Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-10-24
"Oh, such talk never amounts to any

ing in the beauty around him; the gor-
geous tints of the trees, the purple and
gold of the wood flowers at his feet, and
the dreamy blue of the sky that shad-
owed In patches overhead.
Suddenly the sound of voices, broke
the stiffness, and Harvey, peering
through the bushes, saw the man who
had worked for Mr.. Adams, and another
man, still more rough and ev1l-looking,
lounging upon the ground with their
guns beside them. They had built
fire, at which they were cooking some
rabbits; and as Harvey looked, a dog
bounded through the underground and
crouched down beside them.
The men were discussing a plan
which made Harvey's heart beat so vio-
lently as he listened, that he shivered
with dread lest they should hear it and
discover his retreat.
They had decided to burn Mr.. Adams
barn, in which was stored all the fruits
of his long summers work, and the ex-
arm, hand added contemptuously:
"Since he sets such store by his
horses and COWS, it will be a mercy to
send them where they will never be
abused any more.
"There's Brindle, Daisy, and Rose,
besides the horses, that ought to keep
good Mr.. Adams family in roast meat
for some time to come"
The two wratches burst into loud
laugh at this sally, and at the same time
the branch upon which Harvey was
leaning, broke with sharp crack. Even
then he might have escaped, but the dog
spraug up with low growl, and mo-
ment after the unfortunate lad was held
most unwilling prisoner.
Poor Harvey! AS he looked up into
the cruel, scowling faces of his captors,
he felt that he could hope for very little
mercy from men who would deliberately
plan to roast alive unoffending, helpless
animals. Indeed, the rougher of the
two men advised that Harvey should be
put out of the way at once.
He's heard what we've had to say
and he'll blab. Dead men, and young
ones, too. tell no tales" he added
grimIy, seeing that his companion hest
tated.
"But we might swing for it. p" object
ed the farm hand. "See here, young
one, we'll let you go scot free on one
condition. You hold up your hand and
swear like I show you, not to breathe a
word of what you've heard, or by -!
you'll not live long enough to say your
prayers" He picked up his gun as he
spoke, and held the muzzle against Har-
vey's breast.
Poor Harvey! A sickening feeling
of fear and faintness seemed to stifie his
breathing, and arrest his very heart
beats. The cruel and determined faces
of the men, seemed like demons, and he
looked around the lonely woods, then at
the gun, and then he took the awful
oath which the man babe him repeat,
that he would not reveal anything they
had said.
He was at last allowed to go, and the
farm hand called after him.
g say, young one, you can tell when
the deed is done, and don't you forget
it. l want the old man to know who his
good luck comes FROM" and he added to
his companion, "No danger of his Civ
ing us away, he's got no more pluck than
a chicken, and he's scarf most to death"
When Harvey reached home, supper
was laid in the big kitchen. Mollie, the
help, was turning flannel cakes, Mrs.
Adams was pouring the tea, and Mr..
Adams turned from the sink where he
had been washing his hands, and spoke
to the boy with genial smile,-
Well, Harvey, my lad, did you have
a good time? Had nice walk, eh?"
Yes sir,-no sir,-part of the time"
stammeted poor Harvey, with such
miserable face that the good farmer
noting the pale face and trembling limbs,
exclaimed:
"Bless the boy he looks fit to drop
What is the matter, child?"
Nothing" sobbed Harvey, and
bursting into tears he rushed away from
them all, and ran up to his own little
room under the caves.
Pretty soon Mrs. Adams hustled up with
a cup of hot tea and some nicely buttered
toast, and when she found that he could
not eat, she bathed his aching head,
tucked him into bed, and even left a
motherly kiss on his cheek.
The kiss made Harvey feel ten times
more miserable than before. How kind
they were to him! How could he let
them be wronged out of so much of their
hard earned property? Then the
horses! ali! that was the bitterest of all!
Kitty and Jess, whom he had loved and
petted, and who also knew him, and
would Whitney with delight whenever
he entered the barn. He had taught
them to bow their heads when he gave
them an apple, or anything especially
nice, and now he was going to let them
suffer horrible death! Great beads of
sweat started on his forehead, ard he
sprang from his bed intending to rush
down stairs and reveal the whole wicked
plot, but he stopped before picture of
Christ blessing little children, which
good Mrs. Adams had hung IN his room.
The moonlight fell broadly upon it.
Had not Mrs. Adams said that Christ
hated liars, and had he not soIemnly
swO<n to keep silence?
Harvey never forgot the terrible hour
that followed. He heard the family re-
tire, and waited fearfully for any sound
outside. At last he knelt and PRAYED
earnestly that God should show him
some way out of his trouble. Then he
went to the window and looked out at
the great barn.