Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-12-14
from whose freshly wrung necks the

blood was still dripping.
How's the horses?" asked one of thu
Avengers, as the man flung the poultry
on the table.
Standing like rocks" was the reply
Such horses as them don't need watch
ing, and, besides, there isn't rebel ir
ten miles of this accursed place."
Why, there's the Widow Hartzell.
II didn't think of her. was the reply
s'How bitterly old Hartzell hated us
but we caught him at last"
And presented him with breastpin
ha, hal!
And the coarse laugh went round thu
room.
Alice Beauchampe did not wait unit
the laugh was ended; while yet it fillee
| the house with it's devilish echoes, sht
glided across the room to window thai
looked out upon the dark palmetto grove
behind the building.
There was no sash in the window, anc
the cool winds of the night kissed the
pallid cheeks Of the partisan's daughter
For a moment she tried to pierce the
darkness beneath the window, but fail
ing in her endeavor, she crept over the
sill, resolved to trust to fortune for sue
/ cess,
The distance to the ground was moi
very great, and the daring girl alightee
without injury.
Now she was free to make her escape
to the friends she had lately left; but
immediate flight in that direction was
not her intention.
Heaven help me" she murmured, as
she glided around the old house and ap
preached the horses which the Tories
had left tethered to some trees few
yards from the door.
A glance into the room revealed the
forms of the Avengers discussing the
merits Of the wine with oath and jest
or watching the roasting of the fowls
They had completely terrorized the
country, and under the sway Of theil
lawlessness it was very fast becoming a
desert.
Alice counted them before she touch
ed a single rein; and then in brief per.
iod of time she loosened the horses and
quietly led them into a small copse not
far away. The steeds did not refuse to
obey her guidance. and when she reach
ed 1.-THE copse, she struck them with a
whip which she found beneath saddle
1t was smart blow that she administer
ed, and the steeds started forward and
disappeared.
Thus in very few moments Fergu.
sons Avengers had been deprived Of
their horses.
Flushed with triumph, Alice Beau
champe returned to the house, and again
looked in upon the gang of hilarious
tenants
She now held pistol in her hand-a
weapon which holster had granted hel
and she crept to the edge Of the porch
before she halted There was the flush
Of vengeance in the dark eyes Of the
partisan girl while she gazed upon the
party from the threshold. Once OF
twice she raised the weapon, but then
lowered it again, as if playing with the
life of the leader Of the six, whose bur
ly form was revealed by the light of the
fire.
She saw the fowls, smoking and well
burned, placed upon the table, and then
the greedy men crowd around for their
shares. Their tongues and movements
told her that the stolen liquor was doing
it's accustomed work on all save the
giant. who had superintended the cook.
ing of the late repast. But this man ap-
peared perfectly sober, and the angry
glances which he often cast at his com.
panions told that he did not sanction
their bacchanalian conduct.
Come! enough of this!" he sudden
ly cried, rising from the table, which had
been dragged to the center of the room
Get up, boys, and let's be going.
told you at Wiley's that you had wine
enough, but you must bring some here
and drink yourselves stupid Tom Scott
and you, Blakeson, I'm ashamed of you
What would we do if gang of rebels
should catch us in this condition? You
understand the mercy we would get, ano
yet you sit there as careless as statues
drunk as old Bacchus himself! "
Then an expression of contempt pass
ed over the mans face. and STOPPING, he
exclaimed:
Up! up! the rebels are coming"
But his cry of alarm did not infuse
much life into the men at the table
One or two raised, but the drunken leel
that made their faces hideous was suffi
cient to provoke smile, even from the
angry Tory.
Men, he sneered, contemptuously
dogs! every one of you. I've mind
to ride down to the Picolet swamp and
tell the rebels hiding there that the men
they hate are in their power. | have
thought that l commanded men, not
drunkards! and he struck the table
with the butt of his pistol, but he could
not rouse his stupid followers.
The next moment, with an oath on his
lips, he strode to the door, which he
jerked open, and stepped out upon the
porch.
Curse such dogs as lead" he hiss
ed. Il suppose l must lead the horses
up and tie each drunken brute in the
saddle"
He was stepping from the porch fol
the purpose Of attending to the horses
which he supposed were still tethereo
to the trees, when 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 upon your miserable
knees, Godfrey Lang, and beg for the
mercy you hayenever granted to others
Down, | say!
Perhaps the shadows of the window
sash did not permit him to see the pisto
that was clutched in the hand of the
fearless girl else his rashness might have
been curbed.
Kneel to you? Never!" he cried
The weapon that he raised dropped
before the flash that followed his las
words, and with a groan of pain he stag
gered back to drop dead among his com
rades.
Alice Beauchampe, amazed at her owl
courage, stood silent amidst the smOk,
of her own pistol She saw the bacchan
ties try to shake off their torpor at sigh
of their stricken leader, and one rose tt
his feet, to fall as soon as he needed
support. :,
triumph, and the next minute rushed
from the disgusting sight.
An hour passed away, and the drunk
en- Tories began to recover; their chief
who had dropped to the floor, seemed t.
sober them with his cold face and star
ing eyes, and when they had almost re
covered their scattered wits, the TO-
they dreaded was upon them.
Alice Beauchampe's voice had fire.