Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-11-29
Why did she need him EQuicl1,
quick Open the doorr

NY husoand, SAID Susan, still
; In those strangely quiet tones.
eve cannot save our poor little
boys. Look for3 yourself and see.
They will be shot before they reach
the house. We have three chill
dren left. You must save them,
and for their sake, yourself, John.
Keep the. door locked. Keep the
windows barred. Keep the shut
ters drawn. Give me the'old pistol
and my gun. Take your own and
guard the door. There's chance
that they'll live to get here and be
let in. But.not one step outside
that door, John Jacobs, as you're
the father Of three living children!
Oh, John, John, John! Ny poor
little boys"
He thought she would have brok-
en- down a. that. He thought he
could never get her from the attic
floor, where she lay trembling in
that horrid way, with her chin on
the window sill, and her eyes set
upon the six dark figures, and the
grand, old ugly horse upon which
the slipping, reeling, hopeless pre-
cious burdens clung. But all he
could hear her say was "Mother's
poor little boys"
Mothers poor little boys, indeed
and indeed ! Leap your mighty
leaps, Jerusalem; they're none too
large your great legs that Tam
and Titusihave so often. made fun
OF, are none too long for their bus
iness now.F How the splendid mus
cles throbbed beneath the tiny ter
rifed bare feet. No wondering
which was horse and which was bov
this time. 1t was all horse now.
There was no will, no muscle, no
nerve, no soul, but the brave old soul
of Jerusalem. Will he get us homo
can he ever, ever keep ahead so
long : o how the arrows fly by!
We shall be hit mother, mother,
mother! !"
"Tam, why don't they do some
thing for us ! Tam, has mother for
gotten usf'
&. That, | think, must have been
the cruelest minute in all the cruel
story.
And, yet, perhaps, not so cruel
as the minute when the mother at
the attic window gave one long,
low, echoing cry, and came stag
gering from her post, down stairs
to say-still in that strange voice
that mothers such as she will have
have at such minute,-"John they
are hit, the nrrow struck them both.
Let US go to the kitchen window.
You stay at the door. There's just
q moment now."
There was but moment, and
like wild dream, the whole dread
ful sight came sweeping up, over
the garden.into the yard.
Now, John could not SEQ any
thing but the;mighty form of tho
horse Jerusalem. To this day, he
says that the saddle, to his eyes, as
the magnificent creature swept by,
was empty air. He saw only the
horse-and the horse made straight
for the barn.
But why did the savages pursue
a riderless horse And whooping
and shouting cruelty after it, into
the barn he plunged.
"Fhe boys are on the horse" in
a hoarse whisper, said the mother;
81 saw them both. They are bleed
ing and falling. The arrow has
has pinned them together. John,
but they've kept theta seat"
"My boys are pretty good riders"
said John, turning his white face
round with o grim fathers pride,
even then "but even my boys can't
keep horse after they're shot
through the body. Fright has
turned your brain, Susan"
/ tell the story how it was told
to mo; and the way of that was
this; how Jerusalem .leaped into
the barn, with the boys, or so the
mother thought, bleeding upon his
back now the savages secured the
barn, the yard, the garden, and fit-
fully attacked at intervals the barri-
csded house how John, brave and
white at one door, and Susan, white
and brave at the other, abundance
Of powder and unilinching hearts,
and the love of three helpless babies,
drove them by and by sullenly