The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-17

~ sssekng steeds, over-ridden in pursuit Of
!, 1. He. 'hsrs. you fellow. whs, do you carry
Of the troop. and bringing the doctor 70 : hsir.
ma - Oessow.ng lusiy kick on the head Of /
tne cssk o. lovers, which gave back 4 hollow |
sound like that Of a huge muflsd drum.
en- nat one - empty. sir. but this other in /
cieo WIN brandy for Mac. Grigoy. al An 1
SruA, nepned sne Doctor, speaking half in En- |
districts. sA'
Ha! brandy say youi And for the Scotch |
merchant at Au Crux tool Then bv 81
George, my men, we'll help ourselves To .
gallon or so of this same-ah, yes; Seignette
brand see. Donald Mac. Grigor is famous
for his brandes, and we shall find better ar
ticle here than at the bar inside the inn there
SO go for gimlet and bucket one of you di-
rectly.'
The order was obeyed. and without one word
of remonstrance from the driver, some two
gallons of liquor was Withdrawn from the
cask, after which the British commander bade
the habttan be of about his business, which
order he was not slow in obeyfng, and in
less than ten seconds the two ponies were
covering the ground at speed which gave
the lie direct to the Yankee slander which says
a Canadian poney will trot all day in peck
measure
1t was almost dark, full eight miles to the
mex I inn, and the Doctor had just come to the
very positive conclusion that the Dragons
would remain over night at Louis Lablanc's,
when he happened to look behind him after he
had arrived at the outer skirts of a forest, some
four miles from the inn, he beheld the whole
troop come laundering on in pursuit nota mile
distant.
In an instant the suspicion flashed upon his
mind that Louis Lablanc had betrayed him,
tn fau do hat
ed very much like curre upon all traitors, he
applied the lash with might and main. and
soon had his pung and ponies literally flying
| over the level ground. In q few minutes he
entered the dusky shadows of the forest and
almost Immediately thereafter. came to where
the road branched out in the form OF Y, and
on he dashed along the right hand fork, which
| seemed 10 be much the less frequented thor
| oughfare of the two, and ran along q narrow
ridge OF land, which descended each way to
| springy bay, or swall, which never froze, while
the other road, as far he could see, led through
| a ravine skirted on either hand with dense
growth of pines of diminutive species.
A quarter of an hour after, entering upon the
| ridge road, the Doctor heard the clashing of
cavalry trapping, and hurried tramp of furious.
ly ridden steeds as the troop of British dra-
goons dashed on along the valley road.
The Doctor felt much relieved, as you may
| well suppose, but still he piled the lash, and
| on flew the spirited ponies with their spirited
load for another mile when suddenly the pung
struck against some obstruction in the road,
and over it went in an instant, sending the cask
of brandy down the steep bank to the right,
rockelting and turning somer-saults until it
~as almost down to the marsh, when it struck
square against stout tsee and smashed all to
| pieces in a second.
The onies stood still, while the cask of
trya >,toh o,,1
| ing down the left hand bank, insisting all the
trees in its mad antics until it finally lit in the
| pond wtha swash, bung up, which was re-
markably lucky for its contents, which other-
| wise might have got watered far below proof.
The astonished Doctor gave one forlorn
glance down at the wreck of the brandy cask.
and then away he went down after the headed
up lovers, nearly running over himself in his
eager neadlong course.
| slough, and applied his lips to the bung-hole-
'Antoinen
No response came back from the cask.
'Antoine!' he shouted again, but all was
silent as the grave.
| why bless me! they must have been
smothered or killed rolling down the bankn
and the alarmed Doctor began kicking furious
| ly at the head Of the cask which was soon
| driven in, and in with it went young flood of
water, and out foated Antoine and Ceceile fast
locked in each others arms. and both dead
| drunk from the fumes of the rum.
With much difficulty, the Doctor disengaged
the unconscious lovers from the loving en-
brace; carried them up the bank, and placing
them on the pung, on he went again, towards an
| inn kept by one of his friends, which he gained
an hour later; and where his medical skill
was called into requisiion to sober The drunken
| lovers, which he effected before daylight, saw
| them married before noon, and, although, the
| hero of ST. Dennis was afterwards captured,
vet he escaped that time by most spirited
/ .cbt