Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-07-05
THE HOURS SIEGE.

II II fkVI h -
It Was midnight Of the 18Th Of Angus
commenced my grandmother, bu
though the river was in front Of US, ant
the forest stretched for miles behind US
and away to the right and left, ! coulC
not catch even the sight of leaf or tht
ripple Of the water, so sultry and heav.
brOoded the darkness around us.
had not been in the best of spirit
that day for ii was the time when va
dreaded every hour TO hear the bonn
bardment Of New York; and though IL
the house of Thomas Oakley, brother
of my father, snd such a terror anC
dread of that day that | could not helr
caring lest some evil had happened tC
my parents, VINO were still in the city.
As usual with the sleepless, all sorts
Of fancies leased my brain. My room
like all Others was lasge and furnished
in the style that seems 80 quaint TO per.
cons of the present; day.
The chimney piece Was filled with
porcelain, curiously wrought with Illus
trations of scripture. The bed and fur
niture that bad been brought from
England, was tall, dark, stiff and cary
&c, while the walls were hung with SOM
bre family portraits. And as / lay and
wished for day the tiled figure seemed
TO move and glowed at me in the uncer-
tain light that came through loop. hole
in my window, while thought the eyes
of the portrait were one and all fixed
on me with n solemn, warning stare,
and so it happened that heard the old
clock strike one, two, three, and was
Just falling of into dCzs, when there
came light step along the hall, and
cousin Grace in strange, scared voice,
outside the door "Helen, Helen !"
was up in a moment and out to
where she stood, looking like Il spirit,
with her ashy face, and fair hair falling
about her; and | remember the thrill of
astonishment with which, spite of my
fright, / saw that she was already dress
ed, and held in her hand powder
flask.
"Put ON your clothes as quick as you
can, Nellie" she said in voice that
trembled little, though she was doing
her best to be calm, Grants men are
coming and father wants us all dowr
stairs"
Brant's menl 1t is difficult to make
you understand the horror with which
that name Was pronounced and heard
or to express the terror with which, as
hurried ON my clothes, thought of Grace
and myself in the hands of those merci
less savages. No wonder she trembleC
in every hmb, or that Thomas 0akle,
n man over six feet in height and OF
noble presence, with grand face tina
looked as if it might have been chiselet
out of marble, and hair as white as snow
as though he was scarcely past hi
prime. We have no such men nova
days have his portrait in my littl
cabinet yonder, and You may see that h
looks as he was, kind and noble gen
tleman.
AZ for his sons, they were ike-tall
strong limbed, fearless, devoutly al
tached to the stately mother, who wa
preparing breakfast while they fastene
the iron shutters Of the heavy doors.
cts shame TO route you out s
early Nellie" said Mr.. Oakley, as h
noticed my pale frightened face; "bu
if we didn't eat our breakfast no.
those rascalls may not give us a chauc
at all, and to my mind, after 600
cause, there's nothing like a goo
breakfast before going into a fight"
Il wish Mark was here, +" said Gyac
timidly
NO doubt, Pussy but I've sent "a
him. Yost, the half-witted lad tina
brought the news has gone after hir
and the volunteers who were to stai
for camp to-day, and Il we can bu
keen the rascsls at bay till they com
we may give them as good a pepperin
ss they deserve
Ay, if but, oh, that dreadful uneel
taiuty. The house was Of stone an
so strongly built that it was doubtful
they could either raze or fire it. Ho,
many of thst fair family would gathe
round the board tomorrow mornin(
All it was a dreadful day; but | thin
the hour before the attack was tn
worst of ALL
II was not to be expected that W
could eat much breakfast; but hurrie
as the meal, it was hardly over whe
one Of the boys whom my uncle ma
posted on the lookout, called out the
are coming, and stealing along h
woods to the right as if they hoped
surprise us.-At cnce the men hurrt
with their rifles to the window of Il
second story; Mrs. Oakley. pale, b
still outwsrdly calm, motioned us
follow and hand out the powder.
Then came dead silence.
Look out, Simon" said the fGtbe
in low voice, land tell US what Ii
rascals are about"
Posting themselves about the hous
but under cover. There's man COZ
ing this way now-he-why, father, II
Walter Van Cuyler."