Nebraska advertiser., 1868-01-23
g&Ieet gt01g,
A HerOlne's Stratagem.

Whenever an invading army is en-
eamped in the country Of an enemy, tn
inhabitants for miles around are neve
secure in either property or life. vi
dettes, reconnoiIerring and foraging par
ties are more or less abroad In everydl
rection-to say nothing of a prOwling Sc
. of thieves and marauders, who follow al
: army as WOLVES do a hunter, or jackall
the lion, TO pounce upon whatever the!
can with ~impunity.
During the war for Independence, al
most a hundred years ago, these villain
Gus m~arauders became very troublesome
in some sections of the country, and th'
unprotected citizens, between the lines o
the two armies, often suffered terribly IL
life and property. In many cases tht
head of the family being away with the
army, the only inmates of the dwelling
were q or more women, with perhaps
q few children, too young TO afford theIl
mother D assistance in the event of an
attack; and such defenceless places the
cowardIy m~arauders delighted to assail
plunder, and burn, in the dead Of night
not u~nfrequently numbering in cold blood
the entire household, or adding such foul
deeds to their list of crimes as we care
not 10 relate.
In a rather lonely part of the country
a few miles northward from Phlladel-
mia. at the time the British took posses
sion of the city, there stood a solitary
dwelling. occupied by a Mrs. Parker, a
maiden sister, older than herself, and
two children of tender years. the hus-
band and father being in the army under
Gen. Washington.
A small farm, owned by her husband
was all Mrs. Parker had TO depend on
for a living and this during his absence
was carried on by herself and sister,
both working in the fields at plOughlng'
planting, and hoeihg, and only getting a
mans help for a few days IN haying.
Neither Mrs. Parker. nor her sister,
Miss Price, were al all delicate in person
or strength, but on the contrary, quite
strong and robust, and their outdoor la
bors. of course, increased their mascu-
l~ineness in some degree. Nor were they
as limid as the greater portion of their
sex-bul when they found the enemy
near them, and heard of the d%epreda-
lions and barbarilies Of here and there
a rowing band of villains, they clenched
their hands, set their teeth hard, and
said il was well the scoundrels did not
have two such persons as themselves to
deal with. Ii might naturally be asked
what two women-ay, or for that mat
ter, two men either-could do TO protect
themselves against a party of ten or
twenty armed desperadoes; but, as we
could answer The question to-day by tel
ling what they did do under just such cir
c~umstances, we will proceed to state the
facts that we wish to make known.
As one means of protection, aud also
10 destroy any game, troublesome or 9TH
erwise, that might chance in their way,
a loaded rifle was always kept in the
house and this weapon both of the SIS
ters had learned to handle with nearly
as much skill as the owner himself.
To order, too, that there might never be
any lack of ammunition, Parker, before
enIisting for the war, had purchased a
leg of powder IN the city, and stored it
in the cellar, in a little cell prepared
expressly for it, where it was kept per-
fectly dry, and with little or no danger
10 The inmates.
Now, one dark night, al a late hour,
the sisters were aroused from sleep by
a rapid succession of laundering knocks
upon one of the outer doors of their
dwelling, and they also heard several
gruf voices rapping out the most bias
phemous oaths and demanding instant
admitiance.
sally" said Mrs. Parker, starting
up in bed, Its them cut threats come
10 try their hands on us.
"Just so, Nancy" replied Mrs. Price,
sprrnging out of bed aud hurrying on
some of her clothes "and do you know
what we always SAID we'd do in case
they did come"
"It's awful though, amt it 2" returned
the other, in a tone of considerable dis
may aud alarm, as she FASTENED to fol.
low the example of her sister. "Oh,
my poor dear children! if we should fail
what will become Of them 2"
ode, / s'pose, as we WILL" replied
their maiden aunt. "But it won't do TO
fool away time in talking-we've got 20
act, and that, too, before the scoundrels
get in. I'll 60 and speak 'em fair, and
keep 'em from breaking in. if l can,
whilst you run and get the powder"
"Shall we need a lighl?" asked Mrs.
Parker.
"Yes, but I'll attend TO that you'll
not want any to get the powder with, be-
cause it amt ourselves we want to blow
up"
With this both hurried out of their
bedroom into a large apartment, which
occupied nearly the whole of the front
side of the dwelling, and was used as is
customary in farm houses as a sitting
room, diniug room and kitchen. From
this apartment a door led outside, anolh
er into the cellar, and a third into a wing
of small dimensions, which was much
newer than the main building, and was
principally used Gs a kind of work shop
and stoor-room.
"Who's there, and what do you want?"
screamed Miss Price, as soon as she
reached the kitchen, while her sister hur-
ried down the cellar stairs 10 get the
powder.
open the door, you angel, and we'll
tell you" was answered from the outside,
accompanied with a laugh, hat was nei-
Their merry nor musical.