St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-06-17

pletely discomtited them.
''Down with you,'' and | felt myself
pulled suddenly under the parapet, in
time to hear the bullets from the caval-
ry outside of the ditch sing over our
heads. $50 far so good" was Dicks
comment. ''Take a drop Of whiskey,
and watch the next move.
The moon was now nearly over; but
that was not 50 much against us, the
night being clear and starlight enough to
see a man at ten PAGES. We could hear
the trampling of horses feet, and guttur-
al sounds of talking, and guessed that a
council of war was being held. Sudden
ly a spark appeared about two hundred
yards from the house-for they had fired
our haystack-and grew rapidly into a
flame. Brighter and brighter it became,
and lit up the scence-which was one of
those men do not easily forget-as with
the glare of the MONDAY sun.
Grouped round the flame, and out of
range, were our focs-their swarthy
skins, snaky hair glistened in the fire
light; and they brandished lances, and
screamed with delight at the destruction
they had caused.
Dogs were barking, and the horses in
corral neighing shrilly and rearing with
terror-some fighting deperately to es-
cape.
looked at my companions face; it
was very pale, and the expression de-
cidedly ugly.
'Look. :" he said hoarsely. "Here
comes an ambassador. Good Heaven
look -
turned with astonishment but the
sickening sight L saw fully accounted for
Dicks excitement and rage.
A nearly naked Indian was boldly ad-
vancing toward us,and bearing before him
Il burden, which etfec,ually secured. as lie
meant it to do, his immunity from our
shots.
\ beautiful white girl of about seven
teen was lying helpless in his arms. Her
hands We're bound behind her back, and
masses of coal-black hair encircled a fece
showing deadly terror and horror in cv-
cry feature. and dropped nearly to the
ground over the savage's. arm. Her
dreS., torn from one white shoulder
showed how hard had been the first in
etttctual struggle against her captors.
As the Indians crossed the ditch Uhey
had cut the rope which held mp the
drawbridge in the first attack with his
burden, Dick. with deep groan. rccog-
nizcd her. ''lt.is Ro>ita. Don Ramon's
i, |, H.. Il
Alfred, and will save her or die with
hcr. Listen - he continued, hurriediy
This rascal has come TO make some
proposal to Us. Keep your eye on him
and the moment you get a tar chance,
fire at him. If you Kill her, it Is the
better fate. When l hear the shot |
will throw open the window (Which |
can more easily than the door,, and try
tor rescue. But, for Heavens sake.
don't leave the roof. Our only hope Is
iii your being able to keep Off the others,
who Will rush from the ditch. Good-by."
And he was down the ladder before |
could speak, leaving his hat cunningly
adjusted above the parapet. Poor Dick
all his GOODNESS and sang .t'roid had van
lshed now | was myself not in pleas
ant predicamcnt. To carry cut his half
mad scheme involved my running ter
rible risk Of shooting my friends sweet
heart. which ut any other time would
have appeared impossible; but when |
read the agony and loathing in the poor
girls eyes, | braccd my nerves, set my
teeth, laid my rifle ready; and inwardly
>wore that no trembling OF my hand should
mar her deliverance.
And now the savage, n truculcnt looking
brute. raised his voice, and demanded. in
broken Spanish. a surrender. He threat
ened us with all the torture! his ingenu-
lous traterncty are so justly proud of
having invented, in case of obStinacv.
and bid us look upon his captive. for
that she, too, should suffer for Us As he
said this he grasped the girls hair and bru-
tally raised her head. With sudden spring
of pain and ght she threw herself out
of his arms, and fell TO the ground. His
time and mine had come. AS he stoop-
ed my bullet laid him dead by the side of
his intended victim. Dick made his rush
from the window, and the Indians theirs
from the ditch, as he predicted but as
Rosita was rather nearer to the house
than the ditch, he managed to reach her
first, and was retrcating with her in his
arms. And now all depended upon me. My
first shot, amied at the foremost of the
assallants, missed him clean and before
L could seize the other rifle he made a
Visions thrust at Dick, who. encumbered
as he was, was quite helpless. The lance
passed through Rosita's dress, luckily
without injury to the wearer; and as
the savage drew back for cooler and
snrer thrust, had the inexpressibIe
pleasure of lodging a bullet in his body,
which eiicctuaily prevented any further
lance exercise from him.
Then l heard a heavy fall in the room
below. Dick had thrown his burden
clean through the open window, at the |
risk of breaking limb, and turning
found himself engaged hand to hand
with a dozen Indians. He set his back |
against the wall, and drew his revolver
with his right hand, receiving as he did
so spear thrust through his left arm
but his and any revolver, fortunately re-
served until now, played among the at
tacking party, and {; man was dropping
at every shot; so they drew off. Dick
managed, with great effort, to drag
himself through the window, and then
tainted away from the loss Of blood and
exhaustion; and when | ran down the
ladder to make fast the window again, l
found him comfortably reclining with his
head in Iiosita's lap, the latter having