Wilmington journal., 1876-02-18

Standing like rocks, was the replv.
Such horses as they are don't need
Watching, and besides, there isn't q
rebel within ten miles of this accuraed
place.
Why, there is the Widow Hartzell.
didn't think of her, was the reply.
How bitterly old Hartzell hated us.
but we caught him at last.
And presented him with q breast
pin Ha ha
| And the laugh went round the room.
Alice Beauchampe did not wait until
the laugh was ended; while yet it filed
the house with its devilish echoes. she
glided across the room to q window
that looked out upon the dark palmetto
grove behind the building.
There was no sash in the window.
For a moment she tried to pierce the
darkness beneath, but, failing in her
endeavors. she crept over the sill, re-
solved to trust to fortune for success.
The distance to the ground was not
great, and the daring girl alighted
without injury.
to the friends she had lately left: but
immediate flight in that direction was
not her intention.
Heaven aid me ! she murmured. a
she g!ided around the old house and
approa ohed the horses which the tories
had left tethered to the small trees Q
| few yards from the door.
A glance into the room revealed the
forms of the Avengers discussing the
| wine with oath and jest, or Watching
| the roasting of the fowls. They did
| not fear danger, for their horrible
| deeds had completely terrorized the
country, and under the sway of their
lawlessness it was fast becoming Q
desert.
Alice counted them before she
touched a single rein; and then in .
brief period of time she loosened the
horses and quietly led them into .
small copse not far away. The stesds /
did not refuse to obey her gujdauoe-
ship, and when she had reached th4
copse, she struck them with whip
which she had found beneath saddIa
1t was a sharp blow that she admi lio-
tered, and the horses started forward
and disappeared in an instant.
Thus in few moments Ferguson's
Avengers had been deprived Of their
horses.
Flushed with triumph, Alice Beau
cbampe returned to the house, and
again looked in upon its hilarious
tenants.
She now held a pistol in her hand
a weapon which holster had granted
her, and she crept to the edge of the
porch before she halted. There was Q
flash of vengencei in the dark eyes of the
partisan girl while she gazed upon the
party beyond the threshold. Once or
twice she raised the weapon, but low
cred it again. as if playing with the
life of the leader of the six, whose
burly form was revealed by the light
of the fire.
She saw the fowls, smoking and
we'll Drowned, placed on the table and
watched the greedy men crowding
around for their shares. Their tongues
and movements told her that stolen
liquor was doing it's accustomed work
on all save the giant, who had superin-
tended the cooking of the late repast.
This man appeared to be perfectly so
Der. and the angry glances which he
often cast at his comrades told that he
did not sanction their bacchanalian
conduct.
Comel enough of thisl he suddenly
cried, rising from the table, which had
been dragged to the centre Of the
I told you at Wiley's that you had wine
enough, but you must bring some
here and drink yourselves stupid. Tom
Scott, and you, Blakerson, I am
ashamed of you! What would We do
if gang of rebels should catch us in
this condition? You know the mercy
we would get, and yet you sit there as
careless as statues-drunk as old Bac-
chus himself.
Then an expression of contempt
passed over the mans face; and stop
ping, he cried:
Up! up! the rebels are coming!
But this cry of alarm did not in
fuse much life into the men at the ia
BILE. One or two heads were raised,
but the drunken leer that made the
faces hideous was enough to provoke
a smile, even from the mad tory.
The next moment, with AN oath on
his lips, he strobe to the door, which
he ierked open. and stepped upon the
porch.
Curse such dogs as I lead, he hissed.
suppose L must lead the horses up,
and tie each fool in the saddle.
He was stepping from the porch for
the purpose of attending to the horses
which he supposed were still tethered
at the trees, when a form rose before
him and he started back with gasp
of terror.
Who in the mischief
Alice Beauchampe was the inter-
ruption of the apparition. The daugh-
ter of the old man basely murdered by
your hands ! Down on your misera-
BILE knees, Godfrey Lang. and beg for
the mercy which you have never
.rronfo6 fn ofhoro nn-n Cov
Perhaps the shadow of the window
sash did not permit him to see tho
pistol that was clutched in the hands
of the fearless girl, else his rashness
might perhaps have been curb.ad.
Kueel to you? Never he replied.
The weapon which he raised drop
ped before the flash that followed his
last words, and with a groan of pain
he staggered back, to drop dead among
his drunken comrades.
Alice Beauchampe, amazed at her
own courage, stood silent amidst the
smoke of her own pistol She saw the
bacchantes try to shake off their tor
per at sight of their stricken leader,
| and one rose to his feet to fall as soon
as he needed support.
Now for the swamp, sh3 cried. with
| triumph, and the next minute rushed
from the disgusting sight.
An hour passed away, and the
drunken tories began to recover; their
chief, who had dropped to the moor.
| seemed to sober them with his cola
face and staring eyes, and when they
had almost recovered their scattered
wits, the foe they dreaded was upon
them.
Alice Beouchampe's voi,e had aks7
the hearts of a patriot band 1QF ven
She had encountered tAsp spartisans wko !
had captured one lef the flying horses,
ana were following the trail.
The five avengers were made prison
ers, and sued like towards for the
mercy they lad never grauted to .
living being.
The vengeance of the patriots was as
mplete as terrible, and when the
glorious sun again rose, the dreaded
/ e Al go - l.,