Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-09-25

by large party now collected in the room in
which the light was burning. They must have
| entered the house from the other side. and
| the clang of arms, as we distinctly heard the
men carelessy lay aside their weapons, as
sured us they wers no Reatrais in the strug
| gle going on between our divided countrymen
| From futigue, arising from the constrained
| posture in which lay, made sudden move
| inent, which caused ME to fall against my COM
panion, at the same time making the gravel
| beneath my feet send forth the grating sound
! peculiar to it when suddenly and violently dis
turbed. In an instant the sounds within
| ceased, slenced by the suspicious caused by
| my most unfortunate stumbling, the easement
was dashed open and half dozen heads were
| thrust out into the gloom. A movement now,
| if no louder than that the lizard makes among
| the grass, or single sigh forced from onr
! beating hearts and compressed breath, would
have been the forerunner of certain death.
Nothing could have saved us from the fate of
! the spy. For several minutes we remained
m motionless, and heard various coniectures a.
mong the men as to the cause of their sudden
alarm. Little did they imagine that at that
moment, within few feet of their knives,
which more than grasped in his hand un-
Sheathed, lay, concealed by the darkness, we
| of the hated Invaders. But we would have
been found no easy sacrifice. Each of us cov-
| cred with the muzzle of his revolver the breast
of foe, and the first intimation given of our
discovery would have cost them at least two
lives that night.
At length they withdrew their heads into
the apartment half closed the easement as be-
fore, and we were again alone. Whether they
retired perfectly satisfied to the result of
their blind inspection or not, we could not tell.
1t was at this moment that H, grasping me
by the arm, whispered me to follow him close
ly. In crouchng attitudes we crept round
the building each step taken with peculiar
care, lest any unlucky sound on our part should
again rouse suspicious, which, in all probabil-
ity, were still unallayed.
After many cautious pauses and anxious
straining of eye and ear, We reac he'd the other
side of the house, where after proceeding a
Il few steps, my leader halted and began ex-
ploring with his hand, until it lighted upon
the latch of door in the wall. Placing his
mouth close to my ear, he again whispered
me that it was of vital importance we should
cast off our shoes and carry them in our hands,
as by leaving them behind they might be
found by the enemy, and thus become, the
means Of betraying us. Accordingly, in a
few seconds, We stood in our stockings, ready
to pursue to the last limit the windings of the
adventure. Noiselessly lifting the door latch,
H led the way into passage, if possible
darker than the outside gloom from which we
entered.
Cropping way we carefully advanced,
and reached the foot of flight of stairs
which, at a sign from my companion, we as
cended as swiftly as the imperative necessity
for perfect silence permitted, We reached
the landing whose extent was hidden in the
same impenetrable darkness, traversed it for
the distance of several feet, and at length ar
rived at door, which H attempted to OPEN
but found it looked. This he assured me was
the room which contained the cartridge bags.
and not to gain an entrance into it would rem
der all the risk we had hitherto run useless as
all further attempts we might make would
prove unavailing.
At this crisis of our proceedings we discov-
cred, within few feet of us, small window,
which, On gently opening, we found led out
upon the roof of the piazza that ran along all
sides of the house. To step out upon the
roof closing the window after US as gently as
had opened it, was the work OF few Sec
onds. Here we lay down. at full length, for
several minutes, to listen; but no sound reach
ed us, excepting an lndiStinct clamor proceed
ing from the room beneath, in which was as
Sembed the party of rebels. Relinquishing
our recumbent posture, we crept on our hands
and knees until we reached the next window,
which belonged to the room were so anx-
ious to explore. To our great satisfaction,
we found it not only unfastened, but opened
wide, and one after the other, we passed
through into the interior. Again we paused |
in motionless silence, and again we listened |
intently, but nothing beyond the sounds al |
ready mentioned met our ears, and we proceed |
ed to search in darkness for the bags of am |
munition. We came upon them Simultaneous
ly in one corner of the room, piled into a |
heap. We commenced our workt a once by |
passing them out two at time, through the |
window upon the piazza roof Silently and |
swiftly was the task accomplished, until not a |
bag remained We searched every foot of |
the floor, traversing its length and breadth un-
til we were thoroughly convinced ourselves |
were the sole objects, animate or inanimate,
It contained.
Passing out, our next movement was to |
carry round the bags to the extreme end of |
the piazza. This involved the necessity of |
traversing the full length of one side of the |
building. With much labor and anxiety, as |
we had to proceed more wariy than ever, at |
each step, we at last accomplished it. And |
now We held consultation, whether it were |
better to risk the attempt of carrying off our
prize by degrees to the spot where had |
concealed the wagon, or destroy it at once by |
lowering bag after bag into deep well, H
informed me was directly beneath us, as we |
leaned over the balcony of the piazza. We +
concluded the latter plan the best, and |
accordingly, my companion uncoiled the rope |
he still carried round his neck and fastening
one end of it to the balcony, rapidly descend |
ed after telling me to haul up the other end /
again, attach it to the bags (three or four at
time ) and lower them to him when he would |
drop them sngly into the WE'LL
We had nearly finished this part of our task,
when, rendered reckless by the apparent secu-
rity with which it was continued-the splash
ing of each bag into the well exciting no sns- |
picion on the part of our dangerous neighbors /
at the other extremity of the dwelling-H-
flung down into its depths the last nine three /
at once, instead of dropping them singly, as he /
had hitherto done. At this moment, the close /
proximity of approaching footsteps along the /
roof, made me turn in the direction whence |
the sound they caused proceeded ,and instantly |
/ was engaged in deadly struggle with an |