The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-07-06


81 don't know. Uncle and father are
in the village, they will do all they can.
See how still it is in the town. There's
not man to be seem"
"Oh, they are hiding till the soldiers
are nearer. Then We shall hear shots
eud the drum"
"The drum How can they lt's
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, oh They are going TO burr
her."
isn't it mean ?"
"It's too bad too"
"Whcre is that drum p
"It's in the Kitchen
live q great mind TO go down and
beat it,"
what gotd would that do?"
Scare EN-"
They'd see it was only two girls, and
they would laugh and go on burning just
the same"
mo. We could hide behind the sand
hills and the bushes. Come let's"
"Oh, look look the sloops a6re !"
Come, l can't stay and see anymore.
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 nc
/ harm and perbaps-"
"Well, let's There's 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
checks and flying hair. Mrs. Bates sat
sorrowlully gazing out Of the window al
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 huns in
the town, and there was nothing to do but
to watch and wait and pray.
Not 70 the two girls. They meant to
do something, and in the fever of excite.
mcnt 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 wen. back around
the house to the north and towards the
outside beach, and then turned and
ploughed 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 south of the light |;
and as the beach curved to the West they
soon left her out Of sight. Then they
took the water side, and, with the drum
between them, ran as fast as they could
towards the mainland. Presently they
reached the low heaps Of sand that show.
ed where the spit joined field and woods.
Painting and excited, they tightened up
the drum and tried the 6fe 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"
Wont they zee us ?"
"No; we'll walk next the water on the
outside beach"
ooh, yes and they'll think it's soldiers
going down to the point to head them off, +"
"Just SO. Come, begin. One, two
one, two"
Drum drum ! ! drum !
Squeak squeak squeak
"For' 'ard-march "
"Ha ha !'
The ffe 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 en- the breeze came
the roll Of a sturdy drum and the sound
Of brave fife. The soldiers in the boats
heard the noise, and paused in their work
Of destruction. The officers ordered ev-
erybody 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 hanged, by the
dreadful Americans
How the drum rolled The fife
changed its tune. 1t played yankee
Doodle"-tha. 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, splash
ing through the puddes-Rebecca beat
ing the old drum with might and main
Sarah blowing the fife with shrill deter
mination.
How the Britishers scrambled into
their boats One of the brave officer,
was nearly left behind on the burning
sloop. Another fell overheard, aud wel
his good clothes in his haste to escape
frem the American army marching dowr
the beach-a thousand strong How
the sailors pulled No fancy rowing
now, but desperate haste to get out o
the place and escape to the ship.
How the people yelled and cheered oil
the shore Fifty men or more jumped
into boats to prepare for the chase. Ring
ing shouts began to crack over the water
Louder and louder rolled the terrible
drum. Sharp and clear rang out th'
cruel fife.
Nearly exhausted, half dead with ia
tigue, the girls toiled on-tearful, laugh
ing, ready to drop on wet sand, and still
beating and blowing with fiery courage.
The boats swept swiftly out Of tn
harbor on the outgoing tide The fisher
men came up with the burning boats