The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-24

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yet allowed to remain as thew WI NV
then he was laundering thro1ob AZ,
dark gallery; and at last he was f0 une
Ding at the hasp which secured the YES.
try door on the inside. ''''
Then they all rushed in, and old
Prohibition Bell'' was rung as it had
never been rung before" Dinq-dono
ding-dong," as fast it could 90; it sounS
ed on the still, midnight air, and was
echoed back from the hills, rousing tbo
whole village; heads were popped ont
of windows along the street, and SIM
4 pressed laughter was heard, for eyerv.
body knew how confident the Comma
dore had been.
The boys had rung it furiously for
about ten minutes, and the little can.
mons had begun to speak on every cor.
ner, when from my watch-window
spied lantern in the COMMODORE
door-yard. In another minute | had
scattered the ringers and by the time
he had appeared on the scene of action
with the blacksmith, whom he had
routed from his bed, there was not
boy visible, except the small fellows
with their cannons on the nearest cross
street, who were unable to tell him
anything, simply because they did not
know.
The culprits, however, were all within
hearing, and lost not a word Of the old
gentleman's strong assertions, spoken
loud on purpose for their ears, which
he was shrewd enough to suppose were
within hearing, that he would find ont
''who they are; and I'll pxssecute every
one of them to the fullest Extent of tn
| law"
The two men searched everywhere
even to the belfry, from which their
lantern shone like beacon, and they
tried every window and looked into
every pew; then, giving it up, the
blacksmith put paddock on the outer
door, and they departed,
The boys gave them just time enough
to get home; then, at my sign, they
started up from their hiding places and
the bell began to toll, deep, and strong
and quick. Tom, who had planned for
every possible contingency, had carried
in his pocket, when he climbed up, a
strong cord wound round q pebble to
which one end was secured; the other
he had tied to the clapper of the bell;
then, unwinding, he had hurled the
stone back down over the Sheds and
now they were using this strong cord
with will.
The bell had doomed furiously fora
few minutes, when the lantern appeared
again in the Commodore yard, and back
he came with his companion. They found
the church all right, not window unfast-
ened, and every door secure; so re-
locking the outer ones, they proceeded
to an inspection of the sheds. But
while they were still in the vestibule,
bending over the inner lock, Tom had
slipped in and hidden himself in the
wood closet It.did not require much
searching on the part of the men to find
the cord, which they tried to break by
their united efforts, and succeeded by
saving it along the edge of the roof
And now the sexton was so sure that
the bell would be at rest for the remain
der of the night that he laughed at the
blacksmith when he proposed that they
should sit on the meeting house steps
with their lantern and watch till day.
break, which was not very far off. He
dispersed the small bows, bidding them, ,
'GO home and go to bed, and come
come again at suiriso,s otsea. r .sD r.is- ,
the bell myself; and you may AN ring
till your hands are blistered. As for ,
those rascals," raising his voice, ''if
they have broken so much as a pane Of
glass in this house, will have the law
on them tomorrow"
The boys had pretty busy night of
it, but they were not through yet. As +
soon as the familiar lantern had van
ished in the Commodore house, awin- f
dow in the church was gently raised, a .
dark lantern in TOMS hand shOne .
moment, there was good deal OF F
climbing in and out, of low talking, and 1
the sound of tools being used, and GER
tain other sounds strongly suggesting
that something was going on in the bel
fry. Then the boys dispersed just at
daylight, agreeing to keep watch and
see what happened next.
Promptly at sunrise came the sexton,
and crowd of small boys at his heels;
few men, too, had lounged along to
the church steps, and looked in as he
threw open the doors.
"And now,' shouted the Commo-
dore, ''you may have all the ringing
you want. This is early enough for all
orderly folksr'
So the little fellows snatched at the
rope, and jerked with all their might
with no result.
sob! clear out! said he. "and see
me do it! There! That's the way to
ringr' pulling with one vigorous sweep
of his right arm, which drew the rope
clear to the floor; and so he kept on for
minute or two, a puzzled expression
coming over his face; then suddenly be
called TO the men outside. "Seems to
me this bell don't ring, or else have
gone deaf all at once Hey?"
NO" cried one of the small boys !
"'tain't making no sound, Captain"
The Commodore pulled and tugged
then took off his coat and worked away
till his face was in blaze, I'D beads oil
perspiration rolled down his cheeks.
"Those young rascalsr' Re said
They must have tied the clapper"
Upon which two men volunteered to 90
up and ssee.S They soon returned with
the intelligence that the clapper YVES
gone entirely" But the Commodore
could not believe it, or was so obstinate
that he soouM not till he had the evi'