Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-05-21

"The drum How can they ? It's here.
Father brought it home to mend it last
night"
Did heY Oh, then let's
See, the first boat has reached the
sloop. Oh, oh They are going to burn
her"
Isn't it mean?'
"It's too bad-too -
"Where is that drum ?"
"It's in the Kitchen
"Tve a great mind to go down and
beat it.,
"What good wocld that do2"
"Scare 'em."
They'd see it was only two girls, and
they would laugh and go ON burning,
just the same"
No. We could hide behind the sand
hills and the bushes Come let's
"Oh, look look the sloop's afrel" I"
Come, can't stay and see any more.
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
no harm; and perhaps"
We'll, let's. There's the 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 whirlwind, with
rosy checks and flying hair. Mrs. Bates
sat sorrowfully gazing out of the win
dow 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 the fever of excite
ment, 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 went back around
the house to the north and towards the
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.
she was 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, run as fast as they could
towards the mainland. Presently they
reached the low heaps of sand that show
where the spit joined field and woods.
Painting and excited. they tightened
up 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 us?
mo; we'll walk next the water on
the outside beach,
Oh, yes and they'll think it's sol
diers going down to the Point to head
them of"
"Just so. Come, begin. One, two
one two
Drum drum drum !
Squeak squeak squeak II
For ard-march /"
Hal ha
The fife stopped.
Don't laugh. You spoil everything,
and | can't pucker my lips"
Drum drum drum
Squeak squeak squeak !
The men in town heard it, and were
amazed beyond measure. Had the sol
liers arrived from Boston. What did
It mean Who were coming.
Louder and louder on the breeze came
he roll of sturdy drum and the sound
If brave fife The soldiers in the
boats heard the noise, and paused in their
work of destruction. The officers or
lered everybody into the boats in the
greatest haste. The people were rising
They were coming down the Point with
annons, to head them off They would
IL be captured, and prehaps hung by
he dreadful Americans.
How the drum rolled The fife
hanged its tune. 1t played Yankee
Doodle" that horrid tune Hark