The Trinity journal., 1856-09-20

girl, Tor, slender IN form, ana Wildly Deautl-
fnl in face, she is brave girl, hero wo-
man-had managed, as if by instructive i'm
pulse, to load rifle. She handed it to her
father, and then loaded another and anoth-
er. Wasn't that beautiful sight A fair
young girl, grasping powder and ball, with
the ramrod rising and falling in her slender
fingers
Now look down the wall again The ref
ugees are clambering over its summit-agan
horrid cry, and another wounded man top
pling down upon his dead and dying COM
rades
But now look A smoke rises there, a
fire blazes up around the wall they have
fired the gate. A moment, and the bolt and
the lock will be burnt from its socketS-the
passage will be free ! Now is the fiery mo-
ment of the old mans trial While his brave
daughter loads, he continues to fire, with
that deadly aim, but now--oh, horror he
falls, with musket ball driven into his
breast The daughters outstretched arms
received the father, as with the blood spout
ing from his wound he topples back from the
window
All, it is q sad and terrible picture.
The old man writhng there on the oak
en- floor, 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 afford dim background to the
scene.
Now hark The sound Of axes at the
| hall door-shouts-hu -hurrahS-curses
we have the old rebel at last |"
The old man raises his head at that sound
makes an effort to rise clutches for rifle,
and he then falls again, his eyes glaring, as
the fierce pain of that sound quiyerS through
his heart.
Now watch the movements of that daugh-
ter. Silently she loads rifle, silently she
rests its barrel against the head Of that
powder keg, and then, placing her finger on
the trigger, stands over her fathers form,
while the shouts of the enraged soldiers
come laundering from the stairs. Yes,
| they have broken the hall door to fragments,
they are in possession of the old block-house,
they are rushing toward that chamber with
murder in their cold hearts, and in their
glaring eyes. Had the old man a thousand
lives, they were not worth farthing's pur-
chase now
Still that girl, grown suddenly white as
the kerchief round her neck-stands there,
trembling from head to foot, the rife in her
hand, its dark tube laid against the powder
kcg.
The door is burst open-look there =
Stout and robust forms are in the doorway,
with muskets in their hands, grim faces
stained with blood, glare into the chamber
Now, as if her soul was coined into the
words, that young girl, with her face pale as
ashes, her hazel eye cleaning with death
ly light, utters, this short yet meaning
speech:
Advance one step into the room, and |
will fire this rifle into the powder there !"
No oath quiyers from the lips of that
girl, to confirm her resolution, but there she
stands alone with her wounded father, and
yet not a soldier dare cross the threshold |!
Imbued as they are in deeds of blood there
is something terrible to these men i'll the
simple words Of that young girl, who stands
there with the rifle laid against the kcg of
powder.
They stood as if spell-bound, on the
threshold of that chamber.
IL u,
whose face is half concealed in thick
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
few steps, and then starts back The
sharp &C click" of that rifle falls with an un-
pleasant emphasis upon his ear.
Bess, am dying" gasps the old man.
family, extending his arms. "He, ha, we
foil the bloody Britishers Come, daugh-
ter, kneel here kneel and say prayer for
me and let me feel your warm breath upon
my face, for | am cold-O, dark and cold ?"
Look AS those trembling accents fall
from the old mans tongue, those fingers I'M
loose their hold of the rifle already the
troopers arc secure of one victim, at least, a
young and beautiful girl for affection for
the father is mastering the heroism of the
moment. Look She is. about to spring
into his arms But now she sees her dan
ger. Again she clutches the rifle ; again,
although her fathers dying accents are in
her ears, stands there, prepared to scatter
the house in ruins, If single rough hand
assail that veteran form.
There are a few brief terrible moments
Of suspense. Then hurried sound far down
the mansion-then a contest on the stairs :;
then the echo of rifle shot and the light Of
rifle blaze then those rullians in the door
way fall crushed before the strong arms of
Continental soldiers. Then a wild Shrek
qnivers through the room, and that young
girl-that Hero Woman-with one bound
springs forward into her brothers arms, and
nestles there while her dead father his form
yet warm, lays with fixed eye-balls upon
the floor
STAGES TO JAcKsoNvIME.-O Monday,
Sept. lst, the California Stage Company
started their first stage from Yrekat to Jack