Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-02-03
Whole No. 1872.

uTulD.
"All right; but we most not
stand still. We must march along
the shore toward the light"
"Won't they see us!7
"No. Wen walk next the water
on the outside beach"
"Oh, yes, and they'll think II.
soldiers going down to the point tc
head 'em off,
"Just so, Come, begin. One.
two,-one, two" Drum, drum
drum. Squeak, squeak, squeak.
"For'ard-march,"
"Ha, ha."
The fife stopped.
"Don't laugh. You spoil every
thing, 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 Bos-
TONI What did it mean! Who
were coming!
Louder and louder on the breeze
came the roll of a 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 the
men into the boats in the greatest
haste. The people were rising
They were coming down the point
with cannon, to head them off. They
would all be captured, and perhaps
hung by the dreadful Americans.
How the drum rolled. The fife
changed its tune. II played "Yan-
kee Doodle" that horrid tune
uark. The men were cheering in
the town; there were thousands Of
them in the woods along the shore.
In firm silence marched the two
girls -ploddins over the sharp
stones, splashing through the pud-
dles-Rebecca beating the drum
with might and main, Sarah blow
ing the fife with shrill de;erinina-
ton.
How The British scrambled into
their boats. one Of the brave oiii-
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 Amer
lean army marching down the
beach-a thousand strong. How
the sailors pulled. No fancy row.
Ing now, but desperate haste to get
ont Of the place and escape to the
ship.
How the people yelled and ch cr-
ed on the shore. Fifty men or
more jumped into boats to prepare
for the chase. Ringing shots be-
gan to crack over the water.
Louder and louder rolled the ter
riblc drum. Sharp and clear rang
out the cruel fife.
Nearly exhausted, half dead with
fatigue, the girls toiled on fearful,
laughing, ready to drop on the wet
sand; and still blowing and beating
with fiery couraged.
The boats went swiftly out Of the
harbor on the outgoing tide.
The fishermen came up with the
burning boats. Part stopped to
put out the fires, and the rest pur-
sued the flying enemy with such
shots as they could get at them
In the midst of it all the sun went
down.
The red-coats did not return a
shot. They expected every minute
to see a thousand men open on
them at short range from the beach,
and they reserved their powder.
Out of the harbor they went in |
and dismay. The ship I
weighed anchor and ran out her
big guns, but die not fire a shot
Darkness fell down on the scene as
the boats reached the ship. Then
she sent round shot toward the
light. 1t fell short, and threw
great fountain Of water into the air.
The girls saw it and dropped the
drum and fife, and sat down on the
beach and laughed till they cried.
That night the ship sailed away.
The great American army Of two
nad arrived, and she thought it was
wise to retreat in time.
Rebccca is still living, old and
'eeble in body, but brave in spirit
iud strong in patriotism. She told
his story herself to the writer, and
[ is truc.