Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-07-19


pect that some strong personal motive had led
to the planning Of SO distant an expedition,
when there were others nearer home. He. .ac-
cordingly set himself to discover from his half
long before success crowned his adroit cross
examination
Why, you see,' said the host, 9 believe
there's little revenge for a slight received
from these fellows sister, mixed up with the
Majors desire to catch the Bunkers. The
girl is very pretty, they say, and the Major,
when she was down here on a visit last year
before the war-wanted 10 marry her, but
she would have nothing to do with him. Ev-
er since, he has vowed to make her rue the
day. You may depend upon it, he will have
her on his own terms now. Thank Heaven
there's no law any longer to prevent an honest
royalist'from doing as he pleases to these ras-
cally rebels. But yonder is the Major now,'
suddenly said the host, starting up i will
introduce you to him at once-a merry fellow
you will find him. Lord love you, he's as
brave as lion.'
David, though Mortified at the diabolical
plot he had heard, saw the necessity of dis
sembling in order to hear more of the tory's
plans, and find means, if possible, TO circum-
vent them. He arose, therefore, and shook
the Majors hand warmly pledged him i'm
mediately in bumper, and so contrived TO
make the loyalist believe that he was anxious
to join troop. and take part against the reb-
els. This induced the Major 10 be unusually
cruit himself. 1t was not long before a bar
gain was concluded between the two. David
refused, however, to sign the agreement that
night. He pretended that several others of
his friends were dissatisfied, and desrous OF
joining the royalists and his object, he said,
was to secure commission for himself by in
ducing them to join. This tempting bait
took the ma or promised command in his
troop in case of success, and David signifed
his intention of setting forth after he had
taken few hours rest, in order to lose no
time in gathering together his recruits.
The dread of discovery had been constantly
before our hero during the arrangement of his
negotiation, for his person was well known to
many of the Majors troops; and if any of
them had come up, his feigned name would
not protect him from detection. He wished to
get off that night, as he proposed, but to this
neither his host nor the Major would hear, and
he was forced to remain till morning. What
was his anguish to hear that the Major had
been gone some hours, and was already on
his way to the Bunkers with his troops. Dis
sembling his anxiety, David partook of hasty
breakfast, and, mounting his horse, rode slow
ly away. But when out of sight of the house,
he struck into fierce gallop. which continued
till he came in sight of cross road, where
was tavern. Here he stopped, and learning
that the royalists had taken the high road, he
turned into a more narrow circuitous by-road.
1t is my only chance to avoid them,' he
said, again dashing into gallop. 8 pray
God may reach the settlement in time to col
lect few of our lads, and march to the Bun
kers. There is no other hope now left
Night had fallen in, as they had expected,
before the tories were able to reach the vicin-
ity of the house they were in search of. At
length, however, after silent march through
the woods, it broke upon their view. A light
was burning in one Of the windows, and when
they arrived close to the premises, the lively
notes of violin reached their ears, proving
that the brothers were not aware of their
presence, but were enjoying themselves in
imagined security.
Nov, men, whispered the leader of the
tories,.' when give the word, fire volley at
the house by way of introduction we will
then surround the house and enter it,
At that instant the deep bay of dog rang on
their ears, and large mastiff sprang from un-
der the house and rushed at the Major.
Fire = he cried.
Twenty guns broke upon the stiffness of the
night-the dog fell dead-every pane of glass
in the windows was shivered, and the tories
yelled like sayages. In an instant the lights
in the house were extinguished-the violin as
quickly ceased, and noise was heard at the
door. The tories Immediately made rush at
it. But it was already barred, and being
made of stout oak plank, resisted all their ef-
forts. A ~riAe cracked from one of the win
dows, and one of the tories fell, desperately
wounded. Another report succeeded, and
another tory fell. Major Wilson was now
fully aware that both Bunkers were at home
and wide awake. A shed turned the rain from
the front of the house, and beneath this the
tories, shielded from the fire of the Bunkers,
went to work at the door. Suspecting some
resistance,-perhaps from his knowledge of
their character,-one of his men brought an
axe, with which he commenced hewing at the
door, and soon cut it into pieces. Here des-
perate battle ensued. The brothers were pow
erful men, and courageous as they were strong !;
and now with clubbed rifles they disputed the
whole tory force. The door being small, they
stood their ground for half an hour, telling
during that time, some of those who had the
temerity 10 enter first, but finally numbers
al IL a Al