White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-06-24
dy in the neisAhprhoOd. with a number


of active and addacious followers"
ION my soul, Dora" exclaimed Nj.
chael, with an animated gesture, "this
! will be noble news for my commander.
But had the rascally tories no fear that
, Marion would hear Of their gathering,
and be an unbidden gnest 2"
i Indeed they do not,v, replied she.-
"Nor do they dream Of danger now.
Marion is believed tdsbe far distant, and
too feeble. even IL aware of their purpose.
to venture abroad to oppose them"
4 On my soul they are fools as well as
cravens!" muttered Michael, disdainful-
| ly. "No longer since than morning, /
left my brave general with two hundred
as gallant soldiers as ever fought under
the banner of freedom. Conyers, painting
for the fight, is in the camp with full
troop. and we are ready at word to rush
down upon the enemy like thunderbolt,
But am astonished beyond measure that
our scouts, ever wont to be prompt and
i vigilant, failed to gather and transmit to
Marion intelligence of this gathering"
| Perhaps they may have been among
those good and reliable wings who were
captured and sent off under guard to
Camden" answered Dora. "Before a
word was whispered abroad of the inten-
ded gathering, every man even suspected
of being friendly to his country was at
once sent off to prison"
"If all have indeed fallen into the
power of the tories, there Is an epauletted
traitor in our camp" answered Michael
sternlyj Marion has scouts abroad that
you would scarcely dream of, and such
rs the tories could never suspect, unless
they arc betrayed. None but his officers
are permitted to know the names of his
scouts, and they are only trusted with the
secret, when the good of the public SER
vice requires 1t. 1 must know what fate
has befallen his scouts, and to do so, /
must trust you with their names, which
otherwise not even torture could wiring
. from my lips. j trust you, bnt let the
silence of the grave forever after rest on
their names"
"Speak on, Michael" answered the
maiden, al would die sooner than betray
them"
Michael drew yet nearer to her, and
sinking his voice to a whisper, as though
he feared the walls had ears, spoke slowly
and solemnly-
Richbourg, Jamison, Ames-can you
tell me aught of them they are our
scouts, loyal and trusted. God grant they
may be safe l''.
mo wonder that you failed to hear
from them," replied Dora. "Jamison
and Ames have been sent in irons to
Camden but poor Richbourg preferred
a better fate. He died at his own door,
battling like lion with those who were
sent to arrest him."
"May he rest in peace" responded
Michael solemnly che was brave SOL
der, and an honest man. But we have
one scout yet left, a brave and loyal old
man, as true as steel to the cause of his
adopted country. Whad bad tidings have
You to tell me of old Archy Kerr"
"Old Archy Kerr ?" asked Dora,
with a start of surprise that taciturn,
moody and selfish old man, whom no
wing will trust, and whom, tory as he is,
even his own party avoid and dislike ,
You Jest. Michael, indeed you but jest
in speaking thus of that misanthropic re-
cluSe."
"On my word l do not" responded
her lover gravely. "Oli Archy Kerr,
for reasons that do honor to his heart.
has been content to endure the illwill and
contempt of those whose devotion to their
country does not even equal his own. Too
proud, indeed too much of christian,
to practice imposition or deceit, even for
the promotion of righteous cause, he
would sooner tear his tongue from his
throat than suffer it to belle his convic-
tons. Thus his honesty has kept him
aloof from the tories, though reputed as
such himself. And he will not consort
with our own party, lest he may draw
the suspicion of the royalist party upon
himself, and thus diminish his opportu-
nifty of rendering assistance to Marion.
The leading wings or the district have a
hundred times denounced him to Marion
as one we'll worthy of the halter, but our
general has only smiled in the quiet way
peculiar to him, and talked of modera-
ton and lenity to our enemies. oh !
believe me, one of the noblest hearts that
ever beat, one the most stern and unyield.
ing in its integrity, throbs under the
coarse ierkin of that devoted patriot
Tell me, Dora, has he too fallen into the
power of the tory party 90
"No, Michael, no ]" answered She
" Archy Kerr is so thoroughly detested
BY the wings, that he would be the last
man the tories would suspect. Three
weeks since he was taken down by fe-
yer, and now lies dangerously sick, and
so unpopular is his name, that believe
nay, NON I fear-he is left to die al
most companionless."
"God forbid" CALCULATED Michael
feryently che is too firm friend to his
country to merit such fate. Were it not
that what you have told me renders it
necessary that / should return to the
camp without the loss Of an hour, I would
even hasten to his bedside this night. ]
coniure you, by all you hold sacred, suffer
not that noble servant of his country to
feel that he is neglected visit him your
self: tell him that like himself you live
but for your country. He is the friend,
the confidant and the scout of Marion,
and never does our general change his
| ..-... ,.;.ho,,t 5;rartlxv infornaincy K arr nv