Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-10-29

lot of them; and look at their guns!"
81 don't care, Id fight. Id use
fathers old shot gun anything Think
of uncle's new boat and sloop."
eyes, and all the boats"
cts too bad, isn't it!
eyes; and to think we must sit here
and see it all and not lift finger to
help
''Do you think there will be fght?'
81 don't know. Uncle and father are
in the village, and they will do all they
can" .....
"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'll hear the shots
and the drum"
'"The drum! How can they' It's
here Father brought it home to
mend it last night"
"Did he 4! Oh then let's"
'Sec, the first boat has reached the
sloop."
ooh, oh! They are going to burn
her."
"lsn't it mean?'
dts too bad too"
"Where is the.sdrum p
ats in the kitchen
live great mind to go down and
! beat it. "
what good would that do."
.'Scare EN-"
''Theyd see it was only two girls,
and they would laugh and 60 ON
burning just the same"
"No, we could hide behind the sand
hills and bushes Come, lets ="
''Oh, look look The sloop's on
fire!"
"Come, cant stay and see it any
more. The cowardly Britishers burn
the bcat Why don't they 60 up to
the town and fight like"
Come, let's get the drum. 1t will
do no harm, and perhaps"
Eyes, 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 sorrowfnlly gazing out Of the
window at the scene of the destruction
going on in the harbor, and praying for
her country that the dreadful war might
soon be over. She could not help it.
Son and husband were shouldering their
poor old guns in tie 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 fever
of excitement, 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 of the back door unuo.
ticed.
They must be careful, or else the So
diers would see them. They went
round back of the house to the north
and towards the outside beach, and
then turned and plowed 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 cmyed to the
west, they soon left her out of sight.
They took to the water side, and, with
the drum between them, ran as fast az
/ they could to the main land. Present.
ly they reached the low heaps Of sand
that showed where the split joined the
fields and wood.
Painting and excited, they frightened
up the drum and tried the fife softly.
"You take the fife, Sarah, and l will
drum"
"All right; but we mustn't stand still.
We must march along the shore towards
the light.
"Won't they see us."
"No. Well walk next to the water
on the outside beach,
"Oh, yes, and they'll think its SOL
] diers going down to the point to head
| 'em off" .rt
"Just so. Come, begin Cne, two
E-Jne, twoT Drum drum drum!!!