Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-28

across the door.stone.
"Sakes alive p exclaimed Abram, draw
ing back. But at word from the mistress,
they lifted the man and brought him in and
laid him down on the braided wooden mat
before the fire. Then for moment there
was silence, for he wore the dress OF Brit
ism soldier, and his right arm was bandaged.
He had tainted from loss OF blood, appa.
rently-perhaps from hunger. Bssha loos-
ened his coat at the throat and tried to
force drop or two Of "spirits" into his
mouth, while Mrs. Heath rubbed his
hands.
"He amt dead. said Bssha, in a grim
tone, "and mind you, we'll see trouble
from this" Bssha was an arrant rebel,
and hated the very sight of red coat.
'What are you doin' here, she continued,
addressing him, '' killin' honest folks, when
you'd better We staid cross seas in yer own
country %
(" Basha," said Mrs. Heath reproyingly,
she is helpless
But B sshs as she unwound the tight
bandsge from the shattered arm, kept NUT
tering to herself like rising tempest, until
at length the man having come quite to
himself, detected her feeling, and with
great effort said, 81 amRot British soldier
" Then what to goodness have you got on
their uniform for ?" qneried Basha.
Little by little the pitiful story was told.
He was an American soldier who had been
doing duty as a spy in the British camp.
Up to the very last day Of his stay he had
not been suspected but trying to get away
he was suspected, challenged and fired at.
The shot passed through his arm. He was
certain his pursuers had followed him till
night, and they would be likely to continue
the sesrch the next day, and he begged
Mrs Heath TO secrete him for day or two,
If possible.
{" wouldn't mind being shot, marin,
he said, 90 but you know they'll hang me if
they get me. OF course l Iisked it when l
went into their camp, but it's none the
pleasanter for ali that"
Now in the old Heath house there was
secret chamber built in the side of the
chimney. Most of those old colonial houses
had enormous chimneys, that took up,
sometimes, a quarter of the ground occu-
pied by the house, so it was not difficult
thing to inclose small space with slight
danger of it's existence being detected.
This chimney chamber in the Heath house
was little more than a closet eight feet by
four. 1t was entered from the north
chamber, Abrams room, through a II. row
sliding panel that looked exactly Ike the
rest of the wall, which was of cedar boards.
An inch-8ide shaft running up the side of
the chimney ventilated the closet, and it
was lighted by a window consisting OF
three small panes of glass carefully con.
cealed under the projecting roof. In a
sunny day one could see to read there very
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 skillful in dressing
wounds and learned in the properties of
herbs and roots, and be had been fed and
bathed, the soldier was taken and very
grateful man ne WAS as he settled himself
upon the comfortable bed and looked up
with smiling :" thank. you, into Basha's
face, which wac no longer grim and forbid
ding.
All this time no special notice had been
taken of Dorothy or Arthur. They had
! followed about to watch the bathing. feed
ing and tending 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 the hid
ing places, which sometimes served so good
purpose, and l doubt if many adults in
the town of Hartlaud 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. It was 9 o'clock, the colonial
hour for going to bed, and long past the
children's hour, and Dotty and Arthur in
their prayers by their mothers knee, put
! up petition for the safety of the stranger.
''Would they hang him if they could get
him, mammal asked Arty.
Certainly" she replied. 1t is one of
the rules of warfare. A spy is always
hung"
In the morning, from to IL, Mrs.
Heath always devoted to the children's
! lessons. Arthur, who was IL, was good
Latin scholar. He was reading "Casar
Commentaries" and he liked it-that is.
ne liked the story part. He found some Of
it pretty tough reading, and need not tell
you boys who have read Caesar what parts
those were. They had English readings
from the spectator" and from Bishop
Leighton's 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 u, they had the after
noon for play. That afternoon, the day
after the soldier 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-berries
and milk. Occasionally they had buckle
berry "slap-jacks," also faYorite dish for
breakfast; not often, however, as flour was
scarce.
They went for berries down the road
known IS South Lane, lonely place. but
where berries grew plentifully. Their
mother had cautioned 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 filed their baskets,
when a growl from Caesar startled them,
and turning, they saw two horsemen who
had stopped near by, one of whom was
! just springing from his horse. They were
in British uniform, and the children at
once were sure what they wanted.
80 Arty, Arty !" whispered Dorothy,
they've come and we mustn't tell"
The man advanced with a smile meant to
be pleasant, but which was in reality 30
sinister that the children shrank with q
sensation of fear
How are you, my little man? Pick
ing berries, en- And where do you live ?"
he asked
with mamma, answered Arthur very
promptly.
"And who is mammal What is her
names'
"Mrs. Heath, said Arty.
And don't you live with papa too !,
Where is papa ?" the man asked.
Arthur hesitated an instant, and then
out it came, and proudly too. "In the
Continental army, sir.
"Ho no and so we are little rebel,
are WEI" laughed the man. "And what