Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-04-30

we may have the pleasure of hangin' 'em! >"
shouted Vantassle. r j. . 10 -
A single rifle shot rang sharp and deadly
through the air. A Tory, who was pressing
hard upon Hutter threw up his arms and fell
dead at the feet of his comrades
'Hounds of hell !" cried thunderous
voice. "You love blood, and slaughter, and
carnage you shall have it ~
An athletic man, with black patch over
his left eye, rifle at his back, pistol in each
hand, and large sabre swinging at his side,
appeared in the midst of the Tories as if he
had suddenly fallen from the clouds
He fired his pistols and unsheathed his sa-
bre. t
''Tremble, miscreants, for One-eyed Saul is
among you!"
The sabre flashed like lightning around the
strangers head. The tones of his voice, the
ferceness of his countenance, and the fatality
of his arm, struck terror and CONSERVATION to
the hearts of the Tory renegades. The sur
vivors turned and fled for life.
"Cowards wretohes come back and I
will meet you single handed p
One-eyed Saul looked wildly around and
laughed mockingly, then turning to Hutter
and his painting and bleeding companions, and
pointing in the direction the girls had fed, ex-
claimed: ..'
'sWhy do you stand here! After them
after them, for they need your help. There
are shrlekS, yonder; away-away 1t is
Saul, of Laurel Swamp, that commands you.
l have work to do, work to do; must go this
way and that way, and there is no rest for
my head this night"
With these words, rapidly and vehemently
uttered, One-eyed Saul strobe away, and in
an instant was lost to view.
CHAPER Nv.
IN THE SWAMP.
Casting anxious looks behind them, the fair
fugitiveS saw the flames of their burning
homes, and groups Of men struggling in the
light of the red glare. 1t was mOurnful,
thrilling spectacle, and they hurrird on to cs-
cape it. Jupe, who had proved courageous
and active, encouraged them by precept and
example. Ruth Haviland, being a little behind
her companions, heard the footsteps of pur-
suers, and admonished her friends of the fact,
who needed no new stimulus to excite them
to the greatest effort of which they were ca
pable. They reached the Swamp and took
shelter in it like frightened birds The laurel
was well nigh impenetrable !; innumerable veg
etable arms were stretched out to oppose
them q net work of vines and branches dis
puted their passage. Their hands were lac
Grated by contact with continually projecting
points, and shreds Of their garments were left
upon brake and briar. Urging their way
along in the darkness and terrible intricacy,
they soon and unwllingly became separated,
swhile their attempts to find each other irfvolv-
ed them in new .abyrinths. Torn, bleeding,
fainting with fear and exhaustion, Jessie Burn
side sank upon the earth.
For time her physical and mental faculties
were in such whirl of a tempest, that the
consciousness of every thing around her SEEM
ed slipping away from her. There remained
with her only lleavy realization of something
fearful and shocking Atlength the chilliness
of the ground and the night air cooled her
fevered system and restored her coherency of
thought. She raised herself and supported
her head upon her hand. Her disheveled
tresses, her disorded garments, and her lacer-
ated person, reminded her of the ordeal thro'
which she had passed. There was lattice
work of vines around and above her. She
thought of the sudden change of her circum-
stances. When the sun went down last, she
had comfortable and beloved home now
| she had none, but was a hunted, prosecuted
fugitive, covering in darksome swamp, the
resort of wild beasts and lawless men. She
could not be so selfish as not to think of her
companions. Where were they She shud-
dered at the possibility of what might have
befallen them. A painful recollection in re-
gard to her brave defenders added unspeaka-
BILE to the distraction of her mind. Far of in
the depths of the swamp she heard the shrek
of the panther, the howl of the wolf, and the
dismal notes of the owl Frightful contrast
to the peace and security of Laurelwood -
Looking upward through the tenacious foliage
into the dim sky, she beheld black cloud of
smoke-all that remained of her fathers man.
sion, save few charred and smouldering
brands that still sent up mournful incense
from the family hearthstone. She wept, sor-
rowed, prayed-for it is upon God, at last,
that the tossed stricken, and disappointed
mind turns. The instincts and experience of
the whole human race prove beyond the sha-
dow of question, that He alone can confer
blessing and consolation upon the bereaved,
afflicted, and world-crushed soul Prayer to
Him made her calmer. A strange, balmy in
f1uence, unexpected and sweet, stole into her
being. She would not, she did not quite de-
spair.
There was a sound in the laurel hedges
She listened with every sense awake. Per-
SONS were working their way through the tan
gled masses in the direction of her covert
Their progress was slow and difficult She
heard muttered curses and imprecations.
Her fears were immeasurably increased, for
the voice of Martin Vantasle was so odious,
and made SO many disagreeable impressions
upon her memory, that she could not but rec
ognize its slightest tones. She shrank and
crouched to the mother earth for protection,
as the startled partridge hides itself beneath
bough or in the friendly brake, to escape
the hurtling shot of the hunter.
Discovery appeared inevitable, for the crack
ling of the limbs and the struggling and the
| ow-breathed curses came nearer and nearer
"Perdition seize these brambles - exclaim-
ed Vantassle. Zone can neither stand up
nor lay. down, go forward nor go back"
Jessie heard the speaker cast himself reck-
lessly upon the ground few yards from her.
The laurel bent and complained beneath his
weight, communicating wave of motion to
the vine around her. A volley of oaths fol-
lowed the remark.
you're in bad temper, Cap'n," said an
other, who proved to be Simon Arrowsmith
"Who wouldn't be in bad temper to be
baffled in this way?" growled Vantasle.-
''Twice the gal seemed to be in my power to-
night, and twice have been defeated by that
unknown devil, One-eyed Saul of the swamp"
cts the gal-there's where the shoe pinch
es. The loss Of the silver plate is what trou-
bles me- Twas fools trick to set the hou sc
a fire and burn it up, arter all. There was
enough on us to take Laurelwood by storm,
and we ought to done it. I'd been content
with the booty, and them that preferred it.
might had the beauty, and welcome Women
are well enough to do the cookin' and house
work, but as for havin' one on 'em agin he,
will, l can't see no sense in it, though them
may have different views that please. Whoev.
er gets chance to look among the ashes
yonder first, III git richly paid for their trou
ble."
%s ns%t oa sppeu Who
the fiends name, is this One-eyed Saul, who
80 s;cb torror to o,,r fallars all along the San