, 1862-01-25
a Revolutionary Legend.

1t was in the wds of Wissahikon on the day
of the battle, as the MONDAY sun came shining
through the clustered leaves, that two men met
in deadly conflict, near rock that rose like a
huge wreck of some primeval world at least one
hundred feet above the dark waters of the Wissa-
hikon.
That man with the dark brow and the darker
grey eye flashing with deadly light with muscu-
lar form, clad in the blue hunting -frock of the
revolution, is Continental named Warner His
brother was murdered the other night at the mas
sacre of Paol. The other man, with long, black
hair, dropping along his cadaverous face, is clad
in the half military costume of a tory refugee
This is the murderer of the Paol, and his name
is Dabney.
They had met there in the woods by accident !;
and they fought, not with sword or rifle, but with
long and deadly hunting knives, they go turning,
twning and twisting over the green sward,
At last the tory is downtown on the turf
with the knee of the Continental upon his breast,
that uprased knife quivering in the light, that eye
flashing death into bis face !
"Quarter-I yield !" gasped the tory, as the
knee was pressed upon his breast, "spare me,
yield I"
"My BROTHER" said the patriot soldier, in tone
of deadly hate "my brother cried for quarters on
the night of Paoli, and even as he clung to your
knee you stuck that knife into bis heart. Oh,
will give you the quarter of Paoiw
And as his hand was raised for the blow and
his teeth were clenched in deadly hate, he paused
for moment and then pinoned the torys arms.
and with rapid stride dragged him to the verge of
the rock, and held him quivsring over the dread
full abyss.
'Mercy" gasped the tory, turning black and
ashy by turns, as the awful gulf yawned below
"Mercy-I have a wife, spare me-"
Then the continental, with mustered strength
gathered for the effort, shook the murderer once
more over the abyss, and then Kissed this bitter
sneer between his teeth:
"My brother had wife and two children. The
morning after the night of the Paoli, that wife
was a widow-those children orphans Wouldn't
you like to go and beg your life of that widow
and her children ?"
The proposal made by the continental in the
mere mockery of hate, was taken in serious earn
est by the horror-stricken tory. He begged to
be taken to the widow and her children to have
the painful privilege of begging for his life. Af
ter a moment of serious thought the patriotic
soldier consented. He bound the tory's arms yet
tighter, and placed him on the rock again, and
then led him up the woods. Aquiet cottage, en-
bosomed among the trees, broke on their eyes.
They entered the cottage, and there beside her
desolate hearthstone, sat the widow and her or
phan children. She sat there, matronly woman
of about thirty years, faded by care, a deep dark
eye, and black hair hanging dissheveled atout her
shoulders
On one side was dark-haired boy of some
six years; on the other little girl year young
er, with light hair and blue eyes. The Bibe-an
old and venerated voume-lay open on the wild
ow's knee.
The pa!e-faced tory flung himself on his knees,
told her that he had killed her husband on the
night of PaOli, but begged his life at her hands,
"Spare me for the sake of my wife and my
child"
lie had expected that this pitiful moan would
touch the widows heart, but not one relentng
CLEAN softened her pale face.
"The Lord shall judge for u.s." she said, in a
cold, icy tone, that froze the murderer's heart
Look the Bible lays open in my lap 1 will
close that volume, and then this boy shall open it,
and place his finger at random upon line and by
that line you shall live or die"
This was a strange proposal made in good faith
of wild and dark superstition of the olden time.
For moment the tory, pale as ashes, was wrapt
in thought. Then, in a faltering voice, he signi-