The National tribune., 1883-07-12

| by four. 1t was entered from the north cham
| ber, Abrams roo4, through q narrow sliding
| panel that looked exactly like the rest of the
| wall, which was of cedar boards. An inch-wide
/ shaft running up the side of the chimney ven
/ tilated the closet, and it was lighted by a win
| dow consisting of three small panes of glass
| carefully concealed under the projecting roof.
| In a sunny day one could see to read there
/ easily.
/ A small cot-bed was now carried into this
| room, and up there, after his wound had been
| dressed by Basha, who like many old-time
| women, was skilled in dressing wounds and
learned in the properties of herbs and roots,
| and he had been fed and bathed, the soldier
! was taken; and very grateful man he was as
| he settled himself upon the comfortable bed
and looked up with smiling thank you,"
4 into Bashas face, which was no longer grim
! and forbidding.
All this time no special notice had been taken
of Dorothy and Arthur. They had followed
about to watch the bathing, feeding and tend
| ing, and when Mrs. Heath turned to leave the
secret chamber, she found them behind her,
| staring in with very wide-open eyes indeed !;
for, if you can believe it, they never before had
even heard OF, much less seen, this lovely little
| secret chamber. 1t was never deemed wise in
colonial families to talk about these hiding
| places, which sometimes served so good pur-
| pose, and / doubt if many adults in the town of
| Hartland knew Of this secret chamber in the
/ Heath house.
| The panel was closed, and Abram was left to
care for the wounded soldier through the night.
1t was o'clock, the colonial hour for going to
| bed, and long past the chiIdren's hour, and
Dotty and Arthur, in their prayers by their
mothers knee, put UP petition for the safety
of the stranger.
/ You'd they hang him if they could get him,
| mammal? p asked Arty.
~ L. Vl Al.
rules of warfare. A spy is always hung"
The morning, from 8 to IL, Mrs. Heath al
| ways devoted to the children's lessons Arthur,
who was eleven, was good Latin scholar. lie
was reading Csesars Commentaries, and he liked it
that is he liked the story part. He found some
of it pretty tough reading, and / need not tell
you boys who have read Cesar what parts those
were, They had English readings from the
Spectator, and from Bishop Leightons works,
books which You know but little about. Dotty
| had daily lesson in botany, and very pleasant
hours those school hours were.
After dinner at IL, they had the afternoon
for play. That afternoon, the day after the sol
dier came, they went berrying. They did this
almost every day during berry time so as TO
have what they liked better than anything for
supper-berres and milk. Occasionally they
had huckleberry slap.jacks," also favorite
dish, for breakfast; not often, however, as flour
was scarce.
They went for berries down the road known
as South Lane, lonely place. but where ber-
ries grew plentifully. Their mother had eau
toned them not to talk about the occurrence of
the night before, as some one might overhear,
and so, though they talked about their play and
their studies, about papa and his soldiers, they
said nothing about the soldier.
They had nearly filled their baskets, when q
growl from Cesar startled them, and turning,
they saw two horsemen who had stopped near
. | V nc af tyho uvaS at urin from hie
horse They were in British uniform, and the
children at once were sure what they wanted
20 Arty, Artyp' whispered Dorothy
'The've come, and we mustn't tell"
The man advanced with smile meant to be
pleasant, but which was in reality so sinister
that the children shrank with sensation Of
/ fear.
" How are you my little man? Picking
berries, eh? And where do you ivew ht
asked.
"With mamma answered Arthur promptly
"And who is mamma? What is her name?
Mrs. Heath" said Arty.
sand don't you live with papa, too? Whert
is papaY the man asked.
Arthur hesitated an instant, and then out il
came, and proudly too g In the Continental
army, sir.'
''Ho! no! and SO we are little rebel, ar,
we?' laughed the man. And who am II Dt
you know?
i s
How do you know that?n
Because you wear their uniform, sir ?o
You cannot have seen many British soldier
here" said the man. I" Did you ever see th
British uniform before?'
Yes, sir,n replied Arty.
"And where did you see it ?o he asked, glanc
, ing sharply at Arthur and then at Dorothy
Upon the face of the latter was look of dis
may, for she had foreseen the drift of the man
questions and the trap into which Arty hat
fallen. He, too, saw it, now he was in. Tn
only British uniform he had ever seen was tha
worn by the American spy. For a brief mo
ment he was tempted to tell lie. Then III
slid firmly, .I cannot tell you, sir"
"Cannot! Does that mean will not?" sale
the man threateningly. Then he put hi
hand into his pocket and took bright gol(
sovereign, which he held before Arthur.
Come now, my little man, tell me where yol
saw the British soldiers uniform, and you shal
) have this gold piece"
But all the noble impulses of the boys nature
inherited and strengthened by his mother
teachings, reyolted at this attempt to bride him
: His eyes flashed. He looked the man full il
the face. I" L Will not p said he.
Come, come! I" cried out the man on horse
r back Don't palter any longer with the littl
rebel. Well find a way to make him tell. Vi
5 with him!"
r In an instant the man had swung Arthur
t into his saddle, and leaping up behind him
r struck spurs to his horse and dashed away
5 Caesar. who had been shifting about, suspicious
but uncertain, attempted to leap upon TIN
i horseman in the rear, but he, drawing his pis
! tol from his saddle, fired, and Cesar dropped
helpless.
The horseman quickly vanished, and for
moment Dorothy stood pale and speechless
Q Then she knelt down by Cesar, examined hi
g wound-he was shot in the leg-and bound i
3 up with her handkerchief, just as she saw Be
: sha do the night before, and then putting he
arms around his neck she kissed him. "Be pa
< tient, dear old Caesar, and Abram shall com
g for you"
/ Covered with dust, her frock stained witt
a Caesars blood, pitiful sight indeed was Doro
f thy as she burst into the kitchen where Bash;
was preparing supper.
S 40 mamma, they've carried off Arty ant
Q shot Caesar, those dreadful dreadful British!
S Between her sobs she told the whole fearful
story to the two women-fearful I say, fo
g Mrs Heath knew too well the reputed charac
ter of the British soldiery not to fear the wors
4 if her boy should persist in refusing to tel
e where he had seen the British soldiers uni
), form. But even in her distress she was con
l scious of proud faith that he would not be
d tray his trust.
n As to Basha who shall describe her horro
= ind inf fl1a,