
month ago, and told Colonel De Lancey
what believed yo was. Not royal re.
fugee, but scoundrel. | was IigLt, rogue,
eh I"
Yes, YOU was right as to my enIistins.
Az to being rebel scoundfeI, why there
Is aa uiiset-yaa are royal kGafe uhd Il |
viIllan. All tho Information /
waited to seed to tho great Wa. hington he
has got before ths-so hang away But
| should like five minutes communion With
my God first, II you have the uanincss to
grant lt.'
Astonished as Cunningham was by the
boIdness Of the mans speech, he kHa" iuil
well that he himself was destined by the
English soidiery for his tyranny. and that
refusal OF such request TO man on The POINT
of execution would make him still more 0,
dtous amcng them. With an i'll grace he |
said
pray, rascal, pray / don't wonder
that hnlve like y gu Tears Death A man
that botrays his king beirays his God; II
Is foil tlme that you try to make peace with |
him. Three minutes, rascaI--tbrce nm !
utes l'ha, is all the tine you have from |
nc. Go 90 your knees Of orCe, then.-
Slubo have Tho halter ready. IHREE
minutes only.
Tho negro had placed the lantern On the
ground directly under the gaIlo"s. liz
tain. hight cleaned upward, showing IN dim
outline the ga!!ows frame, and partially |
lighting the faces and forms Of The soldiers,
grouped with their muskets to Oil order,
N semicre around tho scene of exeeu.
tlou.
The prisoner bent Down, resting his knees
upon the earth thrown up uround the new
dug grave.
IIE had no hope of escapei and be look.
cd upwards towards the heavens, although |
all was black With night, yet his eye plerc.
ed through the gloom, aud DO saw IN The
future redemption for the past. The qllv.
erlns OF his lips showed his sincerity he
was prepared to die. OF sudden he bent
his head. All bis prayer was heard, res