Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-08-04


touched him en- The shoulder Lee immc
diately started up: the figure then allowc
slight gleam from dark lantern to pas
over his face, and as it did so, whispered i'm
patiently, not the man-but c0mei
then occurred to Lee that this was the OF
portunity he desired. The unknown whis
pered to him to keep his place till anothc
man was called but just at that moment
seine noise disturbed him, and, making {
sign to Lee to follow, he moved silently Ou
of the room.
He found the door of the house unbarred
and part of the'fence removed. where the,
passed out without any mocstation tn,
sentry had retired to a shelter where HI
thought he could guard his post without suf
ierlng from the rain +; but Lee saw that tn,
conductors put themselves in preparation t
silence HIM il he should happen to addres,
them. just without the fence appeared q
stopping figure, wrapped In 4 red cloak, anC
supporting itself with a large stick, which
Lee at once perceived could be no other thar
the old fruit woman. But the most profound
silence was observed a man CAME out from
thicket at little distance, and the whole
party moved onward under the guidance OF
the old woman. At first they frequently
stopped to listen, but having heard the SEN
tincl cry, all well, they seemed re-as-
sured, and moved with more confidence than
before
They soon came near her ccttago, tnder an
overhanging bank. where bright light was
shining out from a little window upon the
wet and dropping bows that hung near it.
The dog received them graciously and they en-
tered. n table was spread with some coarse
provision upon it, and large Jug, which one
OF the soldiers was about to seize, when the
man who conducted them withheld him. NO.
sad he, we must first proceed with the bu-
| slness. lie then went to small closet, from
| winch he returned with what seemed to have
| been, originally, Bible, though now worn
to mahogany color and spherical form.
W hile they were doing this, Lee had time
to examine his companions one of whom was
quiet looking soldier; the other a short
stout man. with much the aspect of william.
they examined him in turn, and as Lee had
been Obliged to punish the shortest soldier
severely, he felt some mlsgivings when the
fellows eye rested upon him There conduc-
tor was midde-agcd, harsh-looking man,
whom Lee had never seen before As no time
was to be lost, their guide explained to them
in few words, that before he should release
them he should require Of them to swear
upon the scriptures, not to make the least
attempt to escape. and never to reveal the GER
cumstanccs or agents in the proceeding, what
ever might beial them. The soldiers, how
ever, insisted on deierring this Measure, till
they had formed some slight acquaintance
with the Jug, and expressed their sentiments
on the subject rather by action than words.
In this they We're joined by Lee. who by this
time had begun to contemplate the danger
noint Of ,;o,i Ic h ~" 'i'' Nv u''f u"'
nccomn,n,, H., ~. " W
mis-. xo,,IJ ~ p' p,ao' 49,, 4,e" , 'ii' us
c,rt,;r tLat I I, 'Io'e"' ,'u' ~ was
Un bod s,,,,,,o, "Irru Ioti po '''"Seu as SPY;
find M d;d;iIt, J., vi'', 'n". nc snouIu
hnt bo s,,, tLot tha;n Il,I's.' ~. Ial tl, nuen' ,
arms i,r tJ,or, ,,'I,;'l, ti'a'. W. .''. r
Ia king thn Gf of an,. WIZ sij ~ t'o IL.
to leave tLemEnnd then thn oath II" ",r" ,u;,,ht
possiblv have roIon,od L;,nsoic rro,, ''i9i;
rntions ,ybo,, !, h,o,,
ferests Of his country Dut no noi,nrnIi ,
can well be driven to an emo, yenvy Ia " iiiom
he must violate an oath, however reluctantly |
it was taken. He felt that there was no re-
treating when there came heavy shock as
II something falling against the sides of the |
house their practised ear at once detected |
the alarm gun and their conductor, throw |
down the Bible, which he had held all the |
"hl'e llhlhtlently III ms hand, directed the |
party to follow HIM in close order, and imme- |
dlately quilted the old house, taking with ,
MIN ms dark lantern.
lhey went on with great despatch, but not |
without ullhculty. sometimes their iootlns |
would give way on some sandy bank or slip
perry field and when their path led through !
t the WOODS, the wet noushs dashed heavily In
their faces. Lee felt that he might have de-
serted his precious companions while they !
were in this hurry and alarm; but he felt, that,
as yet, he had made no discoveries and how
ever dangerous his situation was, he could |
not bear to confess that he had not never to |
carry it through.
For several nights they went on in this |
manner, being delivered over TO different per-
sons, from time to time and Lee could |
gather from their Whispered conversations,
they were regularly employed ON occasions |
like the present, and well rewarded by the |
British for their services Their employment
was full of danger and though they seemed |
like desperate men, he could observe that |
they never RENTED their precautions. They |
were concealed by day in barns-cellars-
caves made for the purpose, and similar re-
treats and one day was passed in tomb, the |
dimensions of which had been enlarged. and |
the inmates. if there had been any, banished |
to make room for the living. The burying
grounds were flyor,te retreat, and ON more
than one they were Obliged to re-
sort to superstitious alarms to remove intru-
ders upon their track their success fully
justified the experiment, and, unpleasantly .
situated as he was in the nrosuart nf snnn
being a ghost himself, he could not avoid .
laughing at the expedition with which old |
and young fled from the Gncied un,mritions
under clouds of night, wishing to meet such
enemies. like Ajax in the face of day
Though the distance to the Delaware was
not great, they had now been twelve days on |
the road, and such was the vigilance and |
superstition prevailing throughout the cuun- ,