Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-10-01
OLD SERIES, VOL. ls, NO. /.

! Twenty minutes went by. and tho two me
who had stretched themselves uron the groun
gavo unioub,ed signs Of being fast asleep.-
John. howe,sr, still remsined seated On III,
log, with his head mid, mid. noddin, and hi
body occasionally lurchiag 10 and fro. in
state Of drowsiness next thing 10 sleep, bu
which Sigh, noise would have thrown Of
and awakened him fully.
j ], was a, this stage Of Affairs. thar H,rr,
BOdman, the prisoner, began preparations Il
escape. The knife was taken from his mou,l
and the keen blade severed the cords whiei
bound him to the tree. lie ,hcn ,ioopet
down, and drawing OF bis boots took one IL
each hand, and Doiselessly made bis way ..
the dOoi OF the house; IL WAS partly sjar
and entering !, hs quickly aseended. wher,
he psussi and drew on his boou, then sd
'aneed D the entrance Of M,rys Spar,men
and Knocked uPOu the door.
who's there demanded he we'll knowr
voice Of Steel.
"Wslter, let me in." hs insw~r9.
The key turned instantly in iks lock, the
door opened and he slided into the nom.
How did he esesps'" murmOred Mary,
a. he has,ened TO her side.
"You saw the pedlerl"
General Msrioa--he was 10 thu. room"
che answered.
:" lie furnished me with knife IN Gu, the
cords that bound me, and As all the men leit
TO watch me slept, took advanageo Of the
opportunity to come into the house. Bu,
look >"
They listened in brea,hless silence, and
could hear the sound Of heavy firing up the
Saniee, which told the ioemen wers engaged.
MAY COP def.nd the right" ferreu,ly
CALCULATED Mary.
"Amea :" responded vuieo outside the
window, and three disiine, rap, were heard
upon the pane.
who's ,hsrsr" demanded Harry bod.
man, as hs strobe TO the spot.
Brady" responded the same voice,
" Huis, the window. Bodman, you have no
time to lose"
Harry threw up the sssh. and the man out.
side 'pr,ng into the room. He was All fee,
high, dressed IN hunting shir, Of dark blue,
and carried , long rih. in his hand. For an
iust,nt no gared around him, aud then sI.
claimed
You must all leave the house. At oaee.
Ha, Marion been defeated sl,en :" asked
Mary IN bre,thless alarm.
NO, Mia, bu, portion Of the fosget
British will max. this house place Of de.
fence, aad IN , case Of thai kiad, you were
better OgI Of it."
"Bu, We car fD,eu them ou,," said Steel,
resolmsly.
NAY. better le, them trap themselves IN
"a" r-nlisd Rrahv calmly. "Therc is q
go down, and IN my opinion, the sooner YOU
90 the better. hear the British coming,
already"
As he flushed speaking, the di,,an, tread
Of horses Zee, va, heard gallOPing toward,
the house.
BE It ,s," said Steel, passing through
the window and down upoa the ladder. "Let
Mary come next"
The m,lden followed her father, and the
two ,oun reached the ground.
STAND close to tho house, IN the shade
there, said Ikady, speaking to those below
and a, they obeyed him the sound Of the ad-
v,neing hor.emen grew fsarfully near.
" Down with you, Harry, be quick" ex'
claimed The scout, and hurried thus BY his
companion, Bodmsn stood behind Mary and
her father.
Brady followed, and upon reaching the
ground hurried forward To large log lying
in the yard directly in fron, Of the window,
behind which he enseonced himself, the mut.
,le Of his rife toward the house.
THIS had scarcely been done before the
trooper, reached the house, sPrhng from their
horses, and in few moments the scout "a"
the head uf Langsford thrust from the WIN
dow. To level and FIRE with the effect al
ready noted, was but tho work Of aa instant :
aud as tn, captain Tell back heavily upon the
f,oor, the tramp Of more horses was heard
aud the band OF Marion gallOPed 10 the spot.