The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-11-12

| "See how Still 1t is In the town. Inefe 8
not a man to be seen."
"Thcy are hiding till the soldiers are
nearer. Then wen hear shots and the
drum
The drum ! How can they It's here.
Father brought it home to mend last
night"
"Did he2 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's that drum ~
"Its in the Kitchen
"I'vc great nina to go and beat it,"
"What good would that do ~
y ''Scare 'em."
"They'd see it was only two girls, and
they would laugh and go on burning, just
tie same.
mo. We could hide behind the sand
hills and the bushes. Come let's"
"Oh, look look the sloops afire y
"Come, | can't stay and see any more
The cowardly Brtishers, to burn the
boats. Why don't they go up to the town
and fight like"
"Comc let's get the drum. It'll! do no
harm and perhaps"
"Wcll, 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 whirlwind, with rosy
checks and flying hair. Mrs. Bates sat
/ sorrowtully gazing out of the window 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 cid guns i'll
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 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 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
outside beach, and then turned and plow
cd 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 wa
ter side, and, with the drum between them,
ran as fast as they could towards 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 I'll drum"
"Ail right; but we mustn't stand still.
We must march along the shore towards
the light"
won't they see us z"
"No; we'll walk next the water on the
outside beach,"
sob, yes; and they'll think it's soldiers
going down to the point to head them off,"
Just so. Come, begin. One, two-onc,
two!n
Drum drum . drum !
Squeak squeak ! squeak :!
"For'ard-mGrch ~
"Ha ha !"
The fife stopped.
Don't laugh, You'll spoil everything,
and can't quicker my lips"
Drum drum ! drum! !
Squeak squeak . squeak
The men in the town heard it, and were
amazed beyond measure. Had the sol
diers 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 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
that horrid tune Hark The men were
cheering in the town; there were thous-
ands of them in the woods along the
shore.
In grim silence marched the two girls
plodding over the sharp stones, splashing
through the puddles-Rcbecca beating the
old drum with might and main, Sarah
blowing the fife with shrill determination.
How the Brtishers scrambled into their
boats One of the brave officers was near
" left behind on the burning sloop.-
Another fell overheard and wet his good
clothes il his haste to escape from the
American army marching down the beach
"a thousand strong How the sailors
pulled No fancy rowing now, but des-
perate haste to get out of the place and es-
cape 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, half dead with IA
tigue, 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 Il shot
They expected every minute to see II
thousand men open on them at short
range, from the beach, and they reserved
their powder.
Out of the harbor they went in confu-
sion and dismay. The ship weighed an
Choir, and ran out her big guns, but did
not fire shot Darkness went down on
the scene as the boats reached the ship
Then she sent n round shot towards the
light. 1t fell short, and threw a great
fountain of white water into the air.
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