National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-11

Inns was one OF hute farker btOfles, III
herited from his grandfsther's time, but COM
mon property In Fsirport. Every Fairport
boy knew the story Of the drummer-boy's mel
ancholy ghost; but Rufe always told It well.
ssNo, don't let's have that; it's ghost
story" said little Sam Snowman, glancing
around the gloomy picture with scared look.
ooh bother the ghost" said Ben. "I'ye
heard Il lots of times. Heaye ahead Ruie.
Who's afeard?"
As Ben was the hero Of two rescues from
drowning, he was allowed TO have have his
way, and Rufe then told his tale.
at was wild and gloomy night in the
month Of March"
"No, no." broke in Jem Conner. :" Tt was q
temdest-tossed and weeping night in the month
of March, That's the way It goes. I've
heard it lots of times" ."
faint, neither" replied RUFF, sngrily.
"And I just want to know who's telling the
story-you or II"
"Ohi shut up, Jem, )" said several of the boys;
and RUFF, somewhat heated In this Interrupt
ton, went on:
'It was q Wild and gloomy night in the
month of March," with whitening glance at
Jem,) "when the British abandoned Fort
George, situated on the heights of Fairport.
They went away ia such haste that they forgot
little drummer-boy, aged fifteen, who was in
prison in the dungeon-which you may now
see in ruins in the lower left-hand corner OF
the fort, as you go in from the side towards
town; but the roofs fallen in, SO that you can't
see all Of the dungeon, but you can see where
It was, and us fellers have been in there many
asstime, and know IT'S So"
Taking long breath, RUFF proceeded:
"Well, this poor little drummer boy, aged if
teen, when he heard the soldiers marching
away in a hurry, jumped up and beat The
Retreat on his drum, which he happened to
have with him; but in vain. Though he beat
his drum with uncommon energy, and made q
deuce Of a row, he couldn't attract the atten-
ton of his departing comrades, who marched
off in double quick time, for the Americans
were after 'em-and so left their unfortunate
drummer-boy shut up In the dungeon-aged
fifteen"
'But he was aged fifteen once before, /" In
terposed Tommy Collins, whose eyes were as
big as saucers.
ooh. cork up, youngsterp said Ben Den
nett. "Heave ahead, Rufe."
"a great many months, mayhaps years,
passed away before the dungeon in old Fort
George was visited by anybody. The war-oh
forgot to say in the right place that this was
In the Revolutionary Wharf.-The war was over
and some people thought they would explore
the dungeon to see II, mayhap, they might find
some curiosities, and, mayhap, some stores OF
gold and silver. But there, in q dark and dis
NAL corner, their tin lantern-for they had one
of those tin lanterns from RowelPs store-theil
tin lantern showed them heap of skeleton
bones bent over rusty, dusty drum. u Vds
the little drummer boy aged fifteen"
Proceeding in q ghostly whisper, and glancing
around on his terrified audience so as to mark
the effect, Rufe went on:
"When Fort George was evacuated, II was
the fifteenth of March, seventeen hundred and
something or other; and now, on the fifteenth
of March, every year, his ghost comes to the
dungeon and beats his ghostly drum. People
don't remember 1t sometimes; but when it is
another wild and gloomy night in the month OF
March, they hear from the old fort the hollow
rolling of the drum. Then they say, it's the
fifteenth of March, and so It Is. And, last
March, me and Bill Williams hid behind Oliver
Bridges house, and we heard the drum, just
sss sure as gun. It was an uncommon wild
and gloomy night, just like this" (the stars
were shining thickly in the sky while Rufe was
tslking); Sand, If we'd waited, we would have
seen the ghost of the little British drummer
boy, aged fifteen"