Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-09-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
TWo HOURS SIEGE.
A REVOLUTIONARY SKETH.
BY GEO MARTIAL.

1t was past midnight of the thirteenth of
/ August, commenced my grandmother, but
! though the river was in front of US, aud the
forest stretched for miles behind US, aud away
to the tight and left, could not catch even
the sight of leaf or the ripple of the water,
so sutry and heavy brooded the darkness
around Us.
had not been in the bestof spirits that
day, for it was the time when we dreaded
every hour to hear of the bombardment of
New York; and though in the house of Thorn
as Oakley, first cousin to my father, 1 had
nothing to fear, there had hung over me such
a terror and dread that day, that | could not
help fearing lest some evil had happened to
my parents, who were still in the city.
AS usual with the sleepless. all sorts of fan
cies teased my brain. Ny room, like al the
others, was large, and furnished in style
that now seems SO quaint to our young eyes.
The chimney-pece was tiled with porce-
lain, curiously wrought into illustrations of
| Scripture. The bed and furniture, that had
al been brought from England, was tall,
dark, stiff and carved, while the walls were
hung with sombre family portraits. And as
! lay and wished for day, the tiled figures
| seemed to move and glover at me in the un-
certain light that came through the loophole
| of the window; while | thought the eyes of
! the portraits were, one and all, fixed on me
with solemn and warning stare; and SO it
happened that had heard the old clock strike
one, two and three, and was just falling off
into dose, when there came light step
| along the hall, and cousin Grace called, in a
strange sacred Voice, outside the door, Hell
| enl HelenP
L was up In moment, and out to where
she stood, looking like spirit, with her ashy
/ e 4 &. L. III
me:nbered the thrill of astonishment with
which, in spite of my fright. saw she was
already dressed and held in her hand pow
der flask
Put on your clothes as quick as you can,
Nellie, said she, in voice that trembled lit
tie, though she was doing her best to be calm
Brants men coming, and father wants US
all down stairs. +
Brant's menl 1t is difficult to make YOU
| understand the horrors with which that name
was pronounced and heard; or TO express the
terror with which, as hurried on my clothes,
1 thought of Grace and myself in the power
of those mercilesc savages. No wonder that
1 trembled in every limb, or that Thomas
| Oakley and his stalwart sons-men not easily
daunted-looked pale as they moved about in
the dim morning light.
l don't know as l have spoken to YOU be-
| fore of Thomas Oakley, man over six feet
in height, and of a noble presence, with a
grand face that looked as if it might have
been chiseled out of marble, and hair as white
as snow. though he was scarcely past his
prime. We have no such men, now a-days,
L have his portrait IN my little cabinet yon-
der, and you may see there that he looks as
he was-a kindly and noble gentleman.
AS for his sons, they were like him-tall,
| ST p-ll m l. oIol
to their stately mother, who was preparing
breakfast while they fastened the iron shut
ters of the lower windows, and barred the
! heavy doors.
Its sa shame to rout out so early, Nellie,
said Mr.. Oakley, as he noticed my pale,
| frightened face; but if we don't eat our break
fast now those rascals may not give us
chance to get it at all, and to my mind, after
a good cause, there's nothing like good
breakfast before going into fight.
i wish Mark was here, said Grace, tim
| idly
No doubt, pussy; but I've sent for him.
Yon Yost, the half-witted lad that brought
the news, who were to start from the camp
to- day; and if we but keep the rascals at bay
till they come, we may give them as good a
peppering as they deserve.
Ay, if out oh that dreadful uncertainty.
The house was of stone and so strongly built
that is was doubtful if they could either raze
or fire 1T. But who knew what else might
happen? How many of that fair family would
gather around the board tomorrow morning?
| Al! children, it was dreadful but think the
hour before the attack was the worst of all.
1t was not to be expected that we could eat
much breakfast; but hurried as the meal was
! it was hardly over when one of the bows,
whom Mr.. Oakley had posted at the lookout
called out that they were coming, and steal
ing along the woods at the right, as if they
hoped to surprise us.
| At once the men hurried with their rifles
to the windows of the second story, while
Mrs. Oakley, pale but still outwardly calm,
motioned us to follow, and hand out the DOW
| der. Then came dead silence.
Look out, Simeon said the father, in a
low voice, and tell Us what the knaves are
about
Posting themselves around the house, but
under cover They think to catch us nap
ping. There's man coming in this way
now -he-why, father, it's Walter Van
Cuyler''
We all started. The meaning of this sud-
den attack was clear enough now
Van Cuyler had been a professed patriot
and warm admirer of Grace, and on his re-
lection by her, had gone away, vowing ven-
( geance on the whole family.
The traitor muttered Mr.. Oakley. y.-'It
is he, then, that has brought down this swarm
of hornets. What is he doing now. Simeon?'
He has been trying the windows, to see il
they are fastened Now he is at The door,
The words we're drowned in series of thun
dering knocks.