Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-08-10
MONTPELIER. VERMONT, 'TFtRSIlAY,

Abnllet whistlci past end a roar as II q
cannon ball had been fred Within. rolled forth.
q IIal Lenk," again cried AIichals looking
i shrewd. :. If this had been the patrol, what
bwould have been the use Of firing before your
Fsd5eswere open!'
HsI have three more charges ready fablieda
gruif yoiee from the interior +" and thoaghyou
fhayc caasht me mapping, it woald haa bard
matter to takd me. But think Ierscosnizo
that voice II is Nliclal playing his foolish
jokes
No other
.".stapd out in the light, then, and let me sec
yoa.n,
:" | shdl make,a good mark saiii Mchal,
advancing iesrlssly from bis cover, While Flori-
erl, trembling with terror, cpdcavore1 to re-
strain him.
Presently the voice from within expressed
satisfaction, but wanted to know wEp the wo-
man was
Ny swif,, .saii4 Michalloldly tssl sRlerio-
ra, tholgh trom ling with surprise AID pleasure
remained silent.
Presently they entered the cavern, and the
newly y-bctrothed maiden saw indeed that the
robbar Lonk's boast that he could not easily be
taken was well-foundod When they had ad-
vAnced few PAGES, and her eyes had become
accustomed to the half-light, she saw a dark
chasm about three PAGES wide, stretching across
the entrance, and heard murmur Of water far
below. Never was there better molt to cas-
tie. The opposite side of the chasm was sov-
eral feet above the place where the new -comers
stood; and they disosrn,d a lorm engaged in
thrustng down y kind of bridge made of co.,
pie Of beams lashed together. Over this they
passed; having tarned round a hug mass Of
rock, they 10 Ind items Ives in cave Of coasi,t-
era sizo, fitted with II table, n bed, rnde cup
boards, and other comforts, and lighted by an
oil lamp swinging from the roof. In every re-
spcct. tits dwelling place was superior to the hat
t. wiici Foriora had been accustomed.
"It is almost as fine rs my lord Bi limo pll-
! aca," said she.
Lenk, whose life Michal had saved, some years
before, was IL .joviAl host enough H., tho, had
been driven IT, that wild mode of life, by an act
OF tyranny; and, thouga he dilsubsst by levy
ing a tribute on the surrounding country, was
in every other resp yet a g1ol sort Of character
The pclstntry, whom he always splred-partly
paraapsb cause they had nosbn5 worth taking,
and partly, no dou1t, from }radantitl motives
had neytra bad word to say against hin and
instead OF assisting the poles, always gave him
due warning Of any IN ,yom1nt az inst his lb-
crty. This is the rJ..sJn Of the long impanity
which the brgln Of Walllcia enjoy. Ii is
not uncommon for them to live to green old
ag,, and when they do close their career yolng,
it is generally in sJno slirmish They rarely
arc taken and tried.
/ Lenk s)on made his guests quite at home ;
and showed item, as an especial mark Of his
oo'iiasnca y erayga in ths gga x VII. hal, for
marly been open, bat mad gradually been hll3d
\ with earth, and through whch he Was making
" pdeh cntIdllc1 " 'lS f5trciU. y L Know where
it comes out, " said he" sit is right on the
top Of the rock, at plicc inaccessible except
t. birds. There will pllc, rop, Ladder, by
which | can swing down when please to the
glen Oh the other side, which could not reach
except by an hours walk in any other way So
ii AN ever hard pross,l, | dit; and twill be a
bard matter to catch m,. The earth all goas
down the hole You crossed, and there is no trace
oi it.
Mich4l, ON the first opportunity, employed
Lcnk to 90 and bring Priest from villasa
down In the plain, and uis marriage with Fori-
ora was duly celebrated at th9 entrance to the
glen. lIo now b3gtn to Join Lank in his excur-
sions; and they lived as comfortably as free
booters may. 1t would be mistake to say That
!, FloriorA pined in this state of existence. She
} really thought her husbands calling justiiiabe,
and indeed noble and proudly compared
her own Independent condition with that to
, which she was to have been condemned. When
Michal remained many days absent, she felt
keen misery and regretted that more quiet lot
had not been yoncnsaled to her But when
, she saw him, from the entrance of the cave,
coming back with lamb on his shoulder, and
Lenk following, driving a buloc, laden with
spoil, her eye glistened, and she leaped with as
much joy and exultation to the neck Of hoi
. lord, rs if he had been chieftain OF many
| men, returning, covered with hurels, from tht
+ wars.
e In due time son was born to her, and lcl
e cup of happiness was full 1t had been decrecc
t that bitter should be again mixed with it, 0nt
4 morning Lenk was about to go forth, when h,
: described bright objects hlsiing far down th
e glen; and his keen eye discovered that they wer
the weapons of soldiers, liz at once suspected
: that his retreat had been discovered, and, with
= drawing the bridge, announced the fact to Mi
v chal, who was standing in smiling happines
+, waiting until his little wife should succeed il
s unflstening tao grasp by which his boy had 90
r hold of his black beard. The two banditti mad
ready their arms, and waited for the near ap
It proach of the soldiery. There were about
y dozen, but they halted at a respectful distance
d and a man moved towards the entrance of tn
cave, and exhortcd the inmates to surrender
scornful laugh was the answer, but the defend
IS ers of the cave did not fire on the herald, be
e cause they saw that he was peasant. Sool
It after, the soldiers began to pour volley afte
d volley into the cave; they were answered will
f effect. There was very little danger to Len
,e and NIchal, but some Of the balls rebounde
,e into the chamber where Floriora sat- and she wa
i therefore obliged to take refuge in the crevic
ly which had, before this time, been completed
is opened. t..
Il