The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-04-25
New Revolutionary Story. %
one-Eyed 9au13
OR THE rsH
Tory League of Seven.
BY DR. J. II. ROBINSON.
Author of .NICK WHIFrLEs,s BUCK
BrsoN," HALF-WIrTED Nat, T,".MA- -
RIoN's BRIGADE "THE PIoSEERs
OF KENTUCKY" etc.
@ CHAPTER I.
THE LEAGUE OF THE SEVEN.
A TAEE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

1 L.. =
THE LEAGUE OF THE SEVEN. q.
Seven men, coming from different points,
urging their way with great difficulty
through almost impervious walls, interlaced
and opposing shrubbery, met at midnight,
beneath the spreading branches Of cypress
tree, at place called Laurel Swamp, South
Carolina, in the year Ill. They gathered
sticks and leaves and made FIRE. The
flames, springing up from the dry heap,
threw a red glare upon their faces. which
were scanned and dis6gured by the play of
bad passions. They were young men-the
Oldest not being more than thirty-five years
of age. As they stood in circle around the
fire, they resembled a group of vagabond
English Gipsies, fresh from the stocks or the
whipping-post. They were armed with sa-
bres, knives, pistols, and muskets. Their
faces were smutched with powder, their
boards and hair were long and neglected,
their garments torn by conflict and the
sharp teeth of the cypress hedges. The
names of these men were respectively as fol-
lows: Martin Vantassle, Nathaniel Herrick,
Phillip Langford, Simon Arrowsmith,
John Nicolson, james Pollard and Timothy
Becker. ee~ , -
low, was the leader Of these fierce and in
tractable spirits. Unsheathing his heavy
sabre, and planting its point in the ground
between his feet, he addressed his compan-
IONS
"Men," he said, in hard, harsh voice,
that harmonized well with his general pres
tige, "weye met here tonight to bind our
selves together, in perpetual fellowship, by
! solemn oath and mutual agreement. Every
mans hand is agin us--leastwise in these
parts-and ours, in turn, is agin every man.
We've sworn allegiance to his gracious
Majesty, the King Of Great Britain and the
right ruler Of these colonies, have touched
his money, and will do his work." .sa
at isn't the King care 30 much about"
muttered Nat Herrick, but the utter de-
struction and extarmination of the Wings
South Carliny is already more'n half con-
quered. The rebel cause is rapidly CROWN
| weaker, and we'll soon sweep 'em away like
chat. It'll be strange if Nat Herrick, don't
have his share of the plunder." t.
There was an applauding murmur around
| the grim circle.
81 was comm to that subject" added
| Vantassle, impatiently. - reckon know
the merits of the Case, and understand the
natur' of your feelin's, my lads. We never
seed the King of England, any of us; and
| if we should its agin reason to s'pose that
! he'd speak to US and to tell the truth, we
care little about him. / love Martin Van
tassle better nor do any king in the world.
| fight the Wings because their side is the
weakest, and | hate 'em and there's pros
I Of IN ~ -
we've driven EN- ont, which will be soon,
cordin to present appearances we'll be mas
ters of the country ourselves Well have
houses and lands, and niggers to wait on
us"
"That's the kind o talk like to hear, "
said Jim Pollard
"Its kind Of talk, too, thatll prove
| prophetic" rejoined Vantassle
/ " 1t would, if we could keep Marion and
Sumpter still" interposed Langford.
"The Swamp Fox will soon be still
1 enough, warrant ye! Colonel Tarleton ID
on his track, and hell trap him afore he's
a week older. However, that's neither here
nor there; let them fight for glory who
will-our motto is Booty and Beeuty.'"
ave knew who your beanty is" said 81
mon Arrowsmith with leer; {" il is Jessie
Burnside" .-.
! "And he shall have her, twol said Her
rick, with an oath. a-a a.
Thank'ee Nat Herrick; and if you
don't succeed with Ruth Hayiand, it'll be
no fault of mine"
"And will nobody speaks word for me :? "
asked Langford. . -f-s-.. 80 ~
"A hundred, if you likel" cried Pollard
though to me it appears like the greatest
nonsense to be runnln arter women when
there's so much real fightin' to be done. M
! mistress is a bloody one, and I find her
wherever there is Whig TO hang, till to
rife, or house to burn. Howsomdever, i:
you like Judith Burnside, it's none o. my
business, and reckon none on us II stand
in your way. She's very handsome, and
proud as she is handsome; and if you win
her at all, it'll be by foul and not by fail
means don't want to be hard on We, Phi
Langford, but I'm sure You can't do much
in the way of what folks call honest court.
ship But don't be down-hearted, lad, fol-
we're bound to aid each other under all cir.
cumstances, and in all cases"
Martin Vantassle drew his sabre from the
earth, and thrusting it forward, held it ovel
the blazing fire; the blade was dinted and
\ SStfobCo WIN oci"hSS, ouo tuCte "CiO tCt
stains upon il. The other six unsheathed
theirs and crossed them upon his when hs
dictated terrible and impious compact
which they ssverally repeated. 1t was toe
profane and shocking to be put verbatim
upon paper. They pledged themselves t
mutual brotherhood and crime to extermi
nate the struggling and hunted Wings; t.
give no quarter to the captured foe to pur
sue the flying fugitive with remorselsss fury
to commit every enormity upon the defense
less parties; to rob, to burn, to outrage help
less innocence.
When this unnatural and fearful compac
had been made, Vantassle turned to Herricl
and asked r rt
"What names have you broughtT =.
Herrick drew soiled paper from hi
pocket, and bending toward the fire, reat
the following names --rz rl o
"Paul Hazelhurst, Frank Hayiland, Ton
Hutter, Podijah Makepeace, Gideon Grant
Blinko, a nigger, and One-eyed Saul o
( Laurel Swamp" -,.
3" Men," said Vantassle, these men ar
for the sword We are to hunt them dow,
and kill them. By virtue of my authority
. and by the oath which you have sworn,
: 1. - <x, . -