Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-28
KENTIL COBHAMS RIDE.

Dear, quaint old Tarrytown- the
Hudson A railroad runs through it,
and they get their mail I don't know
now many times day, and it boasts
of boys and girls boarding schools;
but stray a short distance from the
main street, out of sight of the post
Office, out of hearing distance of the
boarding schools, ard the town i'm
mediately takes on a very sleepy,
dull, drowsy look that makes one Toll
along In the warm sunshine, or rest
under the apple trees along the road
side About half a mile to the north
of the post.cffice one comes to the
Pocantico, famed in connection with
the Pedagogue Ichabod Crane, and
Just behind lies the old Dutch church.
There commences Sleepy Hollow,
the Arcadia of New York, a place
within radius of thirty miles of the
great city, as quiet as New York is
noisy, as kind as the city is cruel, as
generous as the city is selfish, as
sleepy as the city is quick; Sleepy
Hollow, the land of clear, babbling
brooks and trout aEd partridge, of
-chestnuts and apples, of hickory nuts
and pears, of sheep and cider~mills.
No barbed wire fences or "No Tress,
passing" sign-boards there. Years
come and GO but THE Hollow" is as
pleasant and the roads are as cool and
inviting as when Kentil Gotham took
ler ride, a hundred and odd years
ago.
She was not Kentil Gotham then.
She was KeRtil Requa, and lived near
co where the Croton aqueduct now
crosses the little Pocantico. There
were few stones left of the founda-
ton of her house when I was there
last, but | suppose they have all dis
appeared by this time. The house
lay some distance away from the road,
and the tall trees which grew around
il on all sides hid it from view. The
cowboys" passed it unmolested, and
while the land all around suffered
from repeated raids and forays, the
old RcQUa house was undisturbed.
The rebels never thought of disturb
ing the home Of young Major Requa,
or General Washington's staff, and
any English officer who had dared to
modest the Requas would have had to
offer an account Of his conduct to
Captain Gotham of his maiesty7s
forces. The captain, of course, had
some reason for his interest in the
family, and pretty Kentil Requa was
2 sufficient reason for any man. Ken
I'll was not enough of rebel to stay
away from her relatives in New York
zasEely because the English held poss,
essioE of that city, and the captain
mad met her there often enough to
have become completely captured. He
was ala attentive and handsome cava-
Er5r, and Kentil Requa was certainly
not displeased with his attention.
Occasionally the captain ventured
4r TO TarrytOwn and visited the Re
quas, until the capture of Andre,
when his visits ceased, at Kentil's re-
quest. She would rather not see him
Tor awhile than be constantly dread
ING his capture. In vain the gallant
captain argued and reasoned. He was
obliged TO obey.
After a week had passed, Kentil be-
gan to find the pllce very lonely. She
wandered about the house and became,
il the truth must be told, a trifle snap
Dish and cross to her mother and the
children. She tried every means to
spend her time happily, but she soon
tired of the book and the harpSichord
and her books, and strayed up to the
rarret and through the clothes chest,
and foadled the laces and the silks,
and inhaled the fragrant sandal
wood. Then she spied one of her
brothers boxes in the corner, and
rummaged through that until she
came across an old faded rebel uni
form that George Requa had worn
when he first entered the rebel army
as drummer, then boy of sixteen).
Then Kentil walked to the garnet
door, bolted it, and deliberately put
on the suit, and admired herself IN
the dusty old mirror IN the corner,
and initiated the captains attitudes,
and threw her shoulders back and
pretended to twirl an invisible NOUS
Jacne, and played at being soldier to
her hearts content. Then she wan
dered to the little window and stared
out at the fast reddening evening sky,
and at the swaying tree tops, around
which the hulking COWS were circling
ana then her gaze wandered down to
the bend in the path below, and she
saw her brother dashing up to the
house on horse which was flecked
with foam, and whose jaded air show
ed hard riding. Forgetting every
thing else in her fright, she rushed
down stairs and out to the gate. Her
brother started when he saw her, but
Immediately recognized her.
''Let me have fresh horse, Kentil, y
gasped the young major. ''The red
coats are after me, and Blacks given
out.
He looked pale, and the blood
trickled down his arm. Evidently he
had close shave already from being
captured. Kendil turned pale.
F'Get mother to Tx your arm, and