Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-04-13

this afternoon. Black Frank shall take
you across the bay and ride with you to
Culpepper; 80 get ready at once. Dc
you hear me? Don't delay. And mind,
not one word of this to Margaret
Miss Cuttance knew that she would
haze to obey. But at this moment OF
defeat the tender side of her womanly
nature suddenly got the better of her,
II will do it," she said mcekly. "But il
you send me away, why not go with
me?"
move"
ooh, true, true" The girl seemed
genuinely anguished. "But what will
become Of you all9:" she cried, touching
her brothers. shoulders with both hands,
He shook her off. "Ifthe enemy should
come, and | not here" she went on.
Ralph! Ralph. Think of what you are
doing. You, an officer. They would
take you; they would have no mercy.
Why should you not fly and leave US?
They could not harm women. Or, if
you wish, go ride somewhere and get
help and return"
II might ride to the end of Accomac,
and it would do no good. Besides, IL
to fly? You remind me that l am an
officer. That is quite needless, for 1
never forgot it for a moment, though
you may. More than that, / am q man,
! hope, He was Just 20, this tall young
And if you ever behold Seaton again it
won't be my fault for if he comes to this
place | will run my sword through him."
And the little child, whose presence
had made the father think war so hide
an n fnvu r,ip,,fac hnTora clio ~ n,1,,1,
in the room within which this threat was
uttered.
Sally started before an hour had
passed, Black Frank accompanying her.
But as her horse paced in among the
WOO Is that concealed the road to the
Chesapeake, the poor girl turned on her
eyes, and threw one intangible kiss
from her lips to the hopeless expanse of
waves.
From his position on the veranda
Ralph could see what she on the road
had been unable to discover. Several
sails had come into sight, making their
way southwark and inshore. He
watched them long and %anxiously, until
they became so distinct that with his
glass he could make out the British en-
sign, and distinguish the flagship from the
east. They lay for a while; then the flag
ship and most of the fleet proceeded on
their way, leaving one sioop OF war in
the ofing, which beat up and down, and
appeared to be cycling the house as in
tently as the colonel was cycling the
vessel herself. There was commotion
on the plantation; the slaves ran here
and there like a flock of disturbed
chickens. But Col. Ralph quietly sum
moned to the library his little brothers,
Frank and Reginald, youngsters respec-
lively of II and Il, and there instructed
them as to their military duties in case
OF an attack. He had too much old Vir-
ginia pride, and too little ammunition,
to avail himself of any war-like aid from
his negroes
Meantime, on-board his majesty's
sloop the captain of marines was receiv-
ing his orders.
You will land with my detachment
of sailors in two hours from this time.
By then the tide will have made that
creek practicable for the boats. Guard
against surprise, search the house, carry
off the slaves, and set the buildings all
fire.
.An, sir?"
.All. The mansion along with the
rest"
The captain Of the marines retired.
II would give my commission If /
were out of this service Lieut.. Seaton
remarked to him. 81 presume, sir, that
if you find only helpless women, YOU
will use your discretion about burning
down their shelter"
II have none to use" said the supe-
rior, CURLY. "And, for my part, |
think the more of these rebels 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 ~tatffEil, staring
steadily at the distant house, which he
knew SO well, where he had met the
woman he loved, and where bis 'gal-
liant young friend Cuttance,n as he
called him in his thoughts, had dwelt.
Everything was so silent about it as to
suggest a hope. eff she got my letter
in time, perhaps they have taken the
alarm and fed" he reflected, and his
heart grew lighter.
At dusk Col. Ralph heard the regular
stroke and rattle of many oars in their
rowlocks 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 inevitable dan
ger, and posted himself behind
the door with the two bows.
1--WE claim peaceable entry here in the
kings name" said the leader of the ma
rines, knocking.
you shall have it ON one condition."
said the colonel. "Mv wife is sick, and
has a young baby. Promise that she
shall not be disturbed"
w make no conditions with traitors"
was the answer. "Men, club you guns
ahd break the door,"
Instantly three pistol shots, through
l%oop-holes recently bored in the wood,
sent their shock OF flame and sulphuri-
GUS putfs of smoke into the faces of the
maruders, and two men fell. But it was
a brief struggle only. The door was car
RED; armed men poured in at the win
doWs; two boys came near being killed:
and Col. Ralph was dragged away over
powered. Then began a riot of destruc-
ton. Sailors with their cutiasses swept
from the shelves of the china closets the
fine Dutch and English porcelain, shiv-
ering it to atoms. The marines pried
out the mirrors from their places in the
walls or ran their bayonets through the
pictures. "a mark on the,colonel's.. paint
ed cheek attest to-day where he was hit.)
The master ofthe house struggled with
his captors all the way to the boats. His
continental coat was torn in shreds, his
yellow hair blew wildly about his still
wilder face. and he kent Sho,ltinp.