Smyrna times., 1859-04-21
Blinko! Blinko! Help

AT that moment she heard the report of a
rifle not far off.
did you hear that 2 asked the Tory, with a
triumph. 'lt was for Blinko, I'll be sworn!
left man on his track that can knock over a
dollar at hundred yards
'Spare mel Have we not been neighbors
Were we not friendly before this terrible war
Remember, entreat of you, that am poor,
trembling girl, with no protector.
81 shall have no trouble in remembering the
last, I'll warrant. | shouldn't trusted myself
here if you'd been surrounded by the cursed
rebels. Gone, gal, our home is in Laurel
Swamp
With quick, unexpected movement, Van
tOssle drew her to him. lifted her in his arms,
and moved toward the dark and tangled mass of
wood lying in the rear of the mansion at dis
lance OF hundred rods, and covering an area
of ten miles in circumference.
BY this time Ruth and Judith had missed her,
and came running to the spot as he was bearing
her away. They cried loudly for assistance,
while terror nearly deprived them of sense and
vOlItlon. At The moment when the catastrophe
seemed complete, tall man, with long rifle
in his hand, sprang from clump of shru6bery,
seized NantassIe by the throat, wrestcd Jessie
trom his grasp, and choking him till he Was
black IN the face, hurled him to the ground -
While Vantassle lay stunned upon the earth,
his vanquisher took his musket from his
nerved hand, discharged it into the air, and
broke the stock against the trunk OF u tree
lie then drew the pistols from the Tory's belt
and thrust them into his own, from which al.
ready protruded the butts of four. The blad,
Of VanlassIe's knife he snapped by thrusting it
into the cleft of a rock, but the heavy sabre he
buckIed to his side, leaving the rutEan entirely
unarmed
In, gals, in = cried the rescucr. Bar your
doors, and say your pra yers, for the Tory hounds
have scented blood, aud will not rest till they
have gorged themselves
The tall, wild looking man glanced at Jessie,
and Observing that she WAS FAINT, caught her up
as If she were an infant, and carried her to the
door. Placing her carefully within the thresh-
old, he repeated his startling warning, aud var
shed in the deepening shadows of night. lie
was gone before the young ladies had recovered
sufficiently from their dismuy to thank him.
While they gazed at each other in stupor
of wonder, a man leapcd a fence high at the
right, and crossing the intervening ground,
stood before them painting and covered with
perspraliOD. 1t was Tom llutter, the partisan
aud scout, who was known to the neighborlng
loyallsts a slaunch and answering patriot
and brave man, shrinking from no danger,
and stunning none of the responsibilities of the
part he had chosen.
Tom II1lter,' exclaimed Judith and Ruth,
simultaneously, what has happened! You are
excited with ctfOr! you can scarcely stand
Il have been pursued said IIutter. i have
had race for dear life. Ia, aud barrcade the
doors A party OF the miserable renegades
! viii be here in minute! Where's BlinkO!
! Il don't know said Judith lie went out
few minutes ago
! (Which way !! asked IIuiter.
judith Indicate the objection with her finger.
IIutter started off like racGhorse. He saw
a dark object suspended from the branch Of
/ tree. 1t was B.lnko, who was swaylng to and
fro, and quivering in the agonIes Of strangula
ton. Ilutter cut him down in an instant, and
/ tearing the rope from his neck, staggered to-
I ward the mouse beneath the weight OF his great
| body. A half dozen musket shots were poured
after him from the nearest cOpSe. The balls
perforated his clothes and grazed his skin in
several places, but he reached the house in
safety with the half dead black. Leaving him
to the care OF JupP, the mulatto girl, lie barred
the doors and fastened the windows.
Jessie, who had partially recovered her self
possession, looked out aud saw forms moving to
and fro among the shrubbery. Her heart mis-
gave her. How could they resist so many eHe-
had so opportuney appeared to sa We her from
Vuntassle. She wondered why he had left
them at such juncture HIS deep, resonant
voice still rang in her ears.
Stand back from the window said Tom
IIutier.
The warning was tirely: charge of buck
shot crashed through the panos she stepped
aside, some of which perforated her dress, while
one oil the hurting messengers drew blood from
her white neck.
These mscreants make war upon women =
exclaimed Ruth Havilaud.
Make war upoa women, Miss Havland =
They are more savage nor the wolves and cata
mounts that prowl through Laurel Swamp
Neither beauty nor tears can move em. They
are ten times worse nor the Britishers them
: selves! They've marked their way through
Car'liDy with fire and blood, outrage and rob
berry,
Tom Hutter suddenly thrust his rifle through
: the shattered pane and fred. Acry came bac
through the smoke.
. There was itchief in that he said, quiet
: ly, reloadng his piece.
: Resistance, cried Jessie, is hopeless Wha
: can you expect from them if you are taker
Tom Hatter T.
; "A rope from the branch of the nearest tree
. answered the partisan, coolly.
Then ay-escape from the back door whe
you may! They certainly will not be SO brut'
! as to harm US young girls said Judith, entrea
" ingly.
My poor gals, you don't know 'em so wO
D. as |. I've followed their terrible traIl, al
looked upon their iOfarnal work know wh
IN happens to sich as you, and should be temple
70 10 kill you with my own hand, rather than lea'
you 10 their rutiian violence. Ii my time
lr come, and I'm to go the way Of all the ART
IL III die here n defense of beauty aud innocenc'
- Noble Tom = cried Ruth.
e. If you've any firearms and ammunitio
ne hurry to bring EN- and lay EN- down beside III
aud be keeriul to keep out of the range of 4
e. winders. "a m6m H
BY this time Blinko had revived, and heari
gn this order, said
ed 'l'll tend to dat, Marser Tom. Only let
,e young misses keep out de way, and I'll sta
~ ..t.. hroT - q. y