Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-06-20
Major Zagonyi's Guide.
BY ANNIE SAWYER Downs.

On the morning of the oath day of Oc-
tober last, somewhat novel scene unrolled
itself before the door Of quiet farm house,
about two miles from Springfield. Missouri.
Two women and three young lads had Just
raised very modest little flag; and as the
wind floated it gracefully in the air, they
gave three cheers for the Stars and Stripes,
cheers which If not loud, were certainly
hearty. The younger of the two women,
Lucy Dudly, mother of the boys, stood
gazing up to it, and as she thus gazed, her
face put on a stearn determination, and she
murmured low, between her almost shut
teeth. 1t shan't come down again while i
live" le a0elsiq. s.ft b, -. ......s f..,
g Yes twill. mother" broke in one of the
boys, f" for the seceshers are in town and
they'll make you" he@
His mother did not notice him, bat turn
ing to the older woman, said, 3 for VIII
iiam's sake, mother, we'll keep it up."---
Even before she had done speaking, the
sound OF horses feet was heard. and the
youngest boy, clinging 10 her dress, tried to
draw her into the house, crying out, /" There
they come; o, mother, run :" While the
old grandmother retreating behind the
door, trembled yisbly but the mother stood
firm, awaiting the men whom she knew
only 100 well. Only one little month before
they shot down her husband, like dog. be-
cause he said his house was his o~a, and he
should hoist just what flag seemed to him
best over it. They shot him before her
eyes, and his hearts blood had sprinkied
the very ground where she stood, and
wonder not that the look in her eyes was
scarcely womanly. Down the road they
came, dozen confederate ruffians, called
soldiers by courtesy, and ''chivalry' by Mr..
Wm. Russell. They were well armed and
mounted, and as they numbered up to the
door the leader shouted, " Down with that
damned Yankee rag; if you don't, I'll blow
your brains cut
No notice was taken, the woman might
as well Aaye been stone.
g Luce Dudiy, don't you hear me ?" and
he pointed his revolver at her.
I" i hear, Bill Armstrong"
:" Blast We, then, why don't ye niind?"
Because ] WON'T
8 You won't, won't yeu ?' and he fired,
but missed. He swore madly at bis horse
for shying, and as he did so, she said,
/" This is my house and this is my flag |
want it here and shall have it here. You
can shoot me and then pull it downs you
certainly wont before"
One man shouted, We air'tcut-throats !;
we don't kin women and children"
{ You have killed women and children
tha. ia
Several of the men, old naghbors oS hers,
felt the thrust and quailed before her eye,
while others drew their pistols, but the lead
er throwing up the weapen nearest him
went on.
g Wal, Luce, victHals and drink we have
GOT 10 have, and we won't go under that
cussed rag"
"Victuals and drink I can't help your
having, but if am going to get them for
yeu, yeu come in through this door,"
Evidently her look daunted them, for bold
as they were, they were bad, and they knew
it.; so with rude laugh the captain dis
mounted, shouted, come on boysl" and
leaving their horses to the care Of the chill
dren, they one after another went into the
kitchen, and drank eagerly of the whiskey
set before them. As they thus drank, they
became wonderfully communicative and,
listening eagerly, Lucy heard that they had
been sent out from Springfield, with some
fifty ethers, to see if ifanything cauld be seen
of the advance guard of Freemont's army,
who were supposed to be in that vicinity.
She found that this party had been stopping
at one house and another, drinking and de-
vastating, and very naturally had divided,
and that Armstrong meant te wait until the
rest came ep, and start for the town togeth-
er from her house. She likewise learned
that they had not seen anything of the
Lincoln soldiers. She gave them their fill
of lquor, she let them eat the best the
house afforded, and as she was taking
pitcher to get more whiskey, her keen ears
caught the sound of distant fife. Arm
strong heard it too. and with an oath, said
them lazy lubbers of his were at last COM
ing, and the old woman must take some
more codgers along.
Lucy had taken the pitcher and closing
the door behind her, almost flew out into
the yard, and taking the Oldest boy by the
shoulder, said in a terribly hoarse voice,
(" Tom, run for your life, over the moving,
through the lane, and tell those men you
win meet to take down their flag, stop play
ing Yankee Doodle, and come up through
the lane with you, and they can get every
one of these men. Don't let the grass grow
under your feet, boy"
The wind had brought TO her ears, what
it never whispered those drunken men, that
instead of their comrads, their sternest
foes would be around them. And all her
energies were directed to keep them in
the ignorance so fatal to them.
Meanwhile Tommy's tow head shot over
the moving, over the wall, through the
narrow lane, reached the great road jasts
a mounted band of men came in sight. He
mounted a stump, waved his jacket, and
the formost among them stopped.
What is il, boy?"
Marin wants your fling man to stop
playing that thing, and hove down that ere
flag, and come up to our house through the
lane. Come on"
He was starting, but Zagonyi stopped
him. don't understand, boy what does
she want fs
Tom was indignant wants you to
nab some seceshers up to our house,
but you needn't come if you don't waner."
Something in his face struck one Of the
men and he said, Z" Who is your marin,
hoo 5o