The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-11-05

SOEers -
At this moment young Stephen Barry few
out of the room.
''Soldiers 20 was the Simultaneous excla
nation Of all and for an instant every liz
quivered with sudden alarm. "Wer,
they red-coats, grl?" added Mr.. Barry
suddenly.
"Dat dey was, mass'r! bloody red, all o.
dem. seed 'um cumin' up de lane all a
horseback an dey seed me, too, kase somt
o dem run arter Inc to cotch me. But, b
goly, soon lef' dem far ahind. was
drelfuly skeered, doe, mass'r, dretfully."
"Where were they % demanded Mr.. Bar.
ry, quickly, and with some considerable agi.
ta.lon. "How near the house?"
"Good ways off, mass'r whar seed um.
Down by de cross roads"
"By the cross roads," repeated Mr.. Bar
ry, refcctively. "Then, if they are coming
here, they must be close upon US by this
time. How many were there do you think,
Sylph 20
so, hull heap o. dem, mass'r! ebber SO
many.'
"Stephen, Stephen," cried Mrs. Barry,
with deep emotion, ''A heavy weight is on
my hrart-the weight of coming evil"
The mother wrung her hands, and the
daughter began to sob audibly.
"Oh, my child, my child, this is to have a
foreign foe invading the land Of your birth''
added Mrs. Barry, between her sobs and
tears and as she spoke she stretched forth
her trembling hands toward her weef ing
daughter.
Dear, dear mother' returned the young
girl, as she flung herself upon her parents 5
! bosom.
"Wife, you are giving way to fears with
out Il sufficient cause" exclaimed Mr.. Bar
rv, Il little sterny. "In the first place, Syl-
ply may have been mistaken-nothng is
more likely and in the next place, even if
these are British soldiers it does not follow
that we shall be more than usually IN molested.
| But, even if we are doomed to suffer, suf
! fering is the common lot of our countrymen.
and we must try to bear it with grace and
fortitude. Think of the cause, wife; dry
up your tears, and, if needs be thut oar lives
must be sacrGced-aud God only knows
what is coming these days-face death with
a firm and lofty spirit. Many have got to
/ die, and, hard as it may be, let us not mur-
mur if We are among those called upon
We are no better than others. and should not
expect to be more fortunate.'
/ II know ali that, Stephen," returned his
wife, tcarfully; "and, in my country's cause,
hold my life Of small value; still it is hard
oh, so ha-d-to die so hard ~
At that moment the door quickly flung
open, aud Stephen Barry, Jr., followed
by several negroes, flew into the apartment.
"Well, boy, what now I" demanded Mr..
harry, quicHly.
The mother and daughter fixed their eyes
upon the youth with painful anxiety.
"Syipb has told the TRUTH responded the
young man, hurriedly. "a party of Eng
Iish dragons, numbering nearly .hundred,
| should think, are now within as many rods
of the house. They are coming here; too,
without doubt"
'''Lock the doors and windows, quick ~
cried Barry, as he hastenel to the front
door ~ help execute his own directions.
- hat IS to DC do, Stcphen? what
would you ndyisc'' he hastily demo.a-l
his son, after securing the door.
sit is useless to offer any resistance, faith
er, let them do what they may" returned
Young Barry. There ara at least hundred
of them. and at the best we cannot muster
but half Il dozen fighting men. The best
thing fr us, anG in fact the only chance
that is left US, is to concea! ourselves, if We
can do SO, before they reach here.'
SIT is bitter alternative my son." re-
ioined Mr. Barry, deeply; "but under the
crcums tances 1t would be worse than mad
ness to stand and show fight. No doubt,
resistance would but aggravate our fate, let
that be what it may. As you say, We must
conceal ourselves, and trust the rest to
Providence. They may overlook US, and
we may escape yet. God grant my words
are prophetic. not so much for my own
sake-for we men owe our lives to our
struggling country-as for the sake Of these
weeping women. But we must not stand
here talking when the British bloodhounds
are ut our very door-siil! !" he added sud
denly. "Come, wife, daughter, follow me,
for we have already wasted much precious
timc.''
The clattcr Of the approaching horsemen
struck suddenly on their ears and fastened
their movement.
.Come, everybody !" added Mr.. Barry );
:'we can get out of the back way-they can t
see US from the road-and hide in the grain
or somewhere else. Come, come !"
The lights were then blown out and the
back door thrown open Cautiously and
silently the ill-stawed band of patriots gil
ded forth into the field in the rear, and in a
little while were ensoonced in the securest
places which the circumstances, and the
brief period allowed them, presented. As
thew passed through the door into the open
air, large pile of brush attracted Mr.. Bar
rvs attention, and, suddenly selzlng the
! little negress by the arH, he exclaimed
sect under there, Syiph. quick and Tor
your life keep as still us death. -
| With n " Yes, mass'r.' the girl orawled
under the brush heap, and Mr. Barry hastily
covered her up, entirely coneealng her from
ANYTHING but the closest observation.
The rest then hastily moved onward in
search Of other hiding places Faint were
their hopes, however, and many their feai 5.
Scarcely had they effected their conceal
ment, when Captain Vance and his satellites
rode up to the front door, and without the
least respect or consideration-how riiicu-
lous to suppose that they, the willing sub
! iects of "good King George" would dream
| of such a thing as showing any respect or
! consideration to ''Tebei' and his family
burst into the house.
"Lights all OUT" cried Vance, madly.-
"The internal rebels think to cheat us
LieutenaDt,' he added, to an officer immedi-
ately behind him, "throw n guard around
this cursed place, and be smart about it, 80
that none can escape. | must have them
all. by the lord Harry, every rebel of tn en-
man. womaa aud c!Ild ~ Turning to the
men who surrounded him, he aided again
and in that abrupt, yerbenrng manner Sc
characteristic of the consequential English
man, ''Now some Of you hunt up q light
and let Us see what we are doing.'
According to the instruction of bis supe'
rior the lieutenan. detached body Of men
and quickly threw out guard in all dlreo
tions, and in such a manner as to preclude