The Portland daily press., 1870-01-29
Selected story
The Shan Van Voght'
A True Story
CHAPTER I.
nv pneFccA HARDING DAVIS.

D0 Ii IL.
Clergyman had been riding hard, Tom noticed
and looked scared and excited: so Tom
promptly pushed his shaggy pony between
bis fathers horse and the hedge, to hear all
that was going on.
Inc rebels are here, and in force Mr.. Kel-
soc; there can be no doubt about if. Jarvey
saw with his own eyes last night, large bodies
OF men, masked, crossing the road yonder
Ihey are secreted in your woods. Your own
servants are no doubt in league with them"
"That can't be, father" cried Tom, angrly
Mr.. kelsoe put his hand gently on Toms
shoulder
There's no trusting any of them," Mr.
Knapp went ON exc'edly. 1.-The secret league
includes every Milesan Irishman. Your tos-
ter-brother, or the old nurse in your chimney
corner, may be pledged to poison you, or 10
stab you in your bed"
Mr.. Kelsoe shook his head. 81 think know NV
these people better than you," he SAID maduiy
WHAT did they do last week m, IN r,o',so -,
In Sligo? Plundered every ioyaHst . uouse vi
armsSthen burned and lied as they weat
And orr district is unprotected by single
So.Iier teIi YOU, Mr. Kesoe, there's muir
der in the air! Look TO your own house TO-
night"
He rode away hurriedly, and Mr.. Kelsoe.
and Tom logged on leisuleiy. Tom looked
down uneasiiy through the darkenins even
lu2s ~ Lie VI pAdth WUOuS below the
hill. He Iancied mysterious shadows of mask
ed men passing to and tro
"Father, is it true that the rebels have done
as he says 10 Sligo2"
I'm afraid il is, Tom"
The bounds! I'D like to see them come
after our armsl 1t would give me satisfaction
tatner, 10 bave crack at one OF that rabble
with my towing piece!
there's something to be said on theil
side" Mr.. Kelsoe said, as if speaking to him
SELF There is something always 10 be sale
on the other SIDE" Toms father had al
ways been member OF the Church OF Eng
lSh't, but Nature had surely meant him Tor
Quaker.
They are thieves and murderers."
They are Gods creatures, my son."
AS soon as they reached the house, Ton
rushed up stairs to clean his fowling piece
He had only owned it week.
Tom kelsoe was ten years old; just the age
OF Tom Waters here beside me. He was bic
broad ches,ed fellow, too, and could throw any
boy OF his size, just like this other Tom. They
had the same honest, reckled faces, and shock Of
blaek bair, and chapped, red hands; and there
was lot Of string, and nails, and top, and q
wormy apple, in Tom Kesoe's pocket, precise
Up as there is in lom Waters now But this
Tom wears chevoit sack, dull and decorous
that Tom was to be seen afar off, in his bIue
round about, gay with gilt buttons; this one
shoves his way through great public school,
and cnatlers el.by OF chemistry, geology, and
steam-engnes; the other pored over heavy
Latin books, with humble, awkward tutor
who TAUGHT the sous OF the gently the
hulnanities," or cut high pigeon wings n the
air with his legs, before his dancing master
piactlclng contra dances, jigs,. and strath
speys. Our Tom whistles {" LIE sabre de mon
PEREZ" and plays baseball; the o.her Tom
troited alter the whipper-in, before day, to sec
tile hounds throw oil, shouting
"a southerly wind and cloudy sky
I1ocaim l hunting morning,
WIN d hey no, ivy, iantfvy hop
or he coursed for bares over the snow-covered
turf. One hurrahs tor Grant; the other pray
ed every night for King George and Queen
Charlotte. Iom Waters is a jolly, vide a.
wake boy yet, and means to be President; the
otner Tom was long ago laid to rest, an old,
white-bearded mau. For our story is of a
time nearly century ago; and the rebels
whom Tom Kelsoe feared did not belong to
this country, but to little island where the
fields are green, and the people hot-tem. erred
all the year round.
Tom polished his gun vigorously. Kit Cas-
sidy held the oil, and bits of leather. Kit was
TOMS foster-brother
Id like chance at one of the rebels with
this, Kit"
It's yerself as wud be the sure shot, Mas
ter Tom"
What can those wretches do with arms ?''
(boastngly.) They never owned gun"
"Ibey wurn't allowed any.-no more than
the bastes. Your'er in the light OF it, Masther
Tom" trowned Kit.
"WLy, you belong to their church, Kit: YOU
ought to be one OF Them" (carelessly. peering
into the barrel as he spoke.
Och wirasthruel wind vpes cav to mn Tho
wuz Ribbonman?" with a sudden howl of
horror.
Don't bother, Kit. Pick up that cloth,
and stop whining. 1 know you're Orange to
backbone. Like me-"
Kit stood by in silence while, his furtive
blue eyes stealthily watching Tom, under the
light lashes.
II suppose yeez couldn't lift one of the mas
Tiers guns now?"
seen
Tom hung his pretty silver-mounted gun
over bis bed carefully, and then ran down the
steps leading to his fathers chamber, closely
followed by Kit. 1t was large room, with
windows opening to the ground Over the
hie place hung couple of crossed swords, ard
q. line gun, which Mr.. Keisoe used in the
chase. From under the pillow Tom drew
pair OF pistols; the bed was high. posted. with
aS~Fy WooiSu CuitdIuS; HUN Tue tester, or
top, he took down couple Of light guns.
is that ?" said Kit, with a touch of
tempt. Tom hesitaed. An Irish gentleman
took as much pride in his weapons as his
horses, and Tom had no mind to hear bis ia
Their sneeied at; still he remembered that Kit
Led to the class who were punished with
death, Il a gun was found in their houses; and
that they were now in rebellion, burning and
Il nns, Mr. Knapp said, all be ore them, to
gain possession OF these very weapons.
"f | show YOU the others, you'll never
breathe 1t now, Kits' he said at last. "There's
danger ot"-
Them rascally Ribbonmen. l know. Och,
yeez wouldn't be afeared OF poor Kit, now,
Iasther Tom?"
So Tom pushed back the bed-curtains,
touched spring in the panel, and showed a
secret closet, in which hung about dozen
guns, most OF them finely mounted. MY IA
ther has better collection than Lord Ros-
common" he said, proudly closing, the door.
"Tioth. it's foine." But Kit turned away
with such dull, Indifferent face, that Toms
uneasiness was dispeIled. He went down to
supper. That was very different meal fram
the light dishes of crackers and oysters, and
tea, which Tom Waters called supper. There
was table covered with fine linen. which
Mrs kelsoe and her maids had spun (there
We're great presses full OF it upstairs and on
~ wele ioaSteu WIN uuckS, ana q mountain OF
spiced beeI, and dishes of game, and fish, and
hare pasty, besides hot cakes and tea, and
an enormous bowl OF punch, and high jugs of
smoking toddy, with the roasted apples bob
Ding up and down. Some of the neichbors
were there, as they were indeed for every
meal. Tom slipped away alter supper, and
ran out to the kitchen. There was a great
crowd there, and as heavy eating, as in the
nall. There was no counting the hangers on
about the Kelsoeskitchen. There were cooks,
and maids, and grooms, and the hen-wie ,and
the goose-wite, and the wife who made the
BARN (yeast), and dozen more who '.iist
held by the family" Yet Mr.. Kelsoe was not
rich man. He held large dairy farms ION
peppercorn leases Tor ninety-nins yea ST. and
the many mouths ate up more than the prot
Its from ear to year.
Tom liked to go down to the kitchen to be
tatteIed and lked with, and TO hear stories
OF fairies and banshees. But tonight it WIS
was very dull down there; the men, even KIT.
mad all gone to wake, and the women were
silent. so he went to bed early, leaving a |
candle burning, with a frightened look out
AZ the slope OF the hill, and the woods beyond |
IL was about midnight when Tom awoke
VIII the sudden feeling OF terrible DANCER.
1ne room was still as death the candle was
zone out, put the moonlight lay in square
patcn on the floor. He got up and CROPPED
ne went to the window. What was that
.ash, compact mass by the copse wonder.
. ,1 1ere tue fox found cover on Mondavi
" y, nat were these moving shadows, stealing
,,ioWIy 10 the house, below the trees? Sud7
-shiy Wild cry broke through the air. IT