Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-01-14
ing his head and looking at the tory

] l9'0ANAiJ IL ny ~ u r. -
am now, as you say, your prisoner
but when the clock strikes twelve, I shal
leave yOu-I shall disappear in clouc
of FIRE and smoke, and neither you, no
your comrades, not even myself, can pre-
vent it.
"You may watch me as closely as yOr
please, tie me hand and foot if you will
but higher power than yours or mine
has ordained that I shall leave you a
that time"
"POor fellow, his mind wanders" saiG
the tory; "heIl talk different in the
morning" And he returned to his seal
at the table, leaving the youth with his
head again resting on his hands.
When the clock struck eleven, the
young prisoner drew pipe and some to-
bacco from his pocket, and asked the
tory leader if he had any objections to
his smoking.
"None in the least" he said, with a
laugh" that is, if you'll promise not to
disappear in a cloud of tobacco smoke"
The young man made no reply, but
Immediately filed and lighted his pipe,
having done which, he arose and com
menced pacing the floor.
He took half dozen turns up and
down each side of the room, approach
ing the table each time, when having ex-
hausted his pipe he returned to his seat
and reflled it.
HE continued &. smoke TIN the clock
struck twelve, when he arose from his
seat, slowly knocking the ashes out of his
PiPe, said; 100 az 1TtITf ~
"Boys, it's twelve o'clock, and I must
leave you; good bye"
Immediately al Ground the room ran
streaks of fire, kissing and squirming;
the cabin was filed with dense, sulphur
Gus smoke, amidst which was heard a
crash ikea clap oftbunder 5Thetofies
sat in their chairs para,yzed with fright
The smoke soon cleared away, but the
prisoner was nowhere to be seen. The
table was overturned, the windows smash
ed to pieces, and one chair was laying on
the ground outside of the building.
The itoryleader, after recovering from
his stupor, gave one glance of terror
around the room and sprang out of the
window, followed by his comrades. They
ran through the forest at the top of their
speed, in the direction of the British en-
campment, leaving their muskets and
other arms to the mercy of the flames,
which had now begun to deYour the
cabin.
The next day, two young men, dressed
IN Continental uniform, were seen stand
ing near the ruins of the old cabin. One
was the hero of the night previous.
"Let US hear all about it, Tom," said
the other.
"Well," said he, last evening as I
was passing this place, two tories ran out
and took possession of me before I could
make any resistance; they took me in
the cabin, and who do you suppose I saw
as leader of the party but John Burton,
our old schoolmate. He talked with me,
and tried to induce me to join them; but
told him l couldn't do it, that at twelve !
o'clock was going to escape-disappear
in cloud of fire and smoke; but he
laughed at me, and said I was out of my
head About eleven o'clock I asked him |
if I might smoke. He said he had no
so filed my pipe and light
ed it, and commenced walking the floor.
had pound of gunpowder in my pock-
ct, and as I walked I strewed it all over
the floor. When the clock struck twelve
bid them goodbye, and told them I
had to go; and then knocked the ashes
,ut Of ny pipe, the powder ignited, ana
! adazzling fame of fire shot across, around,
and all over the room, filling the room
with suffocating smoke. Before it clear
ID away, 1 hurled a chair through the
window, sprang out and departed, leav-
ng them to their own reflections. You
know the rest"