The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1865-09-28


holding their drunken orgies I dared
him to do it. Humphi be talks of the
/ blood of the Bashams--let him try to
commit such an outrage on common de-
: cency, and he will find that I have as
! much blood of the Bashams in my veins
!, as he has In his. [ will let master officer
! know shat am not to be frightened by
him."
The conversation was here interrupted
: by rough-iooking mans dressed in brown
: homespun, badly tattered, and carrying a
, long rife upon his shoulder, who came
hurriedly over the lawn toward the house
Hardly stopping to knock, he entered the
, front door, and pushed into the room
, where Mary Basham and Ernest Fielder
!, were talking.
"Beg pardon, Miss" said the appari-
] ton, pulling slouched hat from an un-
kempt head, and resting the butt of his
rifle on the carpet; "sorry to come in SO
sudden like, but [ haven't time for per-
hteness. Mr.. Fielder, the guerillas has
been .huntin' for you in the village, and
they ken troe. So there amt no time for
! tradiiT hesses eff you want to git off,"
"Itshas. come sooner than L expected,
Nary said Ernest, as he started up. az
must bid you farewell now, and perhaps
forever. If 1 reach the Federal lines
safely, l will try to get word to you"
''No use talkin' bout the Federal lines
now, Mr. Fielder" said the erough-looking
man, "for here's the guerlllas 20
As he spoke, about twenty-five horse
men, dressed in homespun imitation OF
the Confederate uniform, rode up .he
street and halted in front of the mansion.
They were villainous set to look at, and
armed with ali sorts Of weapons, from a
hunting rife to fint-lock pistol. At
their head rode young man In the gay
uniform of a rebel officer, whose seat in
the saddle was quite unsteady.
'Fhey are part Of Dick Basham's gang"
said Mary, as she coolly surveyed them
from the window, "and he is drunk again.
Ill be bound. 1t is enough to DESTROY any
mans respect for himself TO associate with
such wretches, and I should think moth
ing could induce a geutle1aer,, as Dick
Rasham used to be, to do it,
"Come, Ben Sterling" said Fielder, who
had hastily seized his hat, ''we can yet es-
cape by the back way"
'No" exclaimed the girl, "you can do
no such thing, Tor they have already sur
rounded the house. Come, now, you two,
you are men. and you have arms, and if it
comes to the worst, you know low to sell
your lives dearly. But let me do nv part
first, for tell you that not a man Of that
gang shall cross this threshold while Ma
ry Basham lives Mr.. Fielder, give me |
one of your pistols"
Quite overborne By the intrepidity and |
energy of the high-spirited girl, Ernest
almost mechanically handed her pistol
As quick as thought, she brought out
from an adjoining closet large tin can
hlled with powder, carried it into the hall. |
threw open the door, and stood there, with
pistol IN hand, proud and defiant, and |
beautiful in her pride and defiance.
Captain Basham, with four Of his troop
ers, dismounted, and walked toward the
house. The path was hardly wide enough
Tor the gallant captain, whom a commits
sion as lieutenant general could not have
induced to walk in straight line. But
ne staggered on, until he was brought to
sudden pause by the ringing voice of
his sister
"Halt there, Dick Basham '' exclaimed
the indignant girl "What do you want
here, with that pack of dirty hounds at
your heels? None of fyourragamufIin cut
hroats shall enter this house nor shall
you until you are sober"
"Don't be foolish, Mary" HE coughed
he officer. "We only want that Dutch
Tory Abolition piano tuner, if he is in the
house. He must fight for the South now,
,r hang"
"Ernest Fielder is here" answered
Nary, ''and he is no Dutch Tory Aboli-
ion piano-tuner, but he is a gentleman,
nd that is more than you are, Dick Bash
m. He has not harmed you or any one else,
nd has not meddled with your niggers or
ny other mans, and you shall not touch
i'm while he is under my roof"
"It Is my roof as much as it is yours,
larry" persisted Dick, wko was inclined &
0 temporize when be saw the "blood of c
be Bashams" was fairly up in his sister. c
at is not for you said the house was I
o be all mile while the war lasted, if l '
7ould let you have Jake and Henry. IF /
was not mine, none of your thieving |
ang should ever enter it, nor shall you, a
$ l told you, until you are sober" t
"Come on, boys" said Basham, as he 4
to stagger towards the house.
My sister is carrying the joke too far
Ve are not to be turned from our duty by a
girl. Make way there, Mary, for we
lust search the house" @
iHalt there, for your life ~ his sister Il
most shouted, In tone that caused the "
oung man to stop instantly. "Do you
now this can of powder, Dick Basham z" a
i'd she, as she pointed to it with her pis- n
I GtAnd this 1r thruStinr tho ,oi,11Io =,