The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-10-02
They heard him also expound to his hearers
- h.

at is enough" said the sergeant aud
placing their shoulders against the door, il
was burft open. +" You are our prisoners I
exclaimed the troopers, exclaimed the troop
ers, each man grasping sword In his righ
hand, and pistol in the left.
IL 10 the will Of Heaven !" said the Rev
Mr.. Duncan for 1t was be VIII had beer
reading and expoundIng the scriptures; "bu
II ye stretch forth your hands against q hail
o. our heads, He, without whom q sparrow
cannot ian to the ground, shall remember i.
sgaIDst ye at the great day O. reckoning
when the trooper shall be stripped of his ar.
mOuT, and his right hand shall be witness
against him"
The soldiers burst into laugh of derison
No more Of your homily, reverend oracle, =
said the sergeant; Z" have On excellent re-
cipe for short sermons here, utter another
word and you shall have it |" The troopers
laughed again, and the sergeant as, be spoke
held his pistol ia the face of the preacher.
Besides the preacher there were in the
room old John Brydone, his son Daniel, and
Mary.
"Wsll, old grcybeard," said the sergeant,
addressing John, "you have been reported
as a dangerous andsdsa ffected Presby terlan
knave, as We find you to be you are { 30
accused Of being harborer and an accom-
plice Of the preachers of sedition; and, 10,
We have found also that your house is usec
as conventcle. We have caught you in
the act, and we shall take every sOul of you
as evidence againt yourselves. So come
along, old boy-I should only be doing nv
duty by blowing your brains agsint the wall,
but that is q ceremony which our comman-
der may wish to see performed in his own
presence"
/ "Sir," said John, 81 neither fear you nor
your armed men. TAX me to the bloody
Claverhouse, if ye will, and at the day O.
judgment it shall be said Let tie murder
ers O. John Brydone stand forth = I"
Let US despatch them at once" said one
Of the troopers.
"Nay," said the sergeant; /" bind them TO-
tain don't know but he may wish to do
justice to them with his own hand"
The tender mercies Of the wicked are
cruel" groaned Mr.. Duncan.
Mary wrung her hands" Oh, spare nv
father % she cried.
Wheest, Mary :" said the old man " as
soon wad camel pass through the eye o. q
needle, as ye wad find compassion in the
hands O. these men "
+" Bind the girl and the preacher together,
said the sergeant
may, by your leave, sergeant" inter-
rupted one of the troopers, 81 wouldu't be
the man to lift q hand against pretty girl
like that, II you would give me regiment
for IT,"
Gay, ay, Macdonald, )" replied the sergeant
:" this comes Of your serving under that
canting fellow, Lieutenant Now bray-he has
no love Tor service ; and confound me If do
not believe he half Roundhead in his heart.
Tie the hands Of the girl, command you"
will not !" returned Macdonald " and
hang me if any one else shall 70 Ant, with
his sword in bis hand he placed himself be-
tween Mary and his comrades.
a" If you do not bind her hands will cause
others to bind yours" said the sergeant
"They may try that who dare 70 returned
the soldier, who was the most powerful man
Of the party '~but what I've said I'll stand
to-"
You shall answer for this to morrow"
said the sergeant, sullenlY, who feared 10
provoke q quarrel with the trooper.
/" will anaRer- it, y replied the other.s------
John Brydone, his son Daniel, and the
Rev. Mr.. Duncan, were bound together with
strong cords, and driven from the house
They were fastened, also, to the horses OF
the troopers. AS they were dragged along,
the cries and the lamentations OF Mary fol-
lowed them and the troopers laughed at her
wailing or answered her cries with mockery,
ull the sound of her grief became inau olbIe
in the distance, when again they initiated
her cries to harrow up the feelings Of her
father.
Claverhouse, and . party of bis troops
we're then in the neghborhood Of Traqualr /;
and before that man, who knew not what
mercy was, John BTy done, and his son, and
the preacher were brought 1t was on the
afternoon OF the day following that on which
they had been made prisoners, that Claver-
house ordered them to be brought forth. He
was sitting, with wine befors him, 10 the
midst of his officers AID amongst them was
ded to by the sergeant.
"Well, knaves," began Claverhouse, eye
have been singing, praying, preaching, and
holding conventlcles.-D you know how
GTahame Of Claverhouse rewards such re-
bells Z"
I As the prisoners entered Lieutenant Now.
bray turned away his bead and placed bis
hand upon his brow.
Sir" said John, addressing Claverhouse,
"Pm neither kDave nor rebel hae lifted
up INV voice TO the God O. my fathers, ac-
cOrding to my conscience and. unworthy
as | am o. the least O. his benefits, for three
score ears and ten he has been my shep-
herd and deliverer, and, if it be good in His
sight, He will deliver me now. NY trust is
in Him, and fear neither the frown nor the
sword o. the prosecutor"
Have done, grey headed babbler |" cried
Ciaverhouse.
Lieutenant Aowbray, who still sat with
his face from the prisoners, raised hs hand
ksrchief to his eyes.
"Captain," said Mr.. Duncan, there's a
day coming when ye shall stand before the
great Judge, as we now stand before you
and when the remembrance O. this day, and
the blood o. the righteous which We hae shed
shall be written with letters O. FIRE on yer
ain conscience, and recorded against ye"
"Sllence exclaimed Claverhouse. "Away
with them be added, waving his hand 70
the troopers. :" shoot them before sunrise 4"
Shortly after the prisoners had been con-
veyed from the presence Of CIaverhouse,
Lieutenant Mowbrsy withdrew and having
sent for the soldier Who had interfered on
behalf Of Mary" Macdonald" he began,
"you were present yesterday when the pris-
oners, who are to die tomorrow, were taken.
Where did you fnd themf"
"Iu the old mans house," replied the
soldier and be related all that he had seen,
and how be had Intertered to save the
daughter. The heart Of the officer was
touched, and be walked across bis room, as
cns whose spirit was troubled. You did
well, Macdonald r. said he, at length" you
did well !" He was again silent, and again
he added" And you found the eacher in
the old mans hOuse-yOu fOurd N there !"
There was an anxious wldnesDin the tone
of the lieutenant
ave found him there's" replied the sol