The Kanzas news., 1858-07-24
Aud now be Kind enough to release my col

Ano now pe Emo enough 70 release my col
lar''
Waita bit. 'sqaire--so ho. sorrel-must
make all right" and. at the same moment.
he let go of Spencer, he ieaped into the
saddle. Good night, squire, and pleasant
dreams"
Spencer instantly aimed one of his pis-
tolls point blank at Malachi, but it missed
FIRE. He dashed it to the ground with a
curse, and levelled the other-the trigger
clicked, but there was no discharge.
..Ha, ha. ha, !" laughed Malachi. you'll
find the primin' scattered round Jonas Hut
tons kitchen floor, where left it. Ya-hip,
ga-lang, sorrel. Three cheers for George
Washington and the Continental Congress. ;"
CHAPTER III.
The sun was not above an hour high
when tall, slab-sided Yankee, mounted on
q bony horse, rode up to the American lines,
where be was hailed by the sentries, and
to whom he made known that he had some
5 thing of the most vital importance to COM
municte to the General. His inyincible
pertinacity finally procured him the covet-
I ed audience with the Commander-:n-c chief
of the American forces, and tall Malachi
placed the documents he had procure
with so much trouble, in his hands, Wash
ington saw at glance that, had the plans
they divulged been carried out, the Ameri-
can army would have been placed in great
peril, if not utterly annihilated. Of his
masters share in the transaction Malachi
Doolittle said nothing, for he was too much
in love with Mary to betray her father, but
all other questions he answered with a
promptness that proved he had large share
of good sense to make up for his uncouth
appearance.
land you wish to serve in the army
said Washington, kindly.
''Such is my intention, your Exeellency.
if you think my service worthy of regard"
1--WE are always glad to receive such
good recruits In the cause of freedom as
thou ART. The service thou hast rendered
is great one to the American cause
Captain Doolittle, allow me to congratulate
you for such is the commission you hold
henceforth in the continental army"
The heart of the new made officer WIS
too full to express his thanks; but he re-
solved to prove by deeds, and not by words.
that he was worthy of Washington's con-
sideration. The Commanderin-chiefs saw
that some immediate steps must be taken to
save hiladelphia-which, as he learnt by
the dispatches brought by Doolittle, the en-
emy were determined to possess-and to
arouse the spirit of the nation, that had
now sunk to the depths of despondency.-
He resolved to anticipate the British, and
crossed the frozen Delaware on the night
bof the 26th of December, where he learnt
that large body of Hessians were encamp-
ed. He followed up his plan with eminent
success; for the attack being wholly unex-
pected, more than nine hundred of the en-
emy were taken prisoners of war. He re-
crossed the river again, and, though his
shadow of an army was weary and exhaust
ed, he determined to make an attack on the
British forces at Princeton. Here he had
the good fortune to kill sixty, and take three
hundred prisoners. This good fortune
served to dispel the gloom that had settled
over the American cause.
/ It is an undoubted fact, that Malachi
Doolittle held Colonel's commission in the
army before the close of the war, which
took place when Great Britain acknowledg-
ed the independence of the United States,
November 3Oth, 1889.
On the banks of the river Raritan, some
ten years after the incidents detailed in our
story, there stood fine house, built in the
style of the Elizabethan period-the resi-
ldence of Col. Doolittle and family, who
was now one of the wealthiest farmers in
the whole county. He was one of the
most hospitable of men, and neither friend
nor stranger could pass his door without
being asked to take mug of the Colonel's
good cider; or if it happened to be about
tea time, a cup of tea and slice of short
cake, made by the fair hands of his wife
Molly. There was an old man, too. who
sat in the cosiest place by the freside. who.
for long time after the close of the war,
would advocate the cause of the King and
talk about having somebody arrested for
stealing a sorrel horse-at which his daugh-
ter would wink slvly to her husband-but
he finally came to the conclusion, as peace
and plenty crowned the land of freedom,
that George Washington was not so much
of rebel after all.
There was an old lady. too. who appear
ed to never grow tired of praising her SON
in-law; and little boy, the very image of
his mother. who at the close of many a
summers day, would climb upon his faith
ers knee, and say, with tone of earnest
entreaty,
Now, pa, do tell me all about Ensign
Spencer, and General Washington and the
Hessians, and how you hooked grandpa's s
horse and listed for soldier
Willingly. my son. the colonel would
reply, '.but have related the story so often,
l should think you knew it by heart -
Yet Col. Doolittle, for the especial benefit
of his son and heir. often related the story
over and over again.
Such is one of the many incidents con-
nected with the dark hours of the Reyolu-
ton. Though purchased with the blood OF
thousands, it left the legacy of freedom to
mankind, and few in those ''times which
tried mems souls acquired greater fame IN
the American cause, than Malachi Doolittie,
the "blacksmith's s apprentice"
i Blackberry Wine.
III. q H.. .EI.c,n-