New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1861-01-04

It was on the wilds of Wissahicon,
on the day of battle, as the MONDAY
sun came through the thickly clustered
leaves, that two men came in deadly
conflict near the reefs which rose like
the rock of some primeval world, at
least one thousand feet above the dark
waters of the Wissahicon. ..,......
The mar. with the dark, brown face,
and darker grey eye, flashing with dead
| ly light, and a muscular form clad in a
! blue frock of the revolution-is con-
ltinental named Warren.
! The other man. with long black hair
dropping along his cadaverous face, is
clad in half military costume of tory
refugee. This is murderer of Paoli,
named Dahaney.
They met by acci dent and now they
fou ght, not with sword and rifle, but
with long and deadly knives they strug
gled, twining and twisting on the green
sward. .......
| At last the tory is downtown on
the turf, with the knee of the continen-
tai upon his brcast-the upraised knife
flashing death in his face.
"Quarters Iyield," gasped the to-
ry, as the knee was pressed upon his
breast. "Spare me yield"
MY brother," said the patriot sold
ier, in that tone of deadly hate. my
brother cried for quarters on the night
of Paoli. and even as he clung to your
knees you strnok that knife to his heart
%, will giveyou the quarters of Paoli.'
And as his hand raised for the blow
and his teeth were clenched with deadly
hate, he paused for a moment. then pin
ioned the tory's arms and with rapid
stride dragged him to the verge of the
rock and held him qmverlng over the
abyss.
"Mercy Ihave wife and child at
home-spare me-" . e- .'
The continental with his muscular
strength gathered for the effort, shook
the murderer once more over the abyss,
and then Kissed his bitter sneer in his
face.
"My brother had wife and two chill
dren. The morning after tho fight of
Paoli, that wife was a widow. those
children orphans. Would you not like
to go and beg your life Of that widow
and her orphans?
The proposal made by the continen-
tai in mockery and bitter hate, was ta-
ken in serious earnest by the terror.
stricken tory. He begged to be taken
to the widow a nd h children, and to
have the privilege Of begging his life
After moments serious thought, the
patriot soldier consented. He bound
the tory's arms still tighter, and placed
him on the rocks again, and led him to
the woods. A quiet cottage embossed
among trees, broke on their eyes. They
entered the cottage. There, beside the
desolate hearth stone, sat the widow
and children. /
She sat there, matronly woman Of
about twenty-th-ee years, with face
faded with care, a deep dark eye, and
long, black hair hanging ip disheveled
state about her shoulders. On one side
was dark-haired boy ofsomc six years;
on the other side, girl one year young
or, with light blue eyes. The Bible
an old and venerable volume-iay open
upon the mothers knee. And now the
pale-faced tory flung himself upon his
knees, and confessed he had butchered
her husband on the night of Paoli, and
begged his life at her hands.
"Spare me for the sake Of my wife
-child"--
Hs had expected this pitiful moan
would touch the widows heart, but not
one relenting CLEAN softoned her face
"The Lord shall judge between US,
she said in cold, icy tone that froze
the murderer's heart" Look, the Bi-
bic is on my lap; will close the vol
ume, and this boy shall open it, and
| place his finger at random upon line