Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-09-14
A Revolutionary Legend.


A Revolutionary Legend.
It was in the wiidS of Wisshicon, on
the day of the battle, as the MONDAY
sun came shining through the thicllly
clustered leaves, that two men met in
deadly conflict near the rock which
rose like a huge wreck of some prim-
eval world, at least one hundred feet
above the dark waters of the Wissa-
hicon.
The man with the dark brow aud
the darker gray eye flashing with
deadly light-with muscular form
clad in a blue hunting frock of the
reyolution-is a continental named
Warren. His brother was murdered
the other night at the massacre of
Paoli.
The other man with long black
hair dropping along his cadaverous
face, is clad in the half military cos
tune of tory refugee. This is the
murderer OF Paoli, named Delaney.
They met here by accident, and
now they fought, not with sword and
rife. but with long and deadly hunt
ing-knives they struggled, twining
and twisting over the green sward.
At last the tory is down down
on the tnrf, with the knee of the con-
tinental upon his breast-that uprais-
ed knife quivering in the light
that dark eye flashing death in his
face
"Quarter! l yield" gasped the
tory, as the knee was pressed upon
I his breast; "spare mel yield"
My brother" said the patriot sol
dier, in that tone of deadly hate, "my
brother cried for quarter on the night
of Paoli, and even as he clung to
your knees you struck that knife into
his heart. Oh, | will give the quarter
of Paoiw
As his hand was raised for the blow
and his teeth were clenched with dead
/ ly hate, he paused for moment then
/ pinioned the tory's arms, and with Il
rapid stride, dragged him to the verge
of the rock. and held him quivering
over the abyss,
Mercy" gasped the tory, turning
black and ashy pale by turns, as that
awful gulf yawned below. "Mercy
| have a wife and chid-spare me. >
T Then tho continental, with his mus
cular strength gathered for the effort,
shook the murderer once more over
the abyss, and then Kissed this bitter
snccr between his teeth
"Mr brother had a wife and two
children. The morning after the
night of Paoli, >hat wife was a wild
ow, and hose children orphans
Would you not like to go and beg
your lite of that widow and her child
ren ?"
The proposal made by the cont.
: MENTAL in the mockery of bitter hate
, was taken in serious earnest by the
stricken tory. He begged to be TAX
) en- to the widow and children, to have
the privilege Of begging his life. Aftel
? moment of serious thought the pa
tri0t soldier consented. He bomd
: the tory's arms still tighter, placing
l him on the rock again, and led hin
} up the woods. A quiet cottage EN-
bosomed among the trees broke OF
5 their eyes. They entered the cottage
; There, beside the desolate hearthstonC
l sat the widow and her children, She
7 sat there a matronly woman of about
thirty years, with a face faded b,
: care, a deep dark eye, and black hair
= hanging in a dishevelled state abou
her sholders.
e On one side was a dark-haired DO,
+, Of some six summers on the othe
p side little girl, one year younger
: with light blue eyes. The Bible-al
i old and venerable volume-lay opel
on the mothers knee. And then tn
t. pale faced tory flung himself on hi
e knees, and confessed he had butcher
IS ed her husband on the night of Paol;
y and begged his life at her hands.
k Spare me for the sake of my wifi
? my childE'
k He had expected this pitiful moa
would touch the widows heart, bu
is not one relenting CLEAN softened he
le face.
IS "The Lord shall judge betwee
e, US p she said in a cold icy tone, tha
Of froze the murderers heart. Look
T. the Bible is in my lap; | will clos
O. the volume, and this boy shall open
It. and place his finger at random on
line, and by that line you shall hN
IL or die =
Of This was strange proposal, mad
n in good faith, Of wild and dar
lie superstition of the olden times. Ft
lg a moment, the tory, pale as ashe
ht was wrapt in thought. Then IN
fainting voice he signified his co
t1 sent.
"a Raising her dark eyes to Heave
as the mother prayed to the great Fat
d. er to direct the finger of her son.
ed She closed the book-she handed
up to the boy, whose cheek reddeEt
ey with loathing as he gazed upon b
fathers murderer He took the L
of bic, opened its pages at random al
he placed his finger on verse.
ed There was a silence. The con
nd mental soldier who had sworn
lat avenge his bro til e rs death, stot
ce there with dilated eyes and part
uf. lips.
rel The culprit kneeling on the fiot
ng with his face like discolored clay, Il