Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-10-12

| lortunatel near at hand . and under co..
pious sprinkling of cold water, Angus speedi-
| ly revived: Douglas no longer resisted his
ertreaties, but silently gathering up their
fishing tackle, and taking up their string of
trout, set out for home, walking slowly, and
supporting the trembling steps of his brother.
As they neared the borders Of the clearing,
where they were to come in sight of the har-
ycstfeljs ami their home, Angus absolutely
shook, and even the cheek Of the bold Dou-
glas grew white.
The first sight which met their eyes on
their emerging from the wood was their
house in flames, with party of ficndish
savagcs dancing and bowling around it, The
boys shrank back into the wool and, crouch
| ing down together beneath thick growth of
undcrbrush, lay sobbns and shudlcring in
their grici and terror.
At length Angus gave start and whis-
percd jDyiully, Oh, I've seen mither, and wee
Etlc, and Jenny-an' they're a safc-hid
away in the bushes, like us
But you see father, and Archie, and auld
Dayie asked Douglas, believing, ut last, in
the second sight of his young brother.
No. no., replied Angus. mournfully, |
como 600 tho"' o"y "'"i" Th"y mann b" ~
dead, Douglas.
I'm no believe that, said the elder
brother, proudly father and Davy bath had
their arms wi them. Davic is no bad
fighter and yc ken a hravcr soldier could ma
be found in the world than father
They lay thus, talking in fearful whispers,
and weeping silently, until the shouts of the
savages died away, and silence fell with the
twilight over the little valley. Then, slowly
and cautiously they crept from their hiding
place, and stole through the harvest-felds to
the spot where they had left their father and
| little brother and Davie.
And they were all there dead They ap-
peared to have fallen together-faithftil old
Davie lay acro.. his masters knocs which
he seemed embracing in death. Little Ar
chic had evid ntly fingered longest alive his
flesh was yet soft and slightly warm and he
had crept to his father arms, and lay partly
across his breast.
All, even to the sinless baby, had been to-
mahawked. Yet, bathed in blood as they
were, the poor boys could not believe them
dead, but clasped their stifened hands, and
kissed their lips. felt for their heart-bcats,
and called them by their names in every ac-
cent of love and sorrow. At last, finding all
their trcnzied efforts vain they abandoned
themselves utterly to grief.
The moon rose upon them thus-weeping
wildly over their murdered father and
brother-stained with their blood, and shud-
dering with their death-chill Never did the
moon look on more desoate group. Capt.
| Lindsay's brow seemed more uwfully stern
in its light, aad his unclosed ewes shOnc
with an icy glealn. Archie's still fearful
face showed most piteously sad while tho
agonizcd faces Of the two young mourners
now bent over their dead, now lifted despair
ingly toward heaven. seemed to have grown
strangely old in that time Of terror, and hor-
ror, and bitter gricving. Thus, the hours
wore on and, at last, from utter exhaustion
they slept-the living and the dead.
They were wakened by the warm sunlight
and the birds who sang-how strange it
seemed AS glily as ever, in the neighbOr-
ing wood. The boys raised their heads and
looked, each into the others sad face, and
then on the dead, in the blank, speechless
anguish of renewed grief Douglas was the
first to speak, Come, brother, he said, in a
calm tone, we maun be men, moo, let us
gang back to the fort may be we shall find
mither there, wi Jenny and the bairnic, cir
you're sure ye saw them a in your vision.
But we Gamma leave these here to theil
lane said Angus.
We maun leave them We are no biz
enough to bury them; but we'll cover then
over wi leaves and the branches o the pines
and when we get to the fort, we II ask tn,
soldiers to come and make graves for them
Come wi me, Angus, dear
Angus took Douglass hanI, and rose
but soon staggered and fell murmuring. "Oh
brother, IN sair faint and i'll. think All
dying. Stay wi me u little while, and ther
yc may cover us II up toglther and gang
ava.
Dinna say sorrowfu things, Angus ye
no dying puir laddie; yer but tainting wi
hunger, and the same, >" said Douglas, in
tone of hopeless dependency. Just at th
moment, his eye fell on n small hand-bas sket
in which the laborers were accustomed To
take their luncheon to the harvest-fcld.
was now lying where the dead had left it
against pile of wheat -shcaves and was iuunt
to contain some fragments Of bread and meat
of which they partook.
Somewhat refreshed, the boys set ahou
their melancholy duty. They did not at
tempt to move the bodies from the position
in which they had found them they left littl
Archie on his fathers breast, and faithful OLE
Dayie with his face hid against his master
knees
Douglas took out his pockct-knifc to scve
a lock Of hair from his father and his littl
BROTHER heads for memcntoes. "Oh.! dim
tax that lock, Douglas. said Angus, wit
shudder, "did ye ma See the bluid on it -
I Alas it was difficult to find lock on tn
, head Of either father or child not darkene
: and stlifened with gore.
Q " hen they had taken the last look, tn
last kiss. and had completed their mound {
= boughs and leaves, the two children kne
, beside it and prayed, Surely the God of tn
8 tatherless wa, near them Better in Iii
2 sight, their pious care of the dead, than tn
, most pompous funeral obsequies sweeter
Him the simple prayer they sobbed into h
a ear, than the granddest requiem.
a 1t was nearly noon when the boys left Il
o little vally, and took their way toward ii
a fort, They had first visited the ruins
f their house, searched around them and Il
n garden diligently, but vainly. for any ira,
e of their mother and nurse, and sister. Fro
e tree IN the little orchard they filled the
4 basket, with apples, and set forth,
a They had advanced but u mile OF two d
e the dark, winding, forest path, when the
/, heard before them the sound of footstcl
and voices. In their sudden terror. thinki
!. only of savages, they fled into the thlcke
s had passed, and they sought TO regain Il
o path, they found to their grief and dismc
It that they had lost it. Still they kept on
- apparently at random-but angel guided
2 seemed, in the direction of the fort !,
h night came upon them in the dense gloon
K wood, and, at last, very weary and sorrowiu
n they sank down murmured their brok,
r. prayers, and claspod in each other S arms f,
/ into chill and troubled sleep.
is Douglas was awakened in the early NOR
ing, by "A touch of his shoulder He sprar
i tp his tr't, and c1n.routel-Brant Brhii
the chief stood small band Of savage attc
1 dants, eagerly cycling the young 'pale-faces
ID as though their fingers itched to be am,l
it their curls
y 'Who are you = asked the warrior. ..ternl
al Il am Douglas Lindsay and this is u
n brother, Angus Lindsay.
j, Captain Lindsay your father =
lie 'cds our father, replied Douglas vi
.e passionate burs; of tears but We ken W
enough we hae no father moo, sin we've mt
lt dered him. Ay, and puir auld Davie, II
y the wee bairn Archie ye divils =
r no, boy, replied Brant, in not ungen
y tone, we did not murder your father |
I Ls.. l. L. J.