The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-01-01

| cluel anu LooaccO IN plenty. After our talk,
if he wants to take me prisoner, he may"
| When Bell was made acquainted with
Humphreys singular declarations, he set
himself about unravelling their meaning
After much cogitation he concluded that the
old man had turned tory.
$50 much the BETTER" he soliloquised.-
"He is rich, and will pay my men and mysel
very excellent perquisites. I'll go and see
him. He don't fight. He never lies, and will
be alone. 1 can't be in any danger then. III
co."
And so he sent word to that effect.
The Sabbath evening arrived, and at the
fall OF night, Bell, artistically disguised, and
with twenty men in the next meadow to rush
upon the house when he gave signal, (if it
were necessarily stood at Humphreys door.
He was admitted. The old man greeted him
cordially, and ushered him to the best room.
On table were tobacco, pipes. couple OF
Jugs OF cider, and tin platter of cookies. In
| a corner of the room, near the fireplace. was a
| huge hoyshead.
1--WE are entirely alone, friend Bell; there
is not even cat in the house to see thee. Sit
down, then, and let us enjoy ourselves
This strange conduct" began Bell
| "Will be fully explained to thee, before
thee takes thy leave" interrupted the Quaker.
"Well, we'll, so that good cheer is here and
no harm intended, I'll wait your pleasure for
an explanation
They drank, and smoked, and laughed, for
a space of three hours. Hard cider, as they
keep it for home consumption, is really pow
erful, and most effectually stimulates the brain
quite is effectually as whiskey. By mid
night Bell was in the condition vulgarly but
expressively denominated 'jolly."
81 say, neighbor Humphreys" he cried,
''what in the name of Satan do you keep that
hogshead of cider in this room fors y
because I am fond of the juice, friend
Bell, and am old and do not like to journey
to the cellar"
marked the morning hour of one, Bell sud-
denly remembered the ambiguous nature Of
his visit, and demanded satisfactory account
of 1.-THE motive for calling him there, and
the intended object to be gained.
The old man beckoned him to draw very
close, and inquired, when he had obeyed,
whether he had remembered that he (Hum-
phreys) had sent word that he had changed
his mind on a certain point and was converted.
! "Yes, yes," remarked Bell, frightening up.
II do remember. Oh, yes, and comprehend,
too. Ha! ha! you mean to support the
| CROWN"
"Not so, friend Bell"
"Nos Why, what then, in the name OF
patience y ..s-a
1T was against my faith to fight, but am
converted to knowledge of the fact that to
do combat in the just cause of freedom and
glory is virtue and not SIM"
"Then you mean to allow me to take you
prisoner to New York.
| If thee canst."
"Ah you wish me to try my personal
strength against yours, and if conquer you
will yield without further resistance ,"
"Precisely."
Bell was evidently perplexed, and before he
could recover his intellectual equilibrium,
somewhat muddled by the hard cider, the old
Quaker had grappled with him. At it they
went Over went the chairs and tables-over
went everything, and about the floor tumbled
they. Fortunately the light stood on shelf
and was not upset or extinguished. The Qua
ker finally proved to be the strongest of the
twain, and pinioned the tory to the ground by
holding him by the mt ckcloth.
! "Thee is villain, Timothy-a traitor and
murderer. Thee came here with an armed
gang, and they lie in my meadow. Thee take
me prisoner. Thou wilt not ;"
"Let me up, and will pardon !" exclaimed
Bell.
| "Thee knows thee lies - said the Quaker,
calmly looking into the prostrate mans face.
"Were to liberate thee, thou would'st call
help to shed my blood on my own foors,-
Thee is curse to the land, and thee shall
de-"
There was another short and desperate
struggle, in which the old man. after narrowly
escaping the consequences of Bells desperate
strength, regained his advantage.
You're not going to kill me:" gasped the
tory, whose cravat was twisted so tight that
he could speak only with the greatest Difficult
ty.
YES, am. use no murderous weapons
invented by man, but only those God has Civ
en- me to protect myself. Timothy Bell, Twill
strangle thee to death"
IL On 1ro Ln,,