Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-06-18

e ln'' armed life from every town aud hamlet, to
cheek the honstfnl invader
j hester Madge did not fy from hor mountain
e nutne pN, pe'ched upon projecting rock that
D o'eienkei The hotlers of the lake, screamed her
I mad dcrsion at each iueitive.laien hoot as il
= g'ldri liy save the loud ieer vi some reckless
e iHkeilhh, as hr langhed ~ her rage no greeting
was given her Int ihr silence Of conirmpi.
'linn, run, Sc doga mud may tue reiskins
| give all Of ye bloody nieht.cn2s 2 was her con.
unual song, until The last boa, had vanished
from her sight.
One moonlight and silent night, after lay Of
cnrrinF, because no boat had passed her door
she sat cl0uching over gloomy ire smouldctinl
upon her rude hearth, muttering
They're all gone, and am queen oil the LAX
--1ueen Of the nke-quesn OF the lake Bu
the redskins will roast them. They hated IN
and hated them--curse them all curse au
blight them, every One =
Hours Of this seuseless iargon had flown by
and the weird stiffness Of midnight had settle
upon shore and water, when as she heape1 fres
issgots upon tie embers, her long absent so
threw open the unbarred door and entered
dragging after him hound and beautiful girl.
He was man whose shaggy and uueombei
looks were already grizzIed, but more by crn
than by tiule and his cnt ike eyes greenish ant
phosphoric. cleaned from a visage stamped viii
every feature Of vice.
The captive, whose wLite and tender arms
were bound With cruel thongs Of buckskin, SO
tightly knOited that the small and delicate hands
were purple aud swollen, was n maiden Of some
seventeen years, tall and stately, despite her
bonds and with large black eyes flashed scorn
aud defiance upon her unmanly captor. Her
hair aud dress was much superior To such as
usually belonged to the girls Of tie frontier, and
her whole bearing was that Of o refined and
| brave woman nbovs all misfortune
'D'ye know her, mother p were the first words
OF the ruthan, whose savage and semi-cyised
garb denoted one Of those soulless, mcrccnary
renegades who sided with the british not from
loyalty to the king but because the redcoat was
in the asceudeuCy. At the first turn of fortune,
Abner Madge would have changed sides to slay
his former companions.
| The bag puckel brand from the fire and
held its flame near the pale, proud face oil the
captive; gazed intently tor moment and then
slapped the defenceless cheek with her open
palm.
DO know herr she screamed with tieni-
ish howl, and tossing aloft the brand; ado
knew snake from fsh Ii Is the daughter
Of Henry Upson, the rich rebel to the king, and
the man who would hang Hester Madge were
she In the grip cf the law. In, iaink you may
curl your lip at me, Int when | tell you that
your father saw me do what my hate made me
do
bah = exclaimed Abner. impaiiently, out with
1t woman. You dirked my step. father because
the old man had made up his mind never to die
and we wanted his gold Henry Epson saw you
do it, aud me help. So we tled from the city
some ten years ago, and having heard that the
. only witness of the deed had settled not many
miles from here year ago, we have laid in wait
to put him ont of the way that we might go back
and claim The wealth that now rusts for want Of
an heir. But must be on again for u lew hours,
to gather my band of Hnrons. You see We are
! ohu ofR 10 4
ages, and coming upon old Epson and his family,
in full flight, we pounced upon them.
Tell me that is Henry upson's scalp hanging
at your belt, and will bless ycu,' shrieked the
hag
Il wish it did, was the savage answer, as the
renegade glanced at the pair of CORY scalps pinned
to his girdle hut the old man and his intended
son-in-law, Harold Holmes, the rebel captain
made their escape utter we had lett them fo
dead, but before we could stop TO give then
bloody night-caps, their party rallied and scat
tered ours. But I had secured the girl, and
when flying with her on my horse I saw Upsor
and Holmes in full pursuit after my Ilnrnns,
while pursued an opposite course hiiher Now
/ look to the girl, aud the bounty OF these soalps
scaps. l must see after my braves, for the
rebels cannot keep up the pursuit very long
keep your eyes on her, mother, for with her we
shall pave our way back to home and fortune
old UpsOn has no kin but his daughter Clara
and loves her as his life. Besides, hope TO
catch the father andlover before morning. by the
aid Of this bright moon.
Ahner hastcned away and Hester sat staring
at the captive with malicious eyes.
q want to kill you, you look SO much like
! Henry Epson said She between her curses,
but ye shall live am 100 OLD and battered 70
care for wealth, now, but we never grow too old
to love reveuge Clara Epson, Sc shall live in
shame and sorrow rs | have lived aud Abner
Madge and | thall be the only ones at your
bonny wedding The tilings will wither the
heart-striUgs Of Henry Upson-if he escapes my
boys hatchet. love to look At ye and think
aboutit.'
The calm, bright eyes Of the queenly captive
did not finch from the malicious hate that seem
ed to gloat upon her youth and beauty. The
exulting hag sat with her back 10 tue door and
grasping long keen bladed knife in her skinny,
yellow claws, digging the floor aud exclaiming ;
4 wish that was Henry UpsOn's heart, dol /
do do" and dating the steel sayagey Into
the wood at every word
An hour passed thus, when tall and power
full man, behind whom appeared another, older
and with white hair, filed the doorway. So
stopped were llester's cars with the camOrs Of
her blasphemles and rawlings, that she heard no
signs of his presence, nor dreamed Of it until
Harold Holmes cast his sineWy arms around her
and gagged her foul mouth with his tight hand
Father and lover were armed with pistols only.
Cut the corls-haste,' he cried, and with {
waste Of breath, ior Henry upsou had done i
ere the words were spoken. The pair ha'
marked the iight Of the renegade and FOLLOWED
in pursuit, while their friends gave chase to th
Hurons.
There was but brief time for embracing, and
after securely binding the venomous bag an.t
gagging her with rope that filed her mquil
and was tiod behind her head, Harold lifted tho
now faintiug girl in his stout arms, and with her
father, hurried to tue lake shore. There they
found canoe IN which they embarked, aud
pushed from the pebbly beach.
Hardly had this been done, when Abner with
three painted savages, all that were left Of his
too eager band rushed into the hut.
At glance he disceIned all.
Calling to his warriors TO follow bim, and
needless Of great and blOziDg faggot that had
rolled from the hearth to the floor. he rushed 10
the beach The moon shed q radiance clear and
fair. and he saw the fugitive yet within rifle
shot.
Aim At the men, he said, as lie leyeled bis
rifle at Epson. Four rifles cracked at once, and
the renegade shouted with Joy as lie saw both
father and lover sink to the bottom Of the canoe
The girl for METH scalps for you = he cried
az he plunged into the placid lake followed by
his three savnges
Tagged and bound, Hester AIadre watched
the brand on the floor, as it began 10 eat into
the wood and spread its fire around in hungry
flames.
Clara snt in the motionless canoe, ana her
dark eyes were stern and dry rs the four heads
with fierce visages drew nesrer nrd nearer The
sllvered waters parted from the brawny throais
and the sheen Of the moonbeams glittered upon
the scalpiug knives barred between the white
teeth of the savages. Five more Of those lnsty
sweeps Of dusky arms would have carried them
to the canoe, when Clara cried!
" Now father up Harold - and as she spoke
the words both sprang from the ambush aud ieign-
ed death, and the flash of their pistols was the
! last Of earth seen By the Amor ere they sank