The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-11-27


door, unnoticed.
They must be careful or the soldiers
would see them. They went back around
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. Luck
lily, 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 toward the
main land. Presently they reached the low
heaps of sand that showed where the spit
! joined the field and woods.
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; we'll walk next the water on the
outside beach,
"Oh, yes; and they'll think it's soldiers
going down to the point to head them off.
"Just SO. Come begin. One, two-one,
twon'
Drum. drum. drum..
Squeak! squeak! squeak!!!
Cor ard-march"
"Ha. hal
The fife stopped.
"Don't laugh. You'll spoil everything,
and can't quicker my lips"
| Drum. drum. drum! j..
| 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 was coming?
| Louder and louder on 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 every
body into the boats in the greatest haste.
| The people were rising. They were COM
ing down the point with caunons to head
them off. They would all be captured,
and perhaps hanged, by the dreadful Amer
| leans.
How the drum rolled! The fife changed
its tune. 1t played Yankee 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 puddes-Rebecca beating the
old drum with might and main, Sarah blow
ing the fife with shrill determination.
How the Britishers scrambled into their
boats, One of the brave officers was nearly
left behind on the burning sloop. Another
fell overboard and wet his good clothes in
his haste to escape from the American
army marching down the beach-a thous-
and strong! How the sailors pulled. No
fancy rowing now, but desperate haste to
get out of the place and escape to the ship.
How the people yelled and cheered 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 terrible
drum. Sharp and clear rang out the cruel
| fife.
Nearly exhausted, and half dead with
fatigue, the girls toiled on-tearful, laugh
ing, ready to drop on the wet sand, and
still beating and blowing with fiery cour-
age.
The boats swept swiftly out of the har-
Dor with the outgoing tide. The fishermen
came up with the burning boats. Part
stopped to put out the fire, and the rest
pursued the flying enemy with such shots
as they could get at them. In the midst
of it all the sun went down.
The redcoats did not return shot
They expected every minute to see thous-
and 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. Darkness went down on the scene
as the boats reached the ship. Then she
sent round shot towards the light. 1t
fell short, and threw great fountain of
white water into the air.
The girls saw it, and dropping their
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 prudent to retreat in
time.
Rebecca is still living, old and feeble in
body, but brave in spirit and strong in
patriotism. She told this story herself to
the writer, and it is true.
/ NURSING THE SICK.-Some sensible per-
son, who has evidently had experience in
attending to invalids, thus speaks of the
Importance of decision and quietness in the
sick room: "Consult your patients wants,
but consult him as little as possible. Your
decision need not be very obvious and posi-
tive; you will be most decisive if no one
suspects that you are SO at all. 1t is the
triumph of supremacy to become uncon-
scously supreme. No where is the deci,
sion more blessed than in Eick room.
Where it exists in its genuineness the suf
ferer is never contradicted, never coerced
all little victories are assumed. The deci-
H.