The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-01
A REVOLUTIONARY LEGEND.
BY GEORGE r.IprARD.

the day OF the battle, rs the noon -day sui
came shining through the clustered leaves
that two men met in deadly conflict, neau
rock that rose, like huge wreck of some
prlmeval world, at least one hundred feet
above the dark waters of the Wissahikon
The man with the dark brow, and the
darker grey eye, flushing with deadly light
with muscular form, clad in the blue hunt.
9ng frock Of the revolu:ion-is a Continen.
tai named Warner. His brother WAS mur.
dercd the other night at the massacre OF
Paoli. The other man with long black
hair dropping along his cadavcro,ls face, is
clad in the half military cuslomc of a tory
refugee. This is the murderer of the Paoli,
named Dabney.
They had met there in the woods by ac-
c'dent; and they fought, not with sword or
rifle, but with long and deadly hunting
knives; they 60 turning and twisting over
the green sward
At last the tory is down. down on the
turf with the knee of the continental upon
his breast-that upraiscd knife quivering
in the light-that eye flushing death into
his face
'tluarter, ! yicId!" gaSpcd the tory, as
the knee was pressed upon his breast, "sparc
me-l yicId!"
MY brother" said the patriot soldier in
that tone Of deadly hate, my brother cried
for quarter on the night Of P;.oli, and even
as he clung to your knees you stuck that
knife into his heart. Oh, will give you
the quarter of paoli ~
And rs his hand was raised for the blow
and his teeth were cinchcd in deadly hate
lie paused for a moment, and then pinioncd
the tory's arms, and with Il rapid stride
dragged him to the verge of the rock, and
Eeld him quivcring over the abyss.
Mercy" "gasped the tory, turning black
and ashy by turns rs the awful gulf yawned
below. "Mcrcy! | have Il wife, spare me..'
Then the continental, with his mustered
strength, gathered Tor the effort, shook the
murderer once more over the abyss, and
then ll,sscd the bitter sncer betwccen his
teeth:
"My brother had a wife aud two children.
The morning after the night Of the Paoli,
that wife WAS !, widow-tI,osc children or
phans! Wouldn't you like to 20 and beg
your life Of that widow and her children 81
The proposal made by the continental in
the mere mockcry of hate, was taken in Sc
rious earnest by the lorror-strickcn torv.-
lie begged 20 be taken to the widow and
her children to have the painful privilege Of
begging his life. After moment of Sc
rous thought the patriotic soldier consented.
lie bound the tory's arms yet tighter, and
placed him Oh the rock again, and then led
him up the woods. A quiet cottage, en-
bosomed among the trees, broke on their
eyes.
They entered the cottage. There, beside
the desolate bearthstonc, sat the widow and
her children. She sat there, a matronly
woman OF about thirty years, faded Jy care,
deep dark eye and black hair hanging
in a disheveIled manner about her shoul.
ders.
On one side was dark haired bow Of
some SIX years; OH the other little GIRL
one year younger, witt, light hair and blue
eyes. The Bble-an old and vcnera,cd
volume-lay open on the mothers knee.
And then the pale faced tory flung him.
self on his knees, confessed that he butcher
ed her husband on the night of PaoI, but
begged his life at her hand
''Spare Inc for the sake of my wife and
my child !"
He had expected that this pitiful moan
would touch the widows Heart; but not
one rclenting gleam softcned her pale face.
"Ihe Lord shall judge for J" she said
in cold, icy tone that froze the murderer's
heart. "Look the Bible lays open in my
lap; l will close that volume, and then
this boy shall open it, and place bis finger
at random upon a line, and by that YOU
shall live or dicr'
This was strange proposal made in good
faith of wild and dark superstitution of
the oiden time. For moment the torv
pale as ashes, was wrapt III thought. Then,
in !altering voice, he signifed his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the
mother prayed the Great Father to direct
the finger of her son. She closed the
book-she handed it to that boy whose
young cheek redeemed with !oathing as he
gazed upon his fathers murderer. lie took
the Bible, opened its holy pages at radon,
and placed his finger upon verse.
Then there was silence. The cont.
mental soldier, who had sworn to avepge his
brothers death, stood there with dilatrnp
eyes and-parted lips. The culprit kneelin;a
on the floor, with face like discolored clav.
felt his heart leap to his throat.
Then, in clear, bold voice, the widow
iead this line from the Old Testatament.-
1t Was short but terrible