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

~-S'' AO0oO dul dl W dlOulS. DIS lar as tllS
can of powderzean do it."
"Hold, Mary p exclaimed her brother,
whom her desperate resolution had almost
sobered. "For Gods sake take your pis-
tol out of that powder! You are excited :;
and the least slip of your finger would send
you and perhaps all of us into eternity"
81 am as cool as ice, Dick Basham,"
answered the girl, 'sand my nerves are as
hrm as iron. Now mark me give YOU
until | count twenty TO mount your horses
and ride away from here. If you don't
leave In that time, [ swear to you by the
blood of the Bashams that I will fire the
pistol into the powder. One-two-"
GIL be bound she'd do it. Captain"
said one of the party. 'I can see it in
her eye, and [ reckon we'd better be 60
ing"
COZ course she would" said Basham in
dignantly. 'I would never own her for
sister OF mine, if she had not spunk
enough for thai. Well, she must have
ner own way this time, and we will have
chances enough TO catch the Dutchman."
eve are going now, Mary" he contin-
ued, "but you will be sorry for this, and
if you have SO far forgotten your position
and your duty as to fall in love with that
pIano-tuner, both he and you shall pay
dearly for it,"
'Never fear but [ can take care of my
position and my duty, Dick Basham.3
SAID the girl, as the guerillas mounted
their horses and rode away.
When 1t was fairly night, Fielder bade
Mary good bye, and went to the hills with
Ben Sterling. Mary sent her bov Jim
with them to bring her word if they got
safely off (; and when the boyreturned She
sent him back to their temporary hiding
place with two horses and a supply of pro-
visions.
Ernest Fielder, after much hardship
and some narrow escapes, reached the
Federal lines in safety. Finding a mum
Der of his Ole friends in the cavalry force,
some Of them IN high rank, he Joined that
arm OF the service aud as he had thor
ough military education, and was as brave
as man may well be, his promotion was
quite rapid; so that In the course of time
he was known as Major Fielder, and was
spoken of as a very promising officer.
1t was many long months after the mid
n1esht I1 ct kast Tanaessee, before the CLEAN
OF Union bayonets and the dasn or Union
sabres began to make very pleasant sun
rise Ill that region. In the advance of
the grand army, which at last carried re-
liet and protection to that prosecuted peo-
pie, was fine squadron Of cavalry, which
occupied, after slight resistance, the vii
lage near which Mary Basham lived. This
squadron was commanded by Major Ern-
est Fielder.
Dick Basham had been killed while
making brave but desperate defence
against the overwhelming force of the
Federals when they entered the village,
and his sister, although she did not love
him as she formerly had, was indignant |
At his death, aud resolved to aYenge it if |
she could find shadow of excuse for so
loing. So with the blood of the "Bash-
ans" boiling In her veins, she seated he--
self at the window where she and Ern-
EST had sat so many months before.
More troops came pouring into the vii
age, among them an infantry regiment,
Ill tired and hungry. Any army on the
march seldom treats very tenderly the
country through which it passes, nor is
discipline always preserved as It should
DC. Some of these men were excited by
liquor, and others toraged about as they
those.
A number of them mace their appear
nee at Mary Basham's fine mansion and
commenced raid upon the pigs and poul-
ry. Mary warned them off, but they
aughed at her, and ordered her to open
he door, threatening to break iG open if
he refused. She again warned them off
nd leveled her gun at the foremost man.
The soldiers laughed and advanced tow
rd the door TO burst it open. Mary Ba-
ham eoolly sighted her piece, but as she
rev the trigger a fne-looking fair haired
ficer rode up in front of the disorderly
oldlers just In time to receive the bullet
4 his shoulder. He fell from his horse
nd had only strength to order the men to
rotect that house and carry him in.
t was Ernest Fielder
When Mary Basham saw who it was
lat she had shot, she quite forgot the
cath Of her brother in this new calamity,
nd her GOODNESS and firmness forsook her
1tirely. She did her best, however, to
Ire the wound she had inflicted, and the
resence of wounded officer in the house
as the best protection she could have
ad. 1t was two long months before
rnest fully recovered, and when he was
BE to return to duty Mary Basham felt
lat she was not forgetting her position in
arrying the brave and talented officer.
BG- Memory presides over the past;