The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-09-12

was ready anu Wiling 10 90 any tnlnS lOT
"marst." The sun had set, supper was over
and Mr.. Pickens and his lady had retired
to their chamber, but had not gone to bed.
Dick was "a settin in der Kitchen a lookin
outen de winder. Il watchin for de Tories"
About eleven o'clock Mr.. Pickens hearing
a noise went to the window and saw by
the light OF the full moon that the yard
was filled with armed men, about twenty
five in number. He raised the window and
inquired the cause of this intrusion. He
was answered by grutf, brutal voice, that
he well knew came from certain Captain
Kaig, a notorious Tory and murderer, and
told that he was their prisoner, and that he
must come down Immediately, or they
would come up and take him. The villain
at the same time gave his men their orders
that they must take the prisoner alive and
unhurt, and that if any of them wounded
him he would shoot them in their tracks !;
"for," said he Mr.. Pickens has to hang on
King Georges Oak. This tree was about
four miles distant, and was favorite place
with the Tories to hang innocent men, and
already several of the gallant sons of liber
ty had been executed at this fatal spot by
the savage, brutal Tories.
MIR. Pickens answered them defiantly,
telling them to come up and take him if
they felt like it. Our hero now whispered
to his wife and told her what to do. She
was calm, cool and collected The devils
were ascending the steps, our soldier pre-.
pared to receive them. He first seized his
sword and drawing the broken weapon,
he cast it from him and seized his pistols
and prepared for action. With wild, bru-
tai curses the foe advanced on him. He
snapped first one pistol, and then the other.
He saw that some traitor had been there, but
but he could not guess who. There was no
time to lose. He dubbed his heavy pisto
and knocked the first villain down; as econd
savage shared the same fate, and third fell
under fearful blow, to rise no more. The
passage was narrow and he kept the enemy
at bay. They could easily have shot him,
but their orders were to take him unhurt,
under penalty of death. But at this crisis,
as our hero was facing the foe he was
seized from behind and hurled to the floor
by the powerful arms of the negro traitor,
who sprang upon his masters breast and
held him by brute force until the room was
filled with blood thirsty villains, who soon
had him securely tied. After they had
him secure they informed him that he
would he hung on King Georges Oak at
sunrise-the brutal Kaig telling him that
God, man or devil could not save him.
Mrs. Pickens heard all they said, and left
No one knew where she went. They took
their prisoner into the yard, mounted hin
on horse and tied him to the stirrups-
The villains did not even stop to plumber
the mansion, the captain telling them it
would be time enough to plumber the house
after they returned. They carried out their
dead companion and laid him under tree
in the yard, ant. said they would attend to
him on their return. Now they started for
the Oak. Dick mounted IL horse and went
along, as he said, to "see de fun" They
got to the oak before daylight, and dis
mounting turned their horses loose to Craze.
They sat about in groups and waited for
dawn. They did not deem it requisite to
place any scouts or guards, for they thought
that NO enemy was nigh, and their leader
told them that Sumpter was 80 miles dis
tant. Dick had stolen small demiiohn of
fine old brandy from his master, and with
this he treated "de gemmen." The coarse,
brutal kaig gave Dick liberty to taunt his
poWerless master, which the savage fieud
did IN his own style, telling him among
other things "dat dis chile am de owner OBJ
de place now, an dat de proud mistis
would be his sarvant." But Mr. Pickens
bore his taunts without giving them the
semDlance OF attention. When the Tory
leader ordered our hero to tell him where
Sumpter was encamped, he haughtily an
swered him that he held no converse with
villain and murderer. He told him he
was their prisoner, they could do with
nm as they pleased, but he would sooner
die hundred deaths than betray his gen.
eral. He thanked them for the respite
that they had granted him, and told them
he would be quite ready for them at sun
rise. The oak stood in an open meadow,
three sides OF which were bordered by a
dense thicket; the bushes being about 40
yards from the tree. The other side was
open country. About daylight the muir
derers prepared for the execution. They
first drew cart under the fatal limb, which
projected from the tree about Is feet from
the ground. Pickens was now ordered to
get in the cart, which order he promptly
obeyed, telling them he was soldier and
was used to obeying orders. 1t was almost
sunrise, and Dick was ordered to climb
the tree and adjust the rope. The black
traitor, who in his savage glee had Invested
himself OF all his clothing except his panta-
looms, promptly assembled the oak with the
activity OF a wild cat. The blood thirsty
demons were now formed around the
doomed man. They thought of nothing
else. Our hero stood erect, his fine tall
manly form standing above the savage
crowd in bold relief He told them def
antly that he did not fear them, and that
an hour OF retribution awaited them Dick
had assembled the tree and lay stretched on
the fatal limb, and he looked like some imp
from the regions inferno. A stout rope
with running moose was now thrown to
Dick, who caught it with loud demon
lac laugh, but before the laugh had died
on his lips he came down from his perch in
hurry, with bullet through his heart for
at this instant ringing peal of musketry
broke on the still morning air, and Is of
the murderers lay bleeding around their
intended victim. Now with loud shout
twenty horsemen with drawn sabres came
dashing into the midst. The balance of
the Tories tried in vain to escape. 1t was
perfectly useless. Amongst the foremost
in the charge was raw boned, spare boy,
scarcely ID years of age. This brave youth
came dashing up, shouting his battle cry.
His aim was for the brutal captain, who
seeing his antagonist was nothing but a
pale boy, stopped and fired a pistol at him,
but it was his last shot, for in an instant
more his head was split in twain by our
youthful warrior; and, reader, that boy was
Andrew jackson, afterward the hero of
hundred fights. The Tories were all down,
about twenty of them killed, and the rest