The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-12-26
VOL. 1X.---N0. 431.

gate. A moment, and the belt and lock will
be burnt from IFS sockets; the passage will be
| free! Nov is the fiery moment of the old
mans trial. While his brave daughter loads,
he continues TO fire with that deadly aim; but
now, oh, horror! He falls, he falls with q
musket ball driven in his breast; the daugh-
ter's outstretched arms received the father, as
with the blood spouting from his wound, he
topples back from the window.
All, it is a sad and terrible pictured
That Old man, writhing there, on the oaken
flcor, the young daughter bending over him,
the light from the window streaming over her
face, over her fathers gray hairs, while the
ancient furniture Of the small chamber affords
dim back ground TO the scene
Now hark The sound of axes at the hall
door; shouts, hurrahs, curses!
ave have the old rebel at last!"
The old man raises his head at the sound;
makes an effortdl rise; clutches for a rifle and
then falls baeh.sD Jain, his eyes glaring, as the
fierce pain of tk..i wound quivers through his
heart.
Now watch the movements Of that daugh.
ter. Silently she loads rifle, silently she
rests its barrel against the head of the pow
der keg and then, placing her finger on the
trigger stands over her fathers form, while
the shouts of the enraged soldiers came
laundering from the stairs Yes, they have
broken the hall door into Fragments they are
in possession of the old block house, they are
rushing to that chamber, with murder in their
hearts and in their glaring eyes Had the old
man thousand lives, they we're not worth
iarthings purchase now. .I.a. ....
Still the girl; grown suddenly white as the
'kerchief round her neck; stands there, trem.
bling from head to foot, the rife in her hand,
its dark tube laid against the powder keg.
The door is burst open; look there! Stout
forms are in the doorway, with muskets In
their hands, grim faces stained with blood
glare in the room.
Now, us il her very soul was coined into
the words, that young girl, with her face pale
as ashes, her hazel eye glaring with deathly
light utters this short, yet meaning speech:
"Advance one step into this room, and |
will fire this rifle into The powder therew
No oath quvers from the lips of that Girl,
TO confirm her resolution, but there she
stands, alone with her wounded father, and
yet not soldier dare cross the threshold -
Embrued as they are in deeds of blood, there
is something terrible to the men in the
simple words Of that young girl, who stands
there, with the rifle laid against the powder
keg. .H-.. ...a -f
They stood as if spell bound, on the thres.
hold of that chamber!
AT last one bolder than the rest, a bravo,
whose face is half concealed in thick, red
beard, grasps his musket and levels it at the
young girls breast!
"Stand back, or by -, | will fire |"
Still the girl is firm; the bravo advances a
step, and then starts back The "click" of
that rifle falls with IN unpleasant emphasis
upon his ear
"Bess, ! am dying" gasps the old man,
family extending his arms. rHa hn, we foil.
ed tho Britishers Come, daughter, knee
here and say a prayer for mo, and let me feel
your warm breath upon my face, | am cold
o, dark and coldw
Look as those trehling accents fall from
the old mans tongue, those fingers unloose
their hold of the rihe-already the troops are
secure of one victim, ut east, a young and
beautiful girl; for affection for her father is
mastering the heroism of the moment--look!
she is to spring into his arms! But now she
sees her danger! Again she clutches the rife;
agaln-although her fathers dying accents
are in her ears-stands there, prepared 10
s'"'.'' '""s nouSo III iu'ns " siDble Iougn
hand assail that veteran form.
There are few brief terrible moments of
suspense. Then hurried sound far down
the nlansioh,thcn a contest on the stairs; then
the echo of rifle shot and the lght of rifle
blaze; then those rufiians in the doorway fall
crushed before the strong arms Of Continental
soldiers Then shrek quivers through the
room, and-that young girl-that Hero Wo-
man, with one bound, springs forward into
her brothers arms, and nestled there, while
her dead lather-his form yet warm--lies
with fixed eyeballs on the floor. .u
"THE OLDEST TlNnABITANT"-PeterN Nassau
a colord man, now resident of Woodstock,
w., has, it is stated, reached the extraordinary
age of l26 years, and is doubtless the oldest
man living in this country. His history has
been traced out by N. Haskell, ESQ.,, town