The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-07-30
the sloop: Oh /! they are going to

Ah NhN NiSShOhs
"Ive great mind to 60 down
and beat it,"
"What good would that do ?'
"Scare 'em."
"They'd see it was only two girls,
and they would laugh aud go on
just the same"
"No. We could hide behind the
sand hills and the bushes"
"Oh, look, the sloop's afire %
"Come, l can't stay and see it any
more. The cowardly Britishers, to
burn the boat Why don't they go
down town and fight like men ?''
:Come, let's get the drum. It'll
do no harm and perhaps"
swell, lets. There's the fife, too,
we might take with u.s.
"Yes and we'li----"
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 sorrowtully 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 the two girls. They meant
to do something, and in a fever Of
excitement, they got the drum and
took the cracked fife from the bu-
reau drawer. Mrs. Bates, intent 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 aud 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 they see us ?"
ooh, yes, and they'll think it's
soldiers going down TO the point to
head 'em Off"
"Just SO. Come, begin One,
two,-one, two !" Drum drum J!
Squeak squeak!!
"For'ard march -
"Ha ha %
The fife stopped.
"Dont laugh. You'll spoil every.
thing, and l 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 com,
ing?
Louder and louder. on the breeze
came the roll of sturdy drum and
the sound of brave fife. The sol
diers in the boats heard the noise
and paused in their work of des-
truction. The officers ordered every
body into the greatest haste. The
people were rising They were
coming down the point with cannons,
to head them off? They would ali
be captured, and perhaps hung by
the dreadful Americans !
How the drum rolled The fife
changed its tune. 1t played, cyan
kee 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, plodding over the sharp stones,
splashing through the pud ddles,-Re-
becca beating the drum with might
and main, Sarah blowing the fife
with shrill determination.
How the Britishers scrambled into
their boats ! One of the brave Off
GERS was nearly left behind on the
burning sloop. Another fell over
board and wet his good clothes, in
his haste to escape from the Ameri-
can army marching down the beach,
"a thousand strong How the sail.
ors pulled No fancy rowing now,
but desperate ha tie to get out of the
place and escape to the ship.
How the people yelled and cheer
ed on the shore |! 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 terri
bic drum. Sharp and clear rang
out the cruel fife.
Nearly exhausted, half dead with
fatigue, the girls toiled on,-tearful
laughing, ready to drop on the wet
sand, and still beating and blowing
with fiery courage.
The boats swept swiftly out of the
harbor on the outgoing tide. The
fishermen came up with the burning
boats. Par of them stopped to put
out the fires, and the rest pursued
the flying enemy with such shots as
they could get at them, and in the
midst of it all the sun went down.
The red-coats did not return a
shot. They expected every minute
to see thousand men open on them
at short range from the beach, and
they reserved their powder.
Out of the harbor they went in
confusion and dismay. The ship
weighed anchor and ran out her big
guns, but did not fire a shot. Dark
ness fell down on the scene as the
boats reached the ship. Then she
sent round shot toward the light,
which fell short and threw great
fountain of water into the air.
The girls saw it, and dropping the
drum and fife, sat down on the beach
and laughed till they cried.
That night the ship sailed away.
The great American army of two
had arrived, and she thought it wise