Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-23
CHAPTER /.
THE LEAGUE OF THE SEVEN


Seven men, coming from different points
urging their way with great difficulty through
almost imperyious walls inter laced and OPP
posing shTubbeIy, met at midnight beneath
the spreading branches Of cypress tree. at
place called Laurel Swamp, in South Carroll
ma in the year Ut. They gathered sticks
and leaves and made fire. The flames. spring
ing up from the dry heap, threw red glare
upnn their faces, which were scanned and dis
fgur,d 10y the play Of bad passions. They
Were young mcn-the oldest not being more
than thirty-fve years Of age. As they stood
in circle around the fire. they rrs'mblcd
group Of vagabond English gipscs, :rc-h from
the stocks or the Whipling-po~t. They were
armed with eabres, knives. pi-tols and mus
krts. Their fic"s were smutched with pow
der, their beardS aud hair long and ncgi ctrd,
their gitr.ucus- torn by conflict with The sharp
teeth uI the cypress hedges. Tie names oil
thcs mon were rep ciiv"ly ~ f lows Mar
tin Vantas-le, Naranil ii rr, k, Ph Up
Langf ri. Simon Arrow-with. John NicolsOh.
Jam Pollard and Timothy ker.
Vantass!c. a tall. athletic. iil-visagod f-I-
low. was the leader OF IheSe fierce and in-
tractable spirits. Unshcalhing his heavy sa-
bre and planting it, point in the ground bc
tween hi tct he addr' - his companions:
Men" h, said, in "A hatd. harsh voice, at
harmon d well with his general prestige,
..wr'vr met a. r Tonight to bind ours, Ives to-
geth,r in perpetual fellowship by solemn
oath and mutual agr'cm MT. Every man
hand j. anin us lcastwi>e, in these paris
AID ours. in turn. j. agiu every man. We've
sworn allegiance to his gracious Mai sty, the
King Of Great Britain aud rightful ruler of
these. coluni.- touched his money, and VIII
do his work"
1T isn't the king / care about" muttcrcd
Nat Hrrrick. but the uttcr destruction and
extarmination OF th" Wings South Car liny
is already morc'n half conquered The rebel
cause i rapidly growin' weaker. aud weIl
soon sweep en- away Ike chaf. It'll be
strang,. il Nat H,rrick dou't have his share
of the plundrr"
There was an applaudlng murmur around
the grim circle.
Il was comm to that subject added Van
ta-slc, imuatcnily. Il reckon | know the
merits of the case, and understand the natur'
OF your f., lin's, my lads. We never seed the
Kiug uf England, any of us; and II we should,
i sagiL reason to s'po-c that he'd speak to
us: and L. tell tie Truth, We care little about
him. love Martin Vanta>ele better nor do
anv king ia the world. / fight the Wings be-
cause their side il the weakest, and hate 'cm;
aud thrrc's prospect OF maxim somethln by
it, When we've riven 'em out, which will
be soon. cord II to present appearances, wei
be matters % the country ourselves. Wen
have houses and lands, aud niggcrs TO walt
us
That's the kind o. talk like to hear,'
said Jim Pollard.
IL kind of talk, too, that III prove pro-
ph,tc,' r,jOincd NauIassle.
1T would. II We could keep Marion and
Sampler still. q" intcrpusCd Laugftrd.
The Swamp Fox will soon be still enough
I'll warrant yet Colonel Tarleton is on hi
track, and he'll trap him atore he's a week
Older. However, that's neither here nol
there: let them fight for glory who will-ouI
motto is Booty and BeaUy.'"
I'VE know who your auty il" said Simon
Arrowsmth, with leer, Iii is Jessie Burn
side
IA d he shall have her. said Herrick
with an oath.
..Thank'e Nat Hcrrick; and if you dom
succ eel with Ruth lIaViand, it'll be no laul
of mine"
And will nobody speak word for me ?
asked LanHord.
"A hundred, if you Ike cried Pollard
Though To me il appears like the ~ atcs
nonsense To he runnin' arter women whcI
there's su much /, al ishtin' to be done. W,
mistress is IL bloody one. and lind her whcr
ever there IS Il Wing to hang, a ill to rifle
or house to burn. HUw~umdcNer, II yuI
like Judith Burnside, lis none o my business
md | reckon none of us Ill sand in you
WY. She's very handsome. aud proud as h'
is handsome and if you win hrr at all, ia
be bv foul aud not by fair means. ! dom
want To- he hard on -, Phil Langiord II
I'm sure you can't d" much IN tn way o
what folk~ call huncst cOurtship. Bat d
b, duwn-hrartcd, lad. for were bonnd To "a
each oth,r under all circumstances, aud II
all cases
Martin Vantas>lc drew his sabre from tn
earth. and TRUSTING it forward, held IT owe
the blazing ire; the blade was dint an'
scrrated with ice, aud there wee r''
stains upon IT.. The other six unshcathe,
theirs aud crossed lh,m upon his, when h
dictated IA terrible and impiuUs compact whc
they seyCrtliy Iep,Ltod. 1t was too pIoiHn
aud shocking To be pat verbatim: upon paper
They pledged themselves 10 mutual trHhvT
hood and crime; To ,Xtrrminatc the strug
Cling and hunted Whigs; To give no quartz
t. the captur,d Zoe; To pursue the hyidg q
tive with rvmurscirss fury; To commit ever,
euormity upon the dcieucrl"ss patriots; L
rub, to burn, 10 Outrage helpless inu"cehcc.
Wuen this fearful aud unnatural compac
had been made, Nantasslc turned In HcIrlc
and asked
What names have you brought"
H,rrirk dire " a Soil d paper from bis wall
coat pc, kct. aud b"ud.ng toward The tire, re"
the follow ing names
Paul HazelLuIst, Frank Hayilaud, TOI
HulItr, P,d,jah NJ. p. ace, Gideon Gran
Bliuko. "A uiggvr, aud Ons-cyed saul, OF Lat
raj Swamp.
Man" said Vantassle, "thcst are for ii
sword! We ar To hunt th IN down and h.
them. By virtue of my authority and by th
cath which you have sworn, command yu
To pursue the persons whose narnrs you has
heard, night aud day. till you have swell
them out of existence ~
.-There are seven OF them and seven OF L
"a man Tor each - said Herrick.
Let us q. tefniine our respective men D
lot" suggested LangiOId.
..The Id a il good. aud by lot the matte
shall be decided added Vantassle.
This suggestion Was eagerly received; !
novelty made IL welcome. Tie names OF Il
t,.rties doomed to a, strueIiuu were white
upon s,ven slips OF paper, and drawn iro
Vantassle's cap by has associates HeIrie
drew the first ballot.
Frank Havilaud - he exclaimed.
The brother of Ruth - said Pollard, wit
a shrug, and looking inquirlngiy al his COZ
Tade.
Tom Hutter = said Langford, DRAWN
and reading his ballot.
And |, Binko, the black, Faid Nicolso
"And 1, One-eyed SAUL cried Pollard
disInay.
.You've got something Ia do" langh'
Vaniassls. III yuu out~it Saul oil Lsu'
Swamp, you'll be The greatest man anon
us"
.'Pod;jah Makepeace. an Internal faLkee
declared Tim BE, ker. looking at his haiiot-
Simon Arrowsmith was the last To dTa'
He drew Gideon Grant, leaving Paul Haze
hurt for Vaniassie.
s.Its jusi us wish it, observed the latte
whle ecowl Of hatred gave additional M
lignanee TO bis expression.
.He has visited The Burnsides at Lanrs
wood" +, marked Langford. :.
..Is il Judith OF Jessis ~ ssked Pollard, vii
sneer. a,
III shaIl he neither!' thunder,d yantasst
casting fercs giances around him. Let
i,,in hands" he added, land swear that Nc vi