Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-08-03

we all started lhe meaning OF tnlS sud
den attack was clear enough now.
Van Cuyler had been professed patriot and
warm admirer of Grace; and, on his rejec-
ton by her, had gone away, vowing vengeance
on the whole family
"1he traitor" muttered Mr.. Oakley. II is
he, then, that has brought down this swarm Of
hornets What is he doing now, SimeonY
"He has been trying the windows, to see IL
they are fastened. Now he is at the door"
The words were drowned in series of thun-
dering knocks.
Mr. Oakley went to Simeon's window
"Who knocks below there p
"Walter Van Cuyler.
"What do you want?"
HFood, rest, and shelter. Brants men are
close on my track. Let me in quickly
The sharp crack of q rifle, and the words
liar and hypocrite were his answer. A fierce
veil arose from behind the haystacks and out
buildings, as twenty dark forms rushed for.
ward, brAndishing their weapons and firing at
random, while as many more hovered on the
outskirts of the wood
| Within the house was perfect silence, bro
ken only by the low nov, boys of Mr. Oak
| ley, and the roar of the six best rifles in the
country.
'Six down A man for each bullet Goodr
said the eXulting voice of Mr. Oakley. The
powder, grla, aud we'll give EN- another
A shower of bullets, that ratified like hail
stones about the windows, cut short his words
Mr.. Oakley picked up some that fell harmless
to the floor and laughed
"The serpents are kinder than thought
They are going to keep us in balls as well as
exercise SO much the better, for we have
none too many Now, boys
Another flash and roar, and again the voice
of Mr. Oakley:
"Fire steady boys, and take gooda aim. Don't
waste powder.
A dead silence ensued.
They're cowed father-they're sneaking of
TO cover--exclaimed Simeon.
Not theyl they're only contriving some
new deviltry John and Matthew, round with
you to the back of the house. Grace-my
Col where did that shot come from2 as with
sharp cry. Reuben, the eldest, leaped three
feet up in the air, and fell forward on his face
stone dead
Mrs. Oakley sprang forward, and threw
herself on his body. The fair-haired eldest
crashing through the window, and bedded it.
self deep in the opposite wall
Aim at yonder tree, shouted Mr.. Oakley
| saw the CLEAN of rifle stock among the
leaves.
A third shot whizzing so close past us as
Ito make us start back and then our rifles
answered. and dark body went down, aud
struck with heavy 'thud against the ground
He's slenced, exclaimed Mr. Oakley will
a CLEAN Of stern satisfaction shooting across
his face But see none of the rest Where
are they hiding
Father, father called Grace, in an agon
lied tone.
Mr. Oakley ran hastily into the back room
where she was. A stalwart man, in hunting
frock, and so bronZed as to make it almost
doubtful if he were white or red, had swung
himself from an adjoining tree on to the bal
cony, and was trying to force himself through
the little window
As Mr.. Oakley rushed forward, he dwev
the hunting knife that he wore in his belt
but seizing the sharp edge in his bare hands
the infilriated father wrested it from his grasI
by main strength, and plunged it up to the hill
in his breast.
A fierce YELL and harmless volley from those
in ambush, received this new defeat, and ther
came another Of those ominous pauses.
What can they be about, muttered Simeon
who was again at the lookout They sure
y can't dream of firing the house,
The door, the door gasped Grace.
Right exclaimed her father. The girl hai
more wit than us all. We must barricade til,
| hall.
= Never mind the shutters, said Mrs. Oakley
} who had regained her marble-li1e composure
We will bar them, and she began to draw thl
bolts
e Mr.. Oakley hesitated, for the task was on'
+ of danger; but there was no time to lose, ant
4 i .la1 ,N
: short distance from the door, in what was real
! ly formidable barricade guarded, as it was
by those unerring rifles. The smell of th,
i burning wood and the smoke that filled tn
a hall now grew almost intolerabe Mr.. Oak
G ley placed us on the staircase, and eXhorte,
r his sons to stand close and take good aim. !
portion of the door fell in, Mr.. Oakley raise'
Il his rifle, and Walter Van Cuyler, who was tn
e first to spring in, staggered back with groau
e The others swarmed in like bees, but secon'
;, and third of those deadly volleys brough
# them TO n stand No man cared to expos
Vt himself TO such certain death.
< Mr. Oakley turned impetuously to his sons
y Give EN- another, boys well beat EN- o
n yet but n mute shake Of the head was the
lolly answer The powder was exhausted
g For moment, a deadly pallor overspread h
n face the next, his voice rang out, clear an
ID firm as ever
N Close upl Draw your knivesl We will sc
rs our lives as dearly as possible.
e. "Come on; their powder is out" shouted
'e man. who with half dozen others, had su
ID ceeded in scrambling over the barricaC
"a and was making his way toward the lit
group.
II "You'd better be careful Our women ha,
d their knitting needles yet, retorted Mr. Oakl'
~ derislvely.
I. ''Well take care of you and the women bot
,e returned the ruflian aiming blow at Sin
con, that brought him to the ground.
q A spasm contorted Mr. Oakleys stern fe
=, lures for a moment and then, with a stra
=, gled sob he threw himself headlong on
90 assailants.
,d 'Kill him-cut him down-he's the de-
st himselfl shouted dozen voices, but at d
moment arose another and far different ci
>, The rebels-they are on usl as thunderil
/. on-tramping the cowardly wretches dov
ny under the horses hoofs-came Mark Warn'
ne with his lighthouse troop In an instant,
n- was confusion No one thought of anythil
y, but flight; and the enraged Americans NOV
ey the flying tories down like grain.
70 Then burst forth all the emotions so 10
pent up Father and sons threw themsely
" into one another's arms; Grace tainted; a
~, Mrs 0akley's stony composure melted into
" VI flood Of hysterical tears.
Ia Ours was joyful and yet a sad house Il
!, ? night-for though we had been delivered,
5ok it were from the very jaws Of death, yet
or bodies Of our dead were with us. All, ci
\ a..