Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-07-14
THE BLACKSMITH'S 'PRENTICE..-A TALE
OF THE REVOLUTION,
BY JOHN COOPER VAIL,
CHAPTER II.
[C0neludedl

The night was very dark, the flakes Of snow
were falling fast over the already whitened
ground, but the old sorrel was perfectly ac.
quainted with every inch Of the ground, and,
as if prompted by an instinct that no was on
| business that admitted of no delay, il needed
but little urging on the psIt OF Malachi to make
him stretch his neck through the village OF
Brunwibk like greyhound.
Occasionally his rider would rein up and
pause to listen, as il could hear the Gathering
of hoOfs in the distance, and when he could hear
no sound but the moaning Of the wind as il
whistird through the forest trees he wonld-
shout ga lang you Glitter, the game is ahead
somewhere" and the horse would resume bic
old pace.
But this perseverance, was not to 90 long
unrewardcd, for he had scarcely put the village
ut Brunswick five miles behind him, when he
deserted the object of his search a short dis
tance ahead, and travelling at such gait as con
ylnced him that Ensign Spencer had little to
thank Malachi Doulittle Tor his handicraft As
| the matter stood IL was no great feat Tor the
sorTel or apprentice to rein up by the side Of
the officer in the space Ofa few moments
IL was too dark for Spencer to recognize his
new acquaintance of the smthery.
"Fine evening, Squire, said Malachi, sleigh
ing will be FIRST rate 10 morrow, if II continues
to come down this way
n here we don't agree, friend, said Spen
GER placing his hand by way Of preoaution,
upon Que of his pistols, "lUr the night, to my
mind is a cursed dark and stormy one"
well, tis something dark, thats fact was
Maachi's response, "ior u man that's got con.
siderable distance TO ride. Got fine horse;
ean't see for s1rtln Critter goes kinder lame,
don't he I"
"Yes, thanks to a bungling fellow that shOd
him about two hours ago, shall not be able to
reach my destination by day light"
Rather guess you won't, squire, at the rate
you are travelling now. Trenton is long way
of yet, and it is a rough road TO travel Now,
squire, seein' it's you, l wouldn't mind swap.
ping horses. Old sOrrsl is sure footed, and
only ten yeaTs old, come next grass though
should require little boot under tue circum-
stanees-nOt Continental, but in hard Spanish,
and"
Hold ON friend, for heavens sake have
no wish TO trade horses at any rate, and your
loquacily is perfectly Overwhelming. have
but one question to ask, and you can act your
own pleasure in answering it. Who gavethe
information that was travelling to Trenton =
jest as slick as grease, squire. You are on
our side God save King George and down
with the rebels am Malachi Dooittle, Jonss
Huttons apprentices boy, who shod your cIitter
this very night and il appears i was so con
founded dark in the shop, that | made pesky
Job OF it,
'Pesky Job, indeed, SAID Spencer. Why,
my horse is going dead lame, and must bo in
Trenton by tomorrow morning --my business
is Of the most vital Importance
Could | not do the business for your said
Malachi You can 90 back to Squire Hutton s
while | viii carry the dispatches you bear
about you 10 the British camp
No, said Spencer, with laugh that would
hardly do. A British officer placing important
dispatches in the hands OF blacksmith's ap
prentice, il altogether out of the question
BY Judas, I've got il = exclaimed Malachi,
as il struck by II sudden thought; We will
swap horses for the present I'll take your
crtteT back to Hutton's and doctor him till you
call for him, and lend you old sorrel-he's just
as fresh now as when lie left the stable, and
can keep the same gait (or four and twenty
} hours TO come
Ensign Spencer was delighted with the prop
ositiOu, aud halting at favorable place, they
both dismounted 10 make the exchange. But
no sooner had the officers feet touched the
ground, than ho found himself in the close EN-
brace Of Malachi.
Now, Squire, he exclaimed, before it omel
TO worse tussel I'll trouble you to fork ove
] them papers
G why, what do you mean, you plebeiaI
hound, said Spencer, by insulting an officer o
King GeoTgel' struggling TO free himself ifon
: the IRON grasp OF the blacksmith'a apprentice
: Mean Just what say, you gaul darned can
tankeTOus tory yannint Hurrah for George
Washington and the Continental Congress
, Kiss Mary again, will you Well, I'm not 60
ing TO be cruel but ii you don't fork over then
papers in jify, by the sEtsenth chapter o
= Revelations Ill make mince meat OF you -
] will, by Judas =
D Bbo1T throttle me T. exclaimed Spencer, liol
4 Malachila grip at his throat had been Tightening
( every instantly and they are yours
Don't ysu attempt 10 come any OF YOU
rames you tory varmint | can out run out
jump or out twrestle anything in our diggini
D and
Q Such 10 not my intention. There arc th,
, papers, much good may they do you, And
a now be kind enough to release my collar
wait bit, squire--sO lao, soETel--must maxi
all right; and at the same moment, he let q
= of Spencer, he leaped into the saddle. "GoO'
. night, 'aquire, aud pleasant dreams
Spencer instantly al ned one OF his pist ]
a black al Malachi, but il missed fire. III
dashed il 10 the ground with & ourse, and level
:, ed the other-The trigger clicked, but thor
vas no discharge
'IIa, ha, ha, laughed Malachi. You'll 6n
the pIiniin' acatieTed round Jonaa hpttnn'
p kitchen floor, where left Il. Ya-hip, gR lang
J. sorrel. Three cheers fn George WashingtO
and the Continental Congress
r, $50 Ir.ll TRIO gInfryt
a cHAPTER III.
"A The sun was not above an hour high when
tall, slab sided Yankee mounted on bon