The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-04-23
Select Storg.
THE RIDE OF MARIoN'S MEN.

"We don't care for the danger, Cap
tain. we re too used 70 that There aln
one Of Us but had rather risk his life than
that old tory should rob you Of your bride.
She's siaunch patriot, too, aud hates the
very ground that redoOai or tory walks
on. Wen save her, Cap, FROM mating
Silas Hall. or al Of US viii die 10 the at
tempt
SPOKEN ike your own self, Robert; |
fslt TINT | eoaId depend on You and the
rest Of my men, 70 help me carry out my
plans Il is the only way there Is 70 save
her. Her uncle, Amos Herliu, watches
her ike dragon, IS does Silas Hall, who
declares be viii marry her before two days
are over. He has such influence With
Tarleten that he has sent half score Of
his eut-throa,s to guard the house. This
| learned from Rose. vho managed TO &c,
q note 10 me b. the band Of Pip her ser
vsat Her uncle is determined 70 marry
her to Hall. whether she Will or no-aad
Parson Sabine is jus, the man to DO the
foul deed for them He would pronounce
the ceremony whether she vas willing or
not. There Is but one thing to do, we
must steal her away from under the very
nose Of the redeoats and their tory friends.
aAnd We will Do It, Captain. There
never was 4 time yet, bat that We could
outwit them when We tried. IL never vas
said, aud hope it never viii be that Ma
rion's men were not match for the che
my. To night We VII pay them visis
If you say 50, aud when we come back We
viii bring Rose Her,iu with Us.
That We viii, Captain, echoed oil the
men gathered about him.
ssThank YOU, boys. Il Is no, often We
fail. aud | think VIC shall not ia this ease
we must not. If wo do Il will he too
late. aud all will be lost Rose Herlin
must be saved tonight. She knows Of
what We mean to do ii the black boy, Pip,
gets back all right, aud l know no reason
why be should not. As soon as il IS dark
we will set out, aud tTast in Providence
and our own stroag arm to help me.
4 few words here, BY way Of explaua-
ton. that the reader may better eompTe-
bend that which has already been partly
revealed to them.
Captain Blake commanded I company
Of his own raising 10 the forces Of Gen.
T Marion. A drawer officer than be was
{ not in command
Marion honored and trusted him, and
\ lie was the idol Of bis men
/ For two years past Rose Herlin had
been his promised bride.
She was an orphan. Her parents bad
been dead for several years, and her home
had been with her uncle.
( Amos Herlin was a tory Of the most
yirulent sort. lie was loyal to the king
aud crown, and held 10 utter detestation
those who were battling oppression and for
\ the liberty Of their country One thing
/ If possible angered him more thsn any
other. Rose, member Of his household
aud his dead brothers child, was as stnrdy
a patriot as there was in the colonies.
4 His anger seemed TO increase day by
day, until his house became so uneomfor-
table that she felt that she could no longer
abide beneath its roof
He knew of her engagement to Captain
Blake, and he stoutly swore that there
should be an end to the matter for ever.
I Over aud over again he declared that
he had rather she should die than wed
with him.
4 friend Of his, tory ike himself, aud
nearly as old, demanded her Of him for a
wife, and be ropndly swOre that he should
have her.
If she would not Of her own accord, she
would be forced to do as they wished, aud
to carry out this threat, the day was sci
for the wedding, aud to leave no avenues
for her escape the would-be bridegroom
Silas Hall, had procured some Of Tarle
ton S minions to guard the home Of Amos
Herlin, under the plea that it was in dan
ger Of being robbed by the patriots, who
were known to be lurking pear at hand.
This was the condition of affairs atthe
time our story opens, aud We now proceed
10 take up the thread Of the narrative.
1t was the afternoon preceding the day
in which Rose was to be forced to become
the wife of Silas Hall.
In spite of her protestatiOns her uncle
did not alter 10 bis ayowed purpose.
aThe wife Of Silas Hall you shall be 7
he cried. Il have sworn it, and viii
not be turned from my purpose.
sNever, never = cried Rose in despera
ton. ''Do not hope for it; my lips shal
never speak the words that shall bind me
to that old villain; | will die first.
"Yeu need not speak them unless you
wish 10. Parson Sabine will not be par
tieular. Silence gives consent.
The afternoon in question Rose sal
alone in little apartment off from the
drawing-room She was thinking Of the
coils that were closing around her, and
the chances there were for her to es-
cape them. The black boy, Pip, had re
turned and the message he brought awokt
a hope in her heart IF it was possible tt
save her she knew Capt Blake would dc