The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-07-13

the uv1nR A shudder ran through the
frame of the youth, as he felt pressing
above him the solid form OF one who,
but day before, had been as full of
life as he now was; but not sound es-
capped him, for he knew that silence was
his only preservation.
Well, rascal, you see what you are
coming to for deserting from his majes-
tvs service. A halter, 1 suppose, is
more agreeable than good treatment and
soldiers pay"
Thus spoke Cunningham to the pris-
oner.
81 entered into the refugee corps for
my own reasons. They have proved
satisfactory" the prisoner said, look
ing at Cunningham with bold counte-
nance.
"Yes, internally satisfactory, you re-
bel ! A spy, s'pose DeLancey's ref
ugees would be pretty set if they were
all like you, rogue. No, no had my
eye on you when you listed, a month
ago, and 1 told Colonel Delaney what
l believed you was. Not royal refu-
gee, but rebel scoundrel. was right,
rogue, eh f'
"Yes, you were right as to my enlist
ing. As to being rebel scoundrel, why,
there is an offset-you are royal knave
and bloodthirsty villain. All the in
formation wanted to send to the great
Washington he has got before this-so
hang away But should like five min
utes' communion with my God first, if
you have the manliness to grant it,"
Astouished as Cunningham was by
the boldness Of the mans speech, he
knew full well that he himself was de-
tested by the English soldiery for his
tyranny, and that refusal of such re-
quest, to man on the point Of e1ecu-
ton, would only make him still more
odious among them. With an il, grace,
he said
Pray, rascal, pray don't wonder
that knave like you fears death. A
man who betrays his king betrays his
God, and it is full time that you try to
make your peace with Him Three min
utes-three minutes That's all the
time you have from me. Go on your
knees at once, then. Sambo, have the
halter ready. Three minutes only"
The negro had placed the lantern on
The ground, directly under the gallows.
It's faint light cleaned upward, showing
dim outline of the gall0ws frame, and
partially lighting the faces and forms Of
the soldiers grouped, with their muskets
to an ORDER in semicircle around the
scene of execution.
The prisoner bent down, resting his
knee upon the earth thrown up around
the new dug grave. He had no hope of
escape; and as he looked upward toward
the heavens, although all was black with
night, yet his eye pierced through the
gloom, and he saw in the future redemp-
tion for the past The quiverinR of bis
lips showed his sincerity he was
prepared to die. OF sudden he bent
his head. All his prayer was heard
rescue was at hand. His ife-oh .
glorious thought-was not to set in
blood through the hands OF mem
Harry !" said voice, in whisper,
proceeding from the grave where the
prisoner had seen a dead body tossed
but few moments before, "make no
alarm. 'Tis l, your comrade, Dick
Martin, of Washington S life guard, come
to save you. Make some excuse to turn
your back toward the hole where l have
hidden myself, and l will cut the rope
by which your hands are tied. When
this is done and you hear me groan,
kick over the lantern, aud make for the
east corner of the graveyard! L will
follow. Things are ready for our es-
cape. Remember, make no alarm -
The prisoner felt as if he had won
empires upon empires. His life was
then safe!
Come, rogue, your three minutes
are up. Sambo, the rope there"
,.1Si 1,io
knees, turned round so that he faced the
The negro advanced with the halter, to
place it around his neck. The scene
was striking. In the foreground stood
the soldiers gazing with no very pleasant
emotions, by the dim light, upon the
poor prisoner. Cunningham was in the
center, his brutal and harsh features
lighting up with devilish expression.
Just as Sambo got within arms length
of the prisoner, the latter felt the thongs
cut which hound his arms. He was
free
But why starts the colorcd man, his
eyes protruding from their sockets, as
if death was before him The halter
drops from his hands; he is paralyzed
with fear. Slowly froin the grave rises
the dead body of the soldier he had
himself rolled into it
Cunningham beheld the sight, and SO
did the soldiers. The vision was awful
so apparently contrary to human rea,
son-that with one accord all fled, ex-
cepting Sambo and the prisoner. The
former rolled on the ground in terror.
In the meantime, the prisoner and his
al ul,A l,n.l ~, aI
cued him from an ignominious death,
hurried from the graveyard and made
for Lispenard's s woods, which then skirt
ed the North river near about where
Caral street ends.
There they found boat, in which
Dick Martin had crossed alone from the
jersey shore, six hours before, to save
his comrade. Reaching the Jersey side,
Just below Bulls Ferry, in an hour, they
struck into the woods, and reached the
camp of Washington, near West Point,
about night the next day. The morning
after, i'll general orders, two new lieuten-
ants were commissioned in Washington's
life guard, and the reader can imagine
who they were.
A brief examination, perhaps, is ne
cessary. 1t always surprised the Eng
lish commanders how Washington knew
so well the movements made in their
lines Washington, in many cases, made
desertion duty. He knew who among
his private soldiers to ask this from,
and never, in a single instance, was his
confidence betrayed. Death upon the
gallows followed the poor private often,
but he never compromised his COM
mAnder.