The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-02-02
The Shan Van NOght.
\ TRUE STORY.
rY HEnEncA HARDING DAVIS.
From the Riverside Magazine,
CHAPTER /.

II was lust outside of Mr.. Kclsoc's own
farm gate that he and Tom met Mr.. Knapp
The clergyman had been riding hard, Tom
noticed, and he looked scared and excited
so Tom promptly pushed his shaggy pony
between his fathers horse and the hedge,
to hear all that was going on.
The rebels are here, and in force, Mr.
Kclsoc there can be no doubt about It,
Jaryey saw with his own eyes last night,
large bodies of men, masked, crossing the
the road yondcr. They are secreted in your
woods Your own servants are no doubt in
league with Them
THAT can't be, father" cried Tom, an
grily.
Mr.. Kcsoo put his hand gently on Toms
shoulder.
"Thcrc is no trusting any of them Mr..
Knapp went on, oxcitcdly. 1.-THE secret
league includes every Sticsian Irishman.
Your iOstcr.brothcr, or the old nurse in your
chimney corner, may be pledged TO poisnn
you. or tn stab you in your bed
Mr. Kclsoc shook his head. ~ think
know these people better than YOU" he said
mildly.
What did they do last week in Donegal
In Sligo? Plundcrcd every lOyalist's house
of arms,-thGn burned and killed as they
went. And our district is unprotected by II
single soldier. | tell you, Mr.. Kcsoe, there's
murder in the arr Look to your own house
tonight
He rode away hurricdly, and Mr.. Kesoc
and Tom logged on lcsurcly. Tom looked
down uncasily through the darkcning even
ing, at the stretch of black woods below the
hill. lie fanCiGd mysterious shadows OF
masked men passing to and fro.
Father, is it true that the rebels have
dOnc'ns he says, in Sligo!"
IL am afraid it is, Tom"
"The hounds I'd like to sec them come
after our arms 1t would give me satisfac
ton, father. to have crack at one of that
rabbc, with my iowling piecel"
There is something to be said On their
side Mr.. Kclsoe said, as-if talking To him,
sci. "Thcrc is something always to he SAID
on the other side" Toms father had been
always Il member of the Church OF England,
but Nature had surely meant him for u
Quaker.
"They are thieves and murdcrers y
"Thcy are Gods creatures, my son.
As soon as they reached the house. Tom
rushed up stairs to clean his towing piece.
He had only owned it II week.
Tom KcsOc was ten years old just the
ace of Tom Waters here beside me. He
was big, broad chcstcd fellow, too, and
could throw any boy of his size, Just like
this other Tom. They had the same honest
frccklcd faces and shock of black hair. and
Chappcd red hands, and there was n lot of
strings, and nails, and a top, and II wormy
apple, in Tom Kcsoe's pocket, precisely as
there is in Tom Waters now. But this Tom
wears a cheviot sack, dull and dccorous,
that Tom was to be seen aiar off in his blue |
roundabout, gay with gilt buttons, this one
shovcs his way through great public school |
and chattcrs glibly of chemistry, geology, |
-.
heavy latin books, with n humble, awkward |
tutor, who taught sons of the gentry the |
humanities," or he cut high pigeon wings |
in the air with his egs, before ms dancing |
master, practicing contra dances, iigs and |
strAth-speys. Our Tom whistles lie sabre |
dc mon PEREZ" and plays base ball the 9TH
or Tom trotted after the whippor.in, before
day, to see the hounds thrown of shout
ing
"a southcrly wind and cloudy sky
Proclaim IL a hunting morning,
With hey no, tivy, tantivy how
or he cnursed for harcs over the snowcov-
cred turf One hurrahs for Grant, the other
prayed every night for King George and
Queen Charlotte. Tom Waters is Il jolly,
widcawake boy yet, and means to be Prcsi-
dent; the other Tom was long ago laid to
rest, an old, whitchcaded man. For our
stOIN Is Oh Il llllc nearly u century ago, ana |
the rebels whom Tom Kclsoe feared did not
belong to this country, but to little island
where the fields are green and the people
hot tempered all the year round
Tom polished his gun vigorously. Kit
Kassidy held the oil and hits of leather KIT
was Toms foster-brother
I'D like II chance at one of the rebels
with this, Kit"
Its ycrself as wud be the sure shot. Mas
'h sE Ten .,,,, I'D, ,,,,.7,,s. -. ,,gc1
They wurn't allowed any--uo more than
the bastcs. You're in the right of it, Mas
thcr Tom," iawned Kit
why you belong to their church. Kit |
you ought to be one OF them" carclcssly
pccriug into the barrel rs he spoke.
"Och, wirasthruc wud yecs say to me
hat wuz RibbUnman ~ with u sudden
howl of horror.
Don't bother, Kit Pick up that cloth,
md stop whining. | know you're Orange
o the backbone
Kit stood by in silence II while, his fur.
i've blue eyes stcalthily watching Tom un.
Ter the light lnshcs.
'1suppose yoeZ couldn't lift one of the
nasther's guns, now? ?"
Tom hung his pretty slvcr-mountcd gun
ver his bed carefully, and then ran down .
he steps leading to his fathers chamber I,
loosely followed by Kit 1t was a large !,
Dom, with windows opening to the ground.
)ver the fire place hung couple of crossed
words, and IL fine gun, which Mr. Kelsoe !,
sed in the chase. From under the pillow /,
ON drew pair of pistols; the bed was
with heavy wooden curtains
ON the tester, ortop he took down cou Z,
le oflight guns. q
that oil Gail Ly;t ,,;.l | a.
Tom hcsitated. An Irish gen.
eman took as much pride in his weapons 81
) his horses, and Tom had no mind to "
ear his father snecred at still, he remcm. 81
cred that Kit belonged to the class who 81
ere punished with death il gun was Il
und in their houses, and that they were Il
NV in rebellion, burning and killing, Mr. W
napp said, all before them, to gain posses.
on of these very weapons. hi
"lf show you the Others, you'll never fc
cath 1t now, Kit ?" he said at last. m
There's danger OF" al
"Thcm rascaly Ribbonmcn. know. d.
ch, ycez wouldn't he afCard of poor Kit,
wv, Masthcr Tom ~
So Tom pushed back the bed curtains en-
uchcd a spring IN the panel and showed iii
secret closet in which hung about dozen be
ns, most of them finely mounted. my ST.
thcr has better collection than Lord ~
'scommon,' he said proudly, closing the
or.
"TrOth, its foino.' But Kit turned away of
til such II dull indifferent face that Toms TO
casincss was dispcllcd. lie went down bu
supper. That was a very different meal sh
I'M the Hight dishes Of crackers and oys- cd
5 and ten which Tom Waters calls supper. or
ero was u table covered with fine linen, SCI
lich Mrs. Kclsoc and her mai Is had spun
Icrc were great presses full OF it up stairs en-
on 1t were roasted wild ducks, and a
'untain Of spiccd beef, and dishes Of game th,
i fish, and hare pastry besides hot sui
tcs and tea, and an enormous bowl of mi
ncl and high jugs OF smoking toddy. VT
Lh the roasted apples bobbiug up and do
wn. Some of the ncighbors were there, aft
they were indeed for every meal Tom do
'pcd away after supper, and ran out to