The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-11

she paused. For the very FIRST time in her III
the rock Of her heart was smtten, and fount q
| pity and tenderness gushed forth into food @
tears, shat rolled flashing down her face like on
OF the sparkling waterfalls of her native noun
tsins. ooh what shall do2 cannot! No.
cannot stick this CHASTITY blade into that fair arm
Oh cannot. il would give him so much pain
But If do not, he viii die! Yes he will dissoly
away from me, beautiful and evanescent AS tn
rainbow of this mornngp She opened the vein
and, the blood began TO flow, the young ma,
slowly Enclosed his eyes "How do you feel
Do you know me? (Yes, that was what the doc
tor said TO Brutus, when h. opened his eyes afteI
the bleedng) How do you feel Do you know
me % But spasm convulsed the young mani
face, snd he tainted again. ooh Heavens! wha
shall do non ?n exclaimed Gertrude, as she Gu
off the linen sleeve of his shirt stripped il up
and bound up his arm. " | must get him home tC
the Lair but Oh! | am fearful that he cannot
hear the re1anSaln She dashed water in hi,
face. He revived again. ado you know me n9m p
she asked, fixing her eyes earnestly on his coun
tenance He looked at her with a troubled ex
preston, and closed his eyes, as if an WEAKNESS
while spasms Of pain traversed his countenance
Oh! If | could get doctor here but that il
impossible-neitber man nor beast but myself OF
some poor, hunted desperate fugitive slave, could
reach this frightful wild. | must try to get him
home to the Lairp She attempted to raise him
but spssms Of agony convulsed his whole frame
on being moved ooh could carry him home
but the removal would kill him. What shall
do with him Let's see-these rocks are full OF
caverns the occasional retreats of runaway slaves
| must find one, as a temporary shelter And
laying the wounded man down gently, she started
off, diligently searching among the rocks At
last she came to the opening of a cavern. Enter
ing it, she saw that it was smooth, though not
level, and quite lark. Stripping off her blue
cloth peiisse, she laid it down pallet return
ing to the side of her invalid, she gently drew
him awsy from the body Of the coachman, strip
ped the clothes from the dead man, and lrrying
them off to the cavern, laid part of them on the
pelisse to make it softer, and rolled up part of
them as pillow, and placed it at the head Then
returning to her patient, she raised him in her
arms laid his head gently over her shoulder,
and bore him carefully along till she reached the
cavern. Here she laid him down tenderly. and
going TO waterfall close by, she filled the hat,
and, returning made him drink a portion, and
bathed his face, head, and hands, with the rest.
Suddenly noise in the darkest recesses of the
cavern startled her. Thinking of wolf she
drew her hunting-knife, and stood upon her de-
fence. The animal came out from his lair and
stood before her, amazed, as one startled from
sleep-a wild, haggard, half-hmshed fugitive
slave, in tattered garments. Gertrude stood on
her defence with the raised knife. The man
glared at her, very wolf of desperation and fe-
rocity He seemed to measure her size and
strength, and then made step towards her
" Stopp commanded the Amazon; and the man
stood, arrested as by shock advance another
step, and this knife is sheathed in your heart and
you are hurled to the bottom of these precipices
| am Gertrude Lion, and you know me / But
pause, and listen, and may do you goodn
The haggard and wolfsh features of the slave
relaxed little, as he said, in a hoarse voice
"And you'll not set the constables On me, Miss
Gertrude?n
Explode the constables no, I'd do you good, |
said. Listen !; Il know you, Antony, you are Mrs.
A Armstrong; fugitive slave. Now, / don't adore
Mrs. Armstrong myself, and if you will do me a |
favor, will assist your escape from the State.n
What is it, then, Miss Gertrude?n
"You see this wounded boy2 He was half |
killed by the breaking of his carriage; he is too
Acc and MINUS; utu Keep up sserJeSs r sais
nS water down his throat, while return to the
air TO fetch necessaries for him."
But If you should bring posse with you to
take me, Miss Gertrude"
0Why should IL Besides, would any venture
their neck in this terrible DESCENT"
"That is true enough"
"And am true"
- Anu so you arc NioS ocftIhuo'
"Certainly; reassure yourself; and here take
nv knife. Now nurse your patient tenderly,
while am gone, and when ] return, will not
forget you; will bring you food, clothing and
pass that will enable you to leave the State"
Then kneelng and placing her hand once more
upon the palid brow of her patient, and arranging
his rude couch, she arose and hurried from the
cavern, clambered up the rugged ascent, and
sprang from peak to peak until she had gained
the spot where she had left her horse He was
no longer there Placing her fingers to her lips,
she blew a clear, shrill CALL and soon her white
horse came ambling up the side OF preciPice TO-
wards her She placed her hand upon his neck,
lesped into the saddle, and sped like an arrow
from the bow towards the Lair
IL was late in the morning before she returned,
with linen, wine and food. She found Antony
faithfully watching his patient With the aid OF
the restoratives she had brought, the young man
revived.
aNow. Antony, :" she said, /" We must move him
but first. here is the pass wrote for you"
She took it out and read it
GAntony Burgess has my permission to passan
re-pass from Peakville to Alexandria, free OF mo.
lesiation, between the first of June and the first OF
Iulv inclusive. GERTRUDE LION.
q The Lar, - Co, Va"
aThere. Antony, that is exactly the pass that
give to my own men when they want to 60 to town
Now. il is true that you are not my own man, but
that is no reason why should not give you my
consent to 20 where you please, since ] have no
objection to it; and SO, when you present that,
neople will naturally think it comes from your
owner, And even If it fails, il cannot get you or
me into trouble, since | only express my consent
Now, Antony, since he cannot be removed from
this abyss, first inter that poor dead coachman
and valet then take their clothes, dress yourseli,
take this food and wine, and this purse and God
bless you"
ashanti help you to tote the young gentleman
M the rocks, Miss Gertrude2p
aOh, no two carrying one burden could not
climb the ascent, you know
"Sure enough miss; but can't ! tote him my
self?n
q No. no you could not do it tenderly enough
| besides, | doubt whether you are now s.rong
enough No, do you attend to what IS ieit oen'na J
bury the poor dead coachmen, and don't forget 10
rec;te the ten commandments over their graves
| Now good byen And shaking hands with him,
| Gertrude turned and lifted up her patient.
aNo, no, do not you cannot" muttered the
Young man, in feeble voice-now seeming, ior the
FIRST time, to note what WAS going on
9Hush.n replied Gertrude, laying his heao
tenderly over her shoulder while she let his arm
rest upon his bosom, and dropped her own heao
unoonsciously, caressipgly, over his silky euris.
She left the cavern and carefully picking mel
way among the rocks, not to jolt her patient DC
gan to climb the ascent
"Oh, do not, do not, you will hurt yourself,
very family murmured the young man, ieeo''
struggling to get down. ,,, .,.,,
aHush. hush there, there, be still that's
dear bow be easy, that's good boy
He mas still, from exhaustion, until they ha'
nearly reached the ascent, when the youth agar
grew FESTIVE. ru 80
Come, come lie still be quiet, or III &c
mad, and am dangerous when Pm mad; ask any
one il Pm not, said Gertrude, as, resting momen
with her burden, she raised her hngerst to her iip'
and blew the shrill, clear call that brooght ne