Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-16

See how still it is in town. There's
| not man to be SEEN"
"Oh, they are hiding till the soldiers
get nearer Then we will hear the shots
and the drum" .
"The drum! How can they? It's here.
/ Father brought it home to mend 1t last
night"
ibid he? oh, then let's"
"See, the first boat has reached the
sloop. Oh! OH They are going to burn
her."
Isn't it mean?"
SITS too bad,-too-"
| "Where is that drum?"
"It's in the kitchen
give great mind to GO down and beat
| it."
"What good would that dos"
"Scare en-
| "They'd see it was only two girls, and
they would laugh and go on burning just
the same"
"No. We could hide behind the sand
hills and the bushes. Come, let's"
ooh, look! look! The sloop's atirep'
"Come, | can't stay and see it any
more. The cowardly Britishers, to burn
the boats! Why don't they go up to the
town and fight like"
Come, let's get the drum. It'll do no
harm; and perhaps"
"Well, let's. There's the fife, too; we
might take that with US"
"Yes; and WE'LL"
No time for further talk. Down the
steep stairs of the tower rushed these
two young patriots, bent on doing what
they could for their country They burst
| into the kitchen like a whirlwind, with
rosy cheeks and flying hair. Mrs. Bates
sat sorrowfully gazing out OF the win
dow at the scene of destruction going
on in the harbor and praying for her
country and that the dreadful war might
soon be over She could not help. Son
and husband were shouldering their poor
old guns in the town, and there was
nothing to do but to watch and wait and
pray
Not so the two girls They meant to
do something, and in fever of excite
ment they got the drum and took the
cracked fife from the bureau drawer.
Mrs. Bates, intent on the scene outside,
did not heed them, and they slipped out
by the back door unnoticed.
They must be careful or the soldiers
would see them. They went round back
of the house to the north and toward the
outside beach, and then turned and
pIowed through the deep sand just above
high-water mark. They must keep out
of sight of the boats, and of the ship,
also. Luckily, she was anchored to the
south of the light; and as the beach
curved to the west they soon left her out
of sight Then they took to the water
side, and with the drum between them
ran as fast as they could toward the
main land Presently they reached the
low heaps of sand that showed where
the spit joined the fields and woods.
Painting and excited, they frightened
up the drum and tried the fife softly.
"You take the fife and I'll drum"
"All right; but we mustn't stand still
We must march along the shore toward
the light
"Won't they see us?'
"No; Wen walk next the water on
the outside beach"
"Oh, yes and they'll think it's sol
diers going down to the Point to head
| 'em off"
"Just so. Come, begin One, two
| one, twoW
Drum! druml! drum!H
| i" For'ard-marchW
"Ha! hal"
The fife stopped.
Don't laugh. You'll spoil everything,
and can't pucker my lips"
Drum! drum!! drum!!
Squeak squeak! squeak!!
The men in the town heard it and
were amazed beyond measure. Had the
soldiers arrived from Boston? What did
it mean? Who were coming?
Louder and louder on the breeze came
the roll of a sturdy drum and the sound
of a brave fife. The soldiers in the
boats heard the noise and paused in their
work of destruction. The officers or
dered everybody into the boats in the
greatest haste. The people were rising!
They were coming down the Point with
cannons to head them off ! They would
all be captured and perhaps hung by
the dreadful Americans!
How the drum rolled! The fife
changed its tune. 1t played 6 Yankee
Doodle"-that horrid tune! Hark! The
men were cheering in the town; there
were thousands of them in the woods
along the shore!
In grim silence marched the two girls,
-ploddng over the sharp stones, splash
ing through the puddles-Rebecca beat
ing the old drum with might and main,
Sarah blowing the fife with shrill de-
termination.
How the Britishers scrambled into
their boats, One of the brave officers
was nearly left behind on the burning
sloop. Another fell overheard and wet
his good clothes, in his haste to escape
from the American army marching down
the beach thousand strong! How the
sailors pulled No fancy rowing now,
but desperate haste to get out OF the
place and escape to the ship.
How the people yelled and cheered
on the shorel Fifty men or more jumped
into boats to prepare for the chase.
Ringing shots began to crack over the
| water.
Louder and louder rolled the terrible
drum Sharp and clear rang out the
cruel fife.
Nearly exhausted, half dead with ia
tigue, the girls toiled on-tearful, laugh
ing, ready to drop on the wet sand, and
still beating and blowing with fiery
courage.
The boat swept swiftly out of the har
Dor on the outgoing tide. The fishermen
came up with the burning boats. Part
stopped to put out the fires and the rest
pursued the flying enemy with such shots