Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-08
young girl named Sarah Windsor,

the reflector. She ut once descende
the steep stairs and sent off the boy
I. to the village, to give the alarm.
!. For all hour or two the ship tacke
: and stood off to sea; then tacke,
again and made for the shore. Mel
women and children watched he
. with anxious interest. Then the It'd
turned, and began to flow into tn
:, harbor. The boats aground on til
i flats tloated, aud those in deep waite
t swung around at their moorlngi
Now the soldiers would probabl,
land. If the people meant to saw
anything it was time to be stirring
Boats were hastily put out from tn
wharf, and such clothing, nets an
{ other valuables as could be handled
l were brought ashore, loaded int
carts and carried away. IT..
I 1t was no use to resist. The soldiers
OF course, were we'll armed, and
the people made a stand among tn
houses that would not prevent tn
enemy from destroying the shipping
/ AS the tide stepped out over th,
sandy flats it filed the harbor, 8,
that, instead of q channel, it becom,
q wide aud beautiful bay. The day
was fine, and there was q gentle
breeze ripping the water aud making
it sparkle in the SUI. What splen
did day for fishing or sailing. No,
much use to think of either while
that warship crossed and recrossed
before the harbor mouth.
! About two O'Clock the tide reached
the high water mark, and, to the dis.
may of the people, the ship let go hel
| anchor asypnr no dc o,1,,-A .,.d
lay about half q mile from the first
cliff. They were going to land to
burn the town. With their spy glass-
es the people could see the boats low
cred to take soldiers OH board.
All! then there was confusion and
uproar. Every horse in the village
was put into some kind of q team, and
the women and children were hurried
OF to the woods behind the town. The
men would stay and offer as brave
resistance as possible. The guns were
light and poor, but they could use
he old fish-house as fort, and per-
haps make a brave fight of it,. If
worse came to worse, they could at
last retreat and take to the shelter iof
the woods. . 4 boz y;j,ida,isg JsEe sl!.
1t was splendid sight, Five large
boats manned by sailors, and filled BY
soldiers i'll gray and red coats. How
their guns gllttered in the sun. The
oars all move in regular order, and
the officers, i'll their fine unifor ms.
stood up to direct the expedition. It
was courageous company come with
a war ship to fight helpless fish
ermen. -
So Rebecca Bates and Sarah Wind
sor thought, rs they sat up in the
lighthouse, looking down on the pro-
cession of boats as it went past the
point and entered the harbor.
"Oh, if l were only a manr' said
Rebecca.
"What would you do? See what a
lot of them-look at their guns"
'I don't care. I'd fight I'd use
fathers old shot gun = anything.
sloop." =
eyes, and all the boats"
'lt's too bad, isn't it2'' -..... ...
"1 es; aud to think that we must
hear and see it all aud not lift a finger
to help"
81 don't know. Uncle and father
are in the village they will do all
they can"
"See how still it is 1u the town.
not man to be seen.''
"They arc hiding till the soldiers
are near; then We'll hear shots and |
The drum"
"The drum. How eau they? It's
here. Father brought it home last
night to mend:"
"Did he? Oh, then let's
See the first boat has reached the
'loop. Oh! oh! they're going to burn
ler."
"I-n't it mean ?'
"lts too bad-too-n
"Where's that drum 2"
slts i'll the Kitchen"
i've great mind to go and beat
t."
"What good would that do ?"
"Scare 'em."
"They'd see it was only two girls,
nd they would laugh and 20 on
'urnlng; just the same"
"No. We could hide behind the
and hills and the lashes. Come
et's-''
ooh, look look the sloop's afire ~
"Come, l can't stay and see any
more. The cowardly Britishers, to
urn the boats. Why don't they 60
Up to the town aud fight like"
"Come, let's get the drum. Itll
10 no harm, and perhaps"
"Well, let's. There's fife, too. I'VE
night take with us.''
s'Yes, and WE'LL"
No time for further talk, Down
be steep stairs Of the tower rushed
hese two young patriots, bent on {
DING what they could for their
ountry. They burst into the kitch-
IL like whirlwind, with ROSY cheeks
nd flying hair. Mrs. Bates sat sor- 9
oWfully gazing out of the window :
the scene of destruction going on
, the harbor, and praying for her G
ountry aud that the dreadful war
light soon be over. She could not
clip it. Son and husband were +
houldering their poor old guns in h
he town, and there was nothing to q
0 but to watch and wait and prav.
Not so the two girls. They meant n
do something, and in the fever of =
kcltement they took the drum and n
ne cracked fife from the bureau 4
rawer. Mrs. Bates, intent on tn. n
;cne outside, did not heed them. and :
icy slipped out by the back door. v
nnoticed. ';
They must be careful or the soldiers =
ould see them. They went back a
'ouud the house to tho north and =
wards the outside beach, aud then y
|rned and ploughed through the =,
'ep sand just above high-water +,
ark. They must keep out of sight h
the boats, and of the ship also. q,
lcklly, she was south of the light n
ID as the beach curved to the west n
ey soon lett her out of sight. Then il
ey took the water side, and with 90
Q drum between them, ran as fast u
they could towards the main land. Si
'esently they reached the low heaps Fl
sand that showed where the spit ~
lned the field and woods. II
Painting and excited, they tighten m
up the drum and tried the fife ~
ftlv. a'
You take the fife, Sarah, and I'll A. ~
um." ..
''All right; but we mustn't stand hMs M
III. We must march along the an
ore towards the light. 90
Wont they see us ?'' -,
NO; We'li walk next the water on
e outside beach, ~
Oh, yes; and they'll think it's tn
diers going down to the point to a
ad them off," "ai
Just so. Come, begin. One, two yye ye
)ne. tWOp,