The Democratic advocate., 1884-12-20

SIS. iAulldH tLS d IdDDlI udlICu al iCN
yards past him; and forgetting all DANCE
in the exciting race, away the whole pac
flew, yelling like Indians and exultant a
Arabs on a chase
"Head him off there, boys Round th
wall to the cave shouted Roy, who Away
saw the farthest ahead. 'I'll take thi
side !" but large, grey one, just thel
bounding from out the hollow of stumI
near by diverted them from the origina
victim, and Roy dove into the mouth o
the low cave alone.
The cave looked, in the distance, like al
uneven hillock, and had, once upon time
been a small powder magazine; but years
previous a coat and hat were found one
morning, lying outside, and dead maj
within; so the spot was now avoided, anC
even Roy, who dotted ON ghosts-stories, anC
already knew ''Tam O'Shanter's Ride" by
heart, broke out in cold sweat as "a
something sprang from the mouth farther
buck into the dark, and stihed sob-no
i was positively groan, reached his ear.
= & might have been ten minutes, it might
have been thirty, (boys do not measure
time by dials) when Roy was missed.
Phil. Hall, the timid, reserved Phil, as
unlike Roy as a robin to an eagle, yet who
was loved by him with that chivalric heroic
friendship which too rarely outlives inno-
cent boyhood, was the first to notice his
prolonged absence.
No wonder the echoes behind Harmony
Hall said the craziest and most jumbled up
odds and ends of talk when ten healthy
lunged boys yelled at once different ques-
ton, as, pale and excited, Roy ran to join
them but before they had quite met, even
as they all stood quiet and expectant, at
his approach, (the first time they had been
quiet since early cock crow,) they were
surrounded by a corps of stout black men,
pinioned and carried, struggling and halt
frantic, between fear and rage, up the grav-
elled avenue to Captain Simmons house.
The old ogre, who ate savory stew of
tender little children for his breakfast
looked not more fearful to Hop-o-my-
Thumb, than the infuriated, outraged Cap
tain did to the silly boys who had so inso-
lently braved his displeasure.
A hurricane, water-spout, floating
iceberg or a school of hungry sharks,
seemed to their feverish imagination no
worse to encounter than this living repre-
of all combined, in whose pres
ence they were compelled to stand as cul-
prits.
He sat at the upper end of small,
darkened room, around which hung guns,
a sword, two cutlasses, pistols and, for what
they knew to the contrary, every other in
strument of torture and cruel death used
by barbarians on land or sea for their
eyes were riveted upon the angry old Cap
tain and great horse-whip which lay across
his fat knees.
How he scowled until his shaggy eye
brows met like the arch of an iron prison
door How his fiery eyes glowed and
seemed to snap like torpedoes! How firmly
his hands were clenched beneath his snowy
white wristbands, while his short, iron grey
which nearly covered cheeks and
chin, stuck out straight like a forest of
bristling bayonets. There was a moment
of awful silence.
E'Boysr' his voice was like the bang of
a slammed door.
SIN whose copse were you caught by my
men? Answer, every little william of you. u
"Yours, sir"
"Who gave you permission to enter it?"
"No one, sir.
"What were you hunting?"
'Rabbits. y
''Did they belong to your
''No sir; you owned EN-"
"What day is this?'
"Christmas, and we wanted to have lit
tie extra fun" said Roy.
'sDo your parents know where you are?'
''Spose not, sir. We were soon going
home, responded Phil.
Gum, um, By your own confession,
then, you are set of runaways thieves and
trespassers. You have broken through
my wall, injured my young trees, scared
my innocent rabbits and destroyed my con-
fdence in the boys of Catoctin. All this,
too, on day of peace and rejoicing; a ho-
ly day, when people should do good and
not evil. Shame, shame upon you! To
let this opportunity pass without making
you remember your violation of the law,
and abuse of this day and me, would be
wrong. As you committed a crime you
must be treated as criminals. The county
Jail is but three miles off; [ shall send for
an officer Immediately. Jack! Sandy!
Two strong black men, looking as grave
as hangmen, quickly stepped forward.
''Take each gun and guard that door.
l leave these prisoners in your charge un=
til farther notice. The first one who at
tempt to pass, bring to me,
He was gone, moving off with a step
that seemed as pitiless as death.
The bows watched his retreating figure,
then looked into each others blank, des-
pairing faces. Their bravado, like their
anger had suddenly died out. Self-convic-
ted-now that the Captain had shown them
their sin in such strong light, they de-
served punishment, but nothing half so
severe as that which the Captain intimated
1t was too dreadful to think of.
No Christmas turkey and plnm pudding
and they were as hungry as wolves. No
blind mans buff nor merry dance in the
evening, at home! No good night kiss
FROM mother, and soft bed to tumble into
after the weariness of jolly day. No go
ing to school on the morrow, which now
debarred from it seemed paradise! In
stead, dreary cell and everlasting disgrace
"Boys!' 1t was Roy who spoke; Roy
who up to this minute had not opened his
lips since the Captain had passed sentence,
"you would none of you have gone hunt
this morning but for me, would you?
HNo No Nol You first made it up,
said all but Phil.
"And it was 1 who led the way to Cap
tain Simmons copse."
"Of course you did, and you might have
told him so" said Ben Boone. "You'rc
always getting somebody into scrape."
Roy darted look of scorn at him, and
calling Phil. to corner, spoke in low
earnest voice.
"You shan't! You shan't, Roy. III
90 along," said Phil.
"Be still, Phil. 1 know I'm right
There's no one home but you, and it would
kill your mother" Just then big lump