The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-04

ana SET the buildings all atlre. -
"All, STRIP
can. The mansion along with the rest"
The captain of marines retired.
81 would give my commission If / were
out Of this SERVICE" Lieut.. Seaton remarked
to him. II presume, sir, that If you find
only helpless women, you viii use your dis
erection about bhrning down their Shelters
i have none to use" said the superior
curly. And, for n part, | think the
more of these rebel nests we destroy, the
sooner the insurgents will come to their
senses. Our object is to ravage the whole
Shore"
Seaton turned sharply, and walked away
to suppress the revolt that was in him. He
stood by the tatfrail, staring steadily at the
distant house, which he knew so well, where
his gallant young friend Cuttance," as he
called him in his thoughts, had dwelt.
Everything was so silent about it as to sug-
gest hope. IF she got my letter in time,
perhaps they have taken the alarm and lied,
he reflected, aud his heart grew lighter.
At dusk Col. Ralph heard the regular
stroke and rattle of many oars in their row
locks on the creek. A little while afterward
the tramp of the hostile force, now invisible,
made itself felt through the darkness. The
colonel had quietly warned his wife Of The
eneyitable danger, and posted himself be-
hind the door with his two boys.
''We claim peaceable entry here in the
kings name,s said the leader of the marines
knocking.
'You shall have it on one condition. said
the colonel, My wife is sick, and has a
young baby. Promise me that she shall not
be disturbed
awe make no conditions with traitors,n
was the answer. Men, club your guns aad
break the door,
Instantly three pistol shots, through loop
holes recently bored in the wood, sent their
shock of flame and sulphurous pulls of
smoke into the faces of the marauders, and
two men fell But 1t was brief struggle
only. The door was carried; armed men
poured in ut the windows; the two boys
came near being killed; and Col. Ralph was
dragged away overpoweTsd Then IA pi hsga9n
iia sssss swept away from the shelves of the
china closets the fine Dutch aud English
porcelain, shivering it to atoms. The ma
rines pried out the mirrors from their places
in the walls or run their bayonets through
the pictures. a mark on the colonies
painted cheek atsests to-day where he was
hit.l The master of the house struggled
with his captors all the way to the boats.
His centennial coat was torn in shreds, his
yellow hair blew wildly about his still wilder
face, and he kent shouting, Margaret, oh,
my poor wife! Let me back TO my boy, my
little innocent child, you cursed vilainsr'
II am sorry to see this, Cuttance,n said
Seaton, as the men brought forward their
prize. Glow did you come TO be here?"
Ralph glared upon him, "My answer
would be sharp and to the poiDt-with the
sword-if had my weapon" he retorted
'How the deuce came you here, calling
yourself man, to torture my wife, who lies
yonder with her new born ehild?'
% Anoais of rnorov ~ exola;,,,a5 hsS f,.,,,,-
friend. Can that be so. Here, corporal.
60 at once to the captain, and inform him
that an invilid lady and her infant are in the
house." The soldier fastened off, s'Cut-
lance" resumed the lieutenant, Ssyou are too
much soldier to blame me for obeving my
superiors. | am here because couldn't help
it. don't command, but will do what /
can for you.s
''Do you expect me to believe you?'' de-
manded the colonel, half crazed by his sitaa-
ton. You tried TO MAKE a traitress of my
sister, and now you have come 10 slay my
dearest. Is this what you mean by doing
what you camp
Seaton made no reply for an instant.
And your s.s'er, he then inquired, with
faltering voice-''is she here?n
lyon needn't fear for her," snesred the
colonel. ''She is out of reach of your
prutes. You may do your worst to us freely,
AoI SENT uSr away l1lS very Qay.
Your wife must be seen to- Seaton
burst out. Il viii go;'' and leaving the
colonel under guard, he ran forward. But
he was met oy the returning tide of men,
and an oTder from the captain to re-embark
The pillage was completed. Slaves were be-
ing driven into boats; the air was full of
cries, sobgs, oaths and drunken laughter.
As they were putting out into the creek, the
lieutenant and CO. Ralph heard a hoarse
voice in one of the ether barges. ssWe've
put key of powder taere,' it said, ssnnder
the woman and its brat, and the train is lit
Then the colonel threw towards his captor
in the dim light, one look of abject despair
and entreaty.
Here, men, put back" commanded Sea-
ton, swiftly, in loud voice, II dropped my
pistol at the landing. Back water-sol Give
way now"
The bows had not touched land when Col
Ralph felt the knotted rope around his arms
suddenly part. He took the hint. bounded
up, sprang out, and was flying Ike an arrow
toward the house, before man had time to
think of shooting.
Let him alone" shouted Seaton, who was
standing up with his sword drawn. .ihe's out
Of our reach now" And to himself be NUT
tered, ''God help himF'
The men who had been charged with SET
ting FIRE to the house had hit upon the fiend-
ism plan Of beginning the work by an expIo-
sion which should destroy mother and child /:
but with pious regard for their OVID safety,
they made the train long one, and kindled
1t only as they embarked.
in the bedroom the colonePs wife Law helm
less, knowing well what had been prepared
for her, and in the agony Of her approaching
tate she held close to her bosom the babT
who was to share her death as she had shar-
ed with him her life.
The powder coil began blazing with a
spiteful hiss, and thin track of fire was
scored through the grass for several inches.
Then 1t paused an instant, and burned more
slowly. Again it flashed up as If it were
some harmless little creature Of the night
which had been resting-an uncanny sort of
glow-worm, indeed, 1t continued to smould-
er, or TO rush hastily on, splitting out golden
sparks in fairy showerlets that barely
scorehed the grass blades. Now It lighted
up with its elfn glow a nodding wild flower
or clover blossom; the next moment it famed
up around an imprudent beetle that had got
in its way, and left him lying there a mo-
tionless cinder. The serpent of fire had sey-
enty yards still to 90, and could notdelay for
these slight accidents. And now il was
codrsing along with sIllen heat beside the
bounds of the family cemetery. One seeing
1t there might have fancied it the .droppinps
from funeral torch. Eut not for those mute
forms under the low mounds was It spark
ling; its fire was to illuminate an awful OBJ
seques for the living in that house so near.
and always nearer.
The wife, too weak to rise, and moreover.
parayzed by fear, almost imagined that she
could see through the walls, and note this
insidious advance of the headlight. She
had been left in darkness, but her eyes were
turned toward the door, for every instant she
expected to see the premonitory fash, and
then to hear the bursting roar which for her
was to end all earthly Consciousness.
All, there it was--a light But the explo-
sion did not follow. "You are safe--safe
my darlngF This was all she heard. 1t was
Ralph who had come TO the bed ide, bring
ing candle, which he held carefully you
may be sure.
When she saw him she lost consciousness
1t is true, but only in fainting fit.
After the war was over, Lieut. Seaton
came to see them. The old enmities had
been forgotten.
II caught the fre-snake just in time"
said the colonel as they talked over the ma
raud. at had got almost to the steps when
/ stamped the life out of it,"
Sand it is really true" announced Sally,
who was sitting with them, "that the lieu
tenant cut your bonds with bis sword"
spray how do you know that?' asked her
brother.