The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-08-14

''Ihe drum! How can they! the
drum is here. Father brought it
home to mend it last night"
"Did he? Oh then let's"
"See, the first boat has reached
the sloop. Oh! they are going to
burn her"
"Isn't it mean!
"It's to bad!"
"Where's that drum?"
cts in the kitchen"
GIVE great mind to go down and
beat it.
"What good would that do?'
"Scare EN-"
'tThey'd see it was only two girls,
and they would laugh and go on
just the same"
"No. We could hide behind the
sand hills and the bushes"
"Oh, look, the sloop's afre"
"Come, ! can't stay and see it any
more. The cowardly Britishers, to
burn the boatl Why don't they go
down town and fight like men?"
"Cohe, let's get the drum. It'll
do no harm; and perhaps"
"Well, let's. There's the fife, too,
we might take with us.
"Yes, and we'll------"
No time for further talk. Down
the steep steps of the tower rushed
these two young patriots, bent on
doing what they could for their
country. They burst into the kitch-
en- like a whirlwind, with rosy cheeks
and flying hair. Mrs, Bates sat look
ing sorrrowfully out Of the window 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 it. 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 with the two girls. They
meant to do something, and in a
fever of excitement, they got the
drum and took the cracked fife from
tile bureau drawer. Mrs. Bates, in
tent on the scene outside, did not
heed them, and they slipped out OF
the back door, unnoticed.
They must be careful, or the sol
diers would see them. They went
around back of the house to the
north beach, and then turned and
plowed through the deep sand just
above high water mark. They must
keep out of the sight of the boats,
and 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 to
the main land. Presently they reach
ed the low heaps of sand that show
ed where the spit Joined the fields
and woods.
Painting and excited, they tighten
ed the drum and tried the fife softly.
"You take the fife, Sarah, and I'll
drum"
"All right; but we mustn't stand
still, we must march along the shore
towards the light"
"Won't they see usf"
"Oh, yes, and they'll think it's
soldiers going down to the point to
head 'eni off,
"Just SO. Come, begin! One,
| two, one, twop' Drum! drum
Squeak squeak !!
"For'ard march !"
"Ha 4! hai"
The fife stopped.
"Don't laugh. You'll spoil every
thing, and I can't pucker my lips"
Drum drum ! F! drum u!
Squeak squeak =! squeak u!
The men in the town heard it an(
were amazed beyond measure. Hat
the soldiers arrived from Boston
What did it mean? Who were com
Ing?
came the roll of sturdy drum ant
the sound of brave fife. The sol
diers in the boats heard the nois
and paused in their work of de
struction. The officers ordered every
} body into the greatest haste. Th
r people were rising They were com
0 ing down the point with cannons
5 to head them off? They would a
be captured, and perhaps hung b
= the dreadful Americans
Q How the drum rolled The fif
changed its tune. 1t played, "Yar
: kee Doodle" that horrid tune. Harl
e the men were cheering in the towr
: there we're thousands of them in th
J. woods along the shore
t In grim silence marched the tw
s girls, plodding over the sharp stones
G s sSplashing through the puddles, R,
!, becca beating the drum with migl
Q and main, Sarah blowing the I'll
with shrill determination.
e How the Britishers scrambled int
d their boats One Of the brave of
). GERS was nearly left behind on tt
/. burning sloop. Another fell owe
/ board and wet his good clothes,
ir his haste to escape from the Amer
!e can army marching down the beacl
is "a thousand strong! How the sal
d ors pulled No fancy rowing nov
but desperate haste to get out of u
l. place and escape to the ship,
e How the people yelled and chee
n ed on the shore! Fifty men or mo.
It Jumped intorboats to prepare for Il
r chase. Ringing shots began to Graz
over the water.
d Louder and louder rolled the te1
bic drum. Sharp and clear rang o.
It the cruel fife.
ir Nearly exhausted, half dead vii
fatigue, the girls toiled on,-tearfu
10 LAUGHING. ready to drop on the W