The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-11-29

TO eXtermlnate the Avengers, and Alice
remembered where a little party of pat
riots lay, but alas! they were not very
near
We'll rest here and finish that wine."
said one of the leaders of the band,
whose face told that already he had i'm
bibcd freely. Bring in the poultry,
and ON old Beauchampe's hearth we'll
prepare feast"
At his command, one of the men left
the house, but soon returned, bearing
with him duck and several chickens,
from whose freshly wrung necks the
warm blood was dripping.
"How's the hOrses?" asked one of the
Avengers, as the man flung the poultry
On the table.
Standing like rocks was the reply.
" Such horses as they don't need watch
ing, and, besides, there ism rebel with
in ten miles of this accursed place"
Why, there's the Widow Hartzell"
Z" l didn't think of her." WIS., the reply.
How bitterly old Hartzell hated Us,
but we caught him at last"
"And presented him with a breast pin.
Ha. hal"
And the laugh went round the room.
Alice Beauchampe did not wait until
the laugh was ended; while yet it filled
the house with its devilish echoes, abe
glided across the room to a window that
looked out upon the dark palmetto
grove, behind the building.
There was no sash in the window, and
the cool winds of the night kissed the pal
lid cheek of the partisan's daughter.
For moment she tried to pierce the
darkness beneath the window; but, fail
ing her endeavors, she crept over the sill
resolved to trust to fortune for success.
The distance to the ground was not
very great, and the daring girl alighted
without injury.
to the friends she had lately left; but i'm
mediate flight in that direction was not
her intention.
Heaven help me-" she murmured, as
she glided around the old house and APP
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 fowls. They
had completely terrorized the country,
and under the sway of their lawlessness
it was fast becoming desert.
Alice counted them before she touch
ed a single rein; and then in brief pc
rion of time she loosened the horses and
quietly led them into small copse not
far away. The steeds did not refuse to
obey her guidance, and when she reach
ed the copse, she struck them with a
whip which she found beneath a saddle.
1t was a smart blow that she administer
! ed, and the steeds started forward and
! disappeared in an instant
Thus in few moments Ferguson
Avengers had been deprived Of their
horses.
/ Flushed with triumph, Alice Beau
champe returned to the house, and again
looked in upon the hilarious tenants.
/ She now held pistol in her hand-a
weapon which a holster had granted her
and she crept to the edge of the porch be,
! vengeance 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 lowered
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 well
burned, placed on the table, and watched
the greedy men crowd around for their
shares Their tongues and movements
told her that stolen liquor was doing its
accustomed work on all save the giant,
who had superintendent the cooking of
the late repast This man appeared
perfectly sober, and the angry chances
which he often cast at his companions
told that he did not sanction their bac-
ohanalian conduct.
Come! enough of this he suddenly
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, am ashamed of
you. What would we do if a gang of
rebels should catch us in this condition
You understand the mercy we would
get, and yet you sit there as careless as
statues-drunk as old Bacchus himself!"
Then an expression of contempt passed
over the mans face, and, STOPPING, he ex-
claimed:
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 heads were raised, but the
drunken leer that made their faces hide
Gus was enough to provoke a smile, even
from the mad tory
Mem" he sneered, contemptuously
Dogs. every one of you. Eve a mind
to ride down to the Pacolet swamp and
tell the rebels hiding there that the men
they hate are in their power. l have
thought that | commanded men, not
drunkardsr and he struck the table
with the butt of his pistol, but could not
rouse his stupid followers.
The next moment, with an oath on
his lips, he strobe to the door, which he
jerked open, and stepped upon the porch.
Curse such dogs as | lead" he
Kissed. 81 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 We're still tethered to
the trees, when form rose before him
and he started back with a 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 bv
your hands! Down upon your misera-
bic knees, Godfrey Lang, and beg for the
mercy you have never granted Others.
Down, | say"
Perhaps the shadows of the window
sash did not permit him to see a pistol
that was clutched in the hand of the
fearless gill else his rashness might have
been curbed.
"kneel to you? Never" he cried.
The weapon that he raised dropped be-
fore the flash that followed his last
words, and with groan of pain he stag
gered back to drop dead among his
drunken comrades.
Alice Beauchampe, amazed at her own
i. L