Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-04

WI the hail gang upon YEP"
81 would call on my friend McDermot, if
need be, to help defend the weak against the
Isstrong the innocent against the guilty. And
] am sure should not call in vain
"Ah Clovis, the banes O. my ain pody
might as weel be brak as yours amaist, but what
suld we twa do at sting and ling wi a. the
Snaggers?
What should we two do? Setting aside
Pellet and Rolph, l would pit the brother of
this girl against the stoutest of the Gang There
is nerOe in him, McDermot, and 6shting for his
SISTERS life, and what he, SUPP you'll call
ner honor; If cared iaucn III no ss6ould
hate to encounter him. have marked him
well, McDcrmot, and he is brawny as moose,
yet civil like gentleman
Weel, weel, Clovis, haze yer ain gate, as ye
gang, an ye be EN- redwud sac wull follow"
II thank you, my good McDermot, and this
is more than have said for many day, but l
| will give you before long better proof than
words"
till they reached Herbert and Alice. Clovis i'm
mediatey commenced preparations for their
journey by relieving the brother and sister of
whatever was cumbersome and dspensable.
McDermot, in the meantime, looked with sin
gular curiosity upon the strangers. The one
was well-formed young man of medium height
and admirable proportions, displaying strong
and elastic snews, with countenance that was
not only handsome and manly, but indicative of
+ shrewdness and courage. The otherwas a rath-
er tall, plump, rosy-cheeked girl, the very pic
ture of health and vigor. Her teeth were re-
markably white, and model for order and
her eyes were blue and mild as heavenly skies
In short, she was handsome most country
girls are so,-but Alice was very handsome, and
very like " beauty unadorned." She was clad
@ in '' modestapparel," and as she held her bon
net dangling in her hands, portions of the rich
dark brown " covering" which Paul said is a
glory to woman, laid in profuse and irregular
o masses about her neck.
McDermot saw at once how it was with Clo-
Wis; that he was Indifferent as to the life of
the brother Intent, if she were virtuous, on
the ruin of the girl. "Well," thought Nc
g Dermot, they are strangers to me what do
l care nothing. One portion of the world
e is made to prey upon the rest, and if this wolf
slay not the lamb another will"
Yet McDermot did care,-11Eor as he made
e her an awkward courtesy, and addressed to her
some complimentary words in his broad Scotch
e brogue, she rung out a wild, merry laugh on
t his account, and in doing so displayed such
: pretty mouth that, with its affdyof ivory keys,
f it seemed to him as he afterwa1d said '' to be
s just the fttest instrument in a the warld for
: the utterance of just sic like pure melody"
: "She is bonnie lassie ino otroth, Clovis"
said the Scot, whose heart had been touched by
r her sweet and artless manner, "and it wad be
: warse nor the de'ils wark an we suld TAX the
: puir BARNS to the Snaggers' Retreat
d "What mean you, McDermot? The Snag-
gers Retreat is just where they want to go.'
II "Aye, an they vince kenn'd the sort o folk,
an the sort o wark that's dune at the tryst,
d wad they gang that gate, dye trow, Clovis ?"
They say they would go there said the
r latter, " and that is sufficient for me'
= "We choose to 60 there because our business
would seem to require it; and because the at
o tainment of shelter for the approaching night
s. would seem to force us thither,n said Alice ad-
ID dressing the Scot, "and whatever may be the
character of the people there, or the work they
ID do, we believe we may trust with firm reliance
rt to you, and you, Cooking at os0yis,) for pro-
lection from insult and harm. May we not? "
she continued in faltering voice, as she bent
y, her deep blue eyes on Clovis with a look which
m seemed to say 0, don't deceive me ="
Clovis stood with his eyes bent down for,
n bold and reckless as he was, he dared not meet
% that innocent and searching gaze. His heart
t. was softening, as fear was diffusng itself over
r- hers.
" Oh may we not? =" she cried as if the
nj truth had suddenly flashed upon her mind, and
,v stepping forward she grasped Clovis arm with
10 in her own.
ii The Snagger looked up and saw. in the coun-
,e tenance of the artless girl prayer for pity more
N eloquent than thousand tongues. He looked
or at McDermot, and read in the face of the gen.
" erous Scot an answer equally plain.
(" In spite of all the devils on earth, you
h. may" said the erratic and imprisoned Clovis.
"Aye, and in spite O. a. the deils and deev-
III lis buckles in He'll twa, ye may, my Teddy "
r. said McDormot. eye hae the pledge o. twa
honest Snaggcrs, moo my hinny," he continued,
at "and ye need ma fear. And syne ha e nae
re BARNS O my ain, my guide wife, Judith, wull
be over glad to tax ye for her ain foster-chield
of and keep ye frae a. guile sac lang as ye choose
b. to bide at the tryst, and keep yourself meusefu
ss and pratty as ye moo appear to be-"
s- "We shall be greatly indebted to you,'' said
Herbert, 8" and -''
I'd Name at a., name at a." said McDermot,
of I" but we haze nae time to lose, sac let's be
t. ganging," and thereupon the party set forth.
i'd Under the guidance and promised protection
Ill of men whom our wandering children believed
he tobe competent and disposed toperform whatev-
Ye er they undertook the spirits Of Herbert and
ma Alice were materially revived, and they resum-
n ed and continued their journey with strong and
IN elastic steps and cheerful hearts.
IN The new hopes with which she was inspired
and the wild and attractive scenery which met
II, her eye, made Alice unusually loquacious and
ly her rosy cheeks and tho innocent prattle in
which she indulged, quite captiyated Clovis
en- with whom she walked little in advance O.