The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-08-21

| out; but lust before she crossed tne
threshold she looked down at Solomon,
who sat there, and said, Solomon, you
keep house till get back. 1t won't be
before midnight" Women who live
alone with cats are apt to confide things
to them.
1t was lonesome walk, and weary
one for woman of her years, but the
thought of her poor cows kept her up.
The night was beautiful, the air was
mild, and the starlight so clear that she
could easily find her way, and yet it was
not bright enough to betray her to any
one who might be wandering about,
which indeed was very unlikely
thing to happen, for everybody, except a
few stray cottagers like hers elf, was safe
within the walls of the town; and as
for the enemy, they were twelve miles
off in Ghent.
Besides its own strong defences Dude
narde was further protected by great
ditcLes, deep and broad, along the mead
ows, so that it was considered safe from
attack on that side. When Petronilla
reached the outermost of these bitches
she was much surprised to find that
there was no water in it, but being
anxious to gather her bundle of grass,
she fell to work, pulling it up by long
handfuls, until she had secured as much
as she could carry, and had just tied it
with the cord, when strange thing hap
pened, and she soon learned something
very important about the ditch.
Though her hearing was not rs good
as it once had been, she was sure that
two or three persons were talking not
far away, and that they were coming
nearer. She instantly pulled off her cap
that its snowy whiteness might not at
tract attention, muflled herself to the
eyes in her kerchief, and crouched low
among the tufts of reeds.
And none too soon, for men began to
pass close by her, carrying long ladders,
which nearly swayed against her, so
near were they. She dared not stir, and
could not raise her eyes to see higher
than their knees; but as the feet went by
her face, one pair after another, she
counted and there were four hundred
men.
What was the meaning of it she gath
cred quickly enough, for the leaders talk
ed over their plans almost over her head,
They were foes. the men of Ghent,
come at midnight after long marching
to surprise Oudenarde.
They said that most of the garrison
and the great officers were away, feeling
that all was safe-they had sent spies
who found this out-and that the town
was carelessly guarded, and what was
worse, that the inhabitants had drawn
the water out of the bitches to get the
fish, and along these channels the enemy
could now approach even to the walls,
and by means of their scaling ladders
climb over.
AS soon as the men had all gone by,
Petronilla, though shaking with terror.
hurried as fast as her feet could hobble
by short path she knew to the walls,
just where the empticd ditch would give
them a place of advantage.
The sentry was going his rounds, and
finding all was well, would soon have
passed out of hearing. but she began to
moan and cry as if in distress, and hear
ing her, he came back and asked her what
was the matter.
Then in quavering voice she told her
story, which he knew not what to think
of; being only poor sentinel obeyng
orders, what should he think when an
old woman started up before him at
midnight begging him to alarm the gar
riSon, when the commander had felt
secure enough to leave everything just
as it was?
But he was humane, so he treated her
kindly, and asked her to step and rest
herself, but she said
No; if | don't hurry away l shall be
dead woman"
When she had gone, the thought came
to him how true and kind her voice
was, and what an honest woman she
F seemed.
"She made me think OF my poor
: mother, who has been dead these many
years, | fear"
Because of this, he said he would 60
and look off from the highest place and
. watch and listen, which he did; but not
, sound broke the stiffness except the
cry of night-bird on the meadow
nothing was stirring, even the old wo-
| man was nowhere to be seen.
, Indeed, she had made haste to get
, back to the place where she saw the
, men, who remained as she had left
them, all but four, who were just being
| sent onward with orders from their
, leader not to speak, not to cough OF
sneeze, hardly even to breathe, but to 90
J as near the walls rs possible without
| startling the watchman, reconnoiter,
| and bring back word.
This they did; and Petronilla waited
| to hear the report in dread and sorrow,
, for she was sure there was not light
! burning in all the town and that the
| people were sound asleep in their beds,
| never dreaming of danger; and when
, the spies returned, their words only
added to her misery.
2 They did not see so much as II lighted
candle, they said, and they believed that
| the sentinel had been his rounds and had
l gone to bed; and now it was proposed tC
prepare for start, enter the ditch and
g move on to the walls.
4 Then poor tired old Petronilla started
t again, and appeared once more to the
+ astonished watchman, who was still
e keeping a sharp lookout, and told him
= all she had just heard, and that it was
y the last he would see other that night.
A But" she said, if evil does come tC
e the town and you escape, my hut car
t shelter you from harm. 1t is the frst
on the road to Ghent."
S She told him this because he had 6
(; civil, pleasant way, which made hel
L think of her dear boy, Peter.
C And now the man, fully alarmed, wen
S round to the gate that was threatened
r where he found the soldiers of the guarC
II crowded about a dim light playing dice
n with three or four TASKS of wine besid,
d them; they we've his superiors in rank
+ so he addessed them as Gentlemen =
If and asked if their gates and barrier
k were all secure, because an old woman
had been to him and told him that's ban,
n of men were on their way to take tn
town.
e "Oh, ho!" they cried, "our gates ar
e fast enough. A bad night to the OLE
woman who has come 1T such an hou
e to alarm us! Probably she saw som
t cows and calves that had come united