Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-09-04

NllNit UAt lew lOiIlIn N'DT. nilIIg lfI|s
mate clOds that now encountered as il were. the /,
ground beneath the gallOws. This done, be- said: T.
"Dar Massa Cunningham. is rope dat will
hold dc prisoner long a'nulI, / reckon. Guinea
Sambo no stop aboard a man O'war for muffin, /
guess. ! learn to reeve dai knot wid hitch dat .
dc dcbble couldn't break"
As he finished this classical speech, he very de-
lbcratcly kicked the body Of one Of the dead SOL
dicrs aside, and rolled the other very coolly into
the grave where lay the young man; and the dead
rested with the living! 4 shuddcr ran through
the frame of the youth as he 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 silence was
his only preservation.
"Well, rascal, you see what YOU are coming .
too, for deserving from his Maicsty's service. 4 +
halter, suppose, is more agreeable than good
treatment and soldiers pay"
Thus spoke Cunningham to the prisoner.
81 entered into the refugee corps for my own
reasons. They have proved satisfactory" the
prisoner said, looking at Cunningham with bold
countcnance.
ayes, internally satisfactory, you rebel spawn
Of damnauon! Aspy, s'posc! De Lancy's re-
lugees would be pretty set if they were all like
you, rogue. No, no, had my eye on We when
ye listed month ago, and told Colonel De Lam
ccy what believed ye was. Not a royal rcfu-
gee, but rebel scoundrc, was right rogue, eh!
"Yes, you was right as to my cnlisting. As to
being rebel scoundrel, why there is an Offset
yOu are a royal knave and a blood-thirsty william.
All the information | wanted 10 send TO the great
Washington, he has got before this-so hang a.
way! But should like five minutes communion
with my God first, if you have the manlness 10
grant it,"
Astonished as Cunningham was by the bold
ness of the mans speech, he knew full well that
he himself was detcstcd by the English sodicry
for his tyranny, and that a refusal Of such re-
quest TO a man on the point of execution, would
only make him still more odious among thcm.-
With an i'll grace he said
spray, rascal, pray don't wonder that a
knayc like you fears death. A man that bcrays
his King bcstrays his God; and it is full time that
you make peace with him. Three minutes, ras-
cal-thrccminutes! That'sal the time YOU have
from me. Go on your knees att once, then. Sam
bo, have hehalterready. Three minutes only.''
Thonegrohad placed the lantern on the ground,
directly under the galows. It's faint light gIcam-
ed upward, showing in dim outline the gallows
frame, and partially lighting the faces and forms
oGthe soldiers grouped, ,withtheirmuskets toan or
der, in scmi-circle around thesccne of execution.
The prisoner bent down, resting his knees up
on the earth thrown up around the new made
grave. He had no hope of escape, and as he
looked upwards toward the heavens, although all
was black as night yet his eye piercedthroughthe
gloom, and he saw in the future, redemption for
the past! The quiverng of his lip, showed his
sincerity; he was prepared to die. OF a sudden
he bent his head. All, his prayer was heard
rescue was at hand. His lifc-Oh! glorious
thought-was not TO set in blood through the
hands Of man!
''llarry!" said a voice in whisper, proceed
ing from the grave where the prisoner had seen
Il dead body tossed but a few moments before,
'make no alarm. IT'S |, your comrade, Dick
Martin, of Wu-hington's Life Guard, cometo save
you. Make some excuse to turn your back to-
wards the hole where have hidden myself, and
will cut the rope by which your hands arc tied.
When this is done, and you hear me groan, kick
over the lantern and make for the east corner of
the grave yard! lwilIlollow. Things are ready
for our escape. Remember, make no alarm"
The prisoner felt as if he had won empires
upon empires. His life then was safe!
"Come, rogue, yourthree minutes are up-Sam-
bo, the rope there, youpatlcrn of Guinea beauty
The prisoner, without rising from his knees,
turned round so that he faced the lantern, his
back towards the grave. The negro advanced
with the halter, to place it round his neck. The
scene was striking. In 1.-THE foreground stood the
soldiers, gazing with no very pleasant emotions,
by the dim light upon the poor prisoner. Gun
lnin rh,p IN tbo hi, ii
features lighted up with the expression almost ol
devil, preparatory oseizing his victim. Scoun.
drel you had no victim that time. Just as the
negro got within arms length of the prisoner, the
latter felt the thong cut which had bound his
arms. He was free!
But why starts the black, his eyes protrudine
from their sockets as if death was before him!-
The halter drops from his hands; he is paralyzeC
with fear. Slowly from the grave rises the deaC
body Of the soldier he had himself rolled into it
"Gor almighty the dead hab riz!" said the ne
; gro solemnly.
: Cunningham beheld the sight, and so did thu
soldiers. The vision was so awlul-so apparent
ly contrary to human reason-that with one ac
cord all fled deXcepting the negro and the prisoner
t The former rolled on the ground, cxclaiming-
G 'Spar' me, massa ghost-spar' me dis time,
r nebor hang anoder sojerl" and he rolled over th
; graves, shivcring as if struck with an ague fit.
; In the meantime the prisoner and his comrade
> who had so opportunely rescued him from an ig
= nominous death, hurried from the scene, an
i sprnging from the graveyard, made for Lspo
v nard's woods, which then skirted the North rive
y near where Canal street now ends.
There they found a boat, in which Dick MAJ
: tin had crossed alone from the Jersey shore, 81
hours before, to save his comrade. Reaching tn
= Jersey side, just below Bulls ferry, in an hou
they struck into the woods and reached the cam
of Washington, near West Point, about night I'll
n next day. The morning alier in general orders
= two new lieutenantS were commissioned in Wash
: ington's Life Guard, and the reader can imogin
S who they were.
A hrnf nvnlnnn ION nnrhnns IS nncnsSnrN.