Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1855-08-16

,dlers were collected as usual in the tavern
porch, discussing, in animated language, the
probability Of On attack upon their quiet vii-
lsge bv the British on their way up the riv-
er, as j, wss universally supposed that Clin-
ton was moving up the Hudson 10 The relief
Of Burgoyne, who was there in the tolls Of
Gates .. Saratoga. OF course, Hendrick
was on active participant in the discussion
and, ss usually was the case on such occa.
sions, when some Of the group had been
borne down by the weight Of Hendricks
srgumen, he feb back upon the usual resort
of doubling his courage. Such On impu'a-
iion, at such a moment, was more than Hen
drck could bear with patience, and he gave
u,.ersnce to such a volIey Of exple'ives end
torrent Of words, as 10 convince his opPo'
nent ,hs, ifhe lacked the qualities Of . good
soldier, he certainly did no. want for ener-
gy in the use Of his tongue.
"Co, for tam !''-Hendrick would>some-
times use harsh end unseemly language
when he became excied-"Col for tam
va. for you dinks | was run away ven te
Bri,ishers cum, and leave mine vrow TO be
mur,e,ed, and mine baus to be purns up mi,
fire. Dnnder and Blixen shall Kill goo,
many, and ten ! shall be killed fore ] vas
run sway. Cos ] was no, gone nit Gene
rsl Washington, and leave mine vrow, ] no
can f,e ,e red co,es. We shall see who
she'll be run away ven ,e British shall be
cum. Ten shall see you run away, and lie
tyfeI shall be run after you nit a sharp
stick"
Such was Hendricks arguments and such
his intentions, if we may believe his words;
bu. alas for poor human weakness, tho hour
Of trial came ell TOO soon, for his boasts
were still fresh in the minds Of his hearers
when few days aferward The BRUSH fri
gates came up the river, and landed . body
Of troops, whose sim was TO burn the vii
lage. One division landed in the cove, Jus
north of the present steamboat wharf; the
other, landed from small boats at place
called Penkhocken point, near which poin
are extensive flats, which a, low water are
dry, and yield an abundance Of coarse sal
grass.
1t SO happened .ha. " hen they landed, Hen
dIick and others were al work on the mea
dow, gathering the grass, and among them hi'
late opponent in debste. They did no. dis
cover The approach Of The British until they
were quite near TO them, end when they dIt
look up from theit woI k ,>one boaa load hat
already landed on the edge Of the meadow
No time was taken 10 deliberate in the mat
ter, but the whole party Of hsymakers fet
as fast as their legs would carry them "
towards the upland-Hendrick among iht
number. Now, ! should be willing to as
cribe Hendricks haste TO his desire 10 alarm
bis neighbors and the village, or 10 the fac
that he was unormed, end running to get his
gun, or TO any other cause, rather than 10 fear
were j, no. that Sigh. accident occurred te
him as he fed, which caused such q sud
den change in his political principles, az to
lead 10 much onimsdversion af,erwsrd or
the par. of his neighbofs and scqua intsnces
1t SO happened that directly in his path as
he fed toward the point, lay rake, which
had been left there by former hsymakers
and which was hidden by the long grass in
which It 10y. The tines or points OF the
rake were uppermosl, end on these Hen
drick happened 10 tread as he ran. The
handle, ss q natural consequence, flew uE
behind him, and struck him pretty violen
blow on lhe back Of The heed. Thinking
doubtless, that the British were al his heels
and thu, one Of them had stricken The blow
10 sdmonish him 10 surrender, Hendricl
dropped on his knees, and clasping hi
hands together in an agony Of fear, b;
whole frame trembling and teeth chs"erine
exclaimed go mein Co, mein Co, xiv
up, ] surrender, ! is . tory. Hurfsh 70
King Shorge! o good MI. Soijur, spar
mine Iife." The roar Of Laughter whic
burs. from bis companions induced The poo
fellow TO turn his fearful eyes over hi
shoulder, where he beheld the handle OF III
innocen. rake towering up behind hin
while the enemy were on the march IN
dif1eren, direction, full half mile IN his rea'
II is hardly necessary to sdd, that Hendric'
never returned 10 his allegiance to the STATES
a, least, he was never heard TO argue lhei
side OF the question again, end even at 'b'
present day his descendants feel very eor'
q, the mention of Hendrick's . adventure will
the rake.
STYPTIc.-A young man named Johr