Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-06-16

Eyes, and all the boats"
ats too bad, isn't it?'
Eyes, and to think we must sit her,
and sec il all, and not lift a finger tc
help"
do you think there will be Il iightP'
IL don't know. Uncle and father
arc in the village, and they will do al
they can"
"Sec how still it is i'm the town.
There's not man to be seem
"Oh, they are hiding till the soldiers
get nearer. Then Wen hear the shots
and the drum"
"The drum! How can they! It's
here. Father brought it homo to mend
last night"
Ibid he? Oh! then cts"
"Scc, the first boat has reached the
sloop. Oh! oh! They arc going to
burn her"
"Its too bad! too"
Where is the drum?'
''It's in the kitchen"
1--WE great mind to go down and
beat it,
What good would that do3"
"Seare EN-"
They'll sec it was only two girls,
they would laugh and go on burning
just the same"
mo. We would hide behind the
sand hills and the bushes. Come,
let's"
''Oh. oh, look! The sloop's on fire. "
Come, | can't stay and see it any
more. The cowardly British, to burn
the boats. Why don't they go up. to
the town and fight like
"Comc, let us get the drum. It'll
do no harm; and perhaps
"Wcll, let's. There's the fife, too,
we might take that with u.s."
EYES; and we'll"
No time for further talk. Down to
the steps of the tower rushed the two
patriots, bent on doing what they
could for the country. They burst into
the kitchen like n wlirlwind, with rosy
cheeks and flying hair. Mrs. Bates sat
sorrowfuly gazing out Of the window
at the scene of destruction going on in
the harbor, and praying for her coun-
try, and that the dreadful war might
soon be over. She could not help.
Sons and husbands were shouldering
their old guns in the town, and there
was nothing for her to do but to watch
and wait and pray. Not SO with the
two girls. They meant to do some
thing, and, in the fever of the excite
mcnt, they got the drum, and took the
cracked life from the bureau drawer.
Mrs. Bates, intent ON the scene out.
side, did not heed them, and they
slipped out by the door, unnoticcd.
They must be careful, or the soldiers
would see them. They went round the
back of the house to the north and to-
ward the outside beach, then turned
and plowcd through the deep sand
just above the high-watcr mark. They
must keep out of sight of the boats, and
Of the ship also. Luckily she was an
chorcd TO the south of the light, and
as the beach curved to the west they
soon left her out of sight. They then
took to the water side, and with the
drum between them ran as fast as they
could toward the mainland. Presently
they reached the low heaps of sand
that showed where the pits Joined the
fields and woods.
Painting and excited they frightened
the drum and tried the fife softly.
"You take the fife, Rebccca, and Ill
drum. We must march along the
shore toward the light"
Wont they sec usP''
mo; we'll walk next to the water
on the outside beach,
lob, yes; and they'll think, its sol
diers going down to the point to kill
EN- of.
Just so. Come, begin! One, two
threer'
Drum! drum! drum!
Squeak! squeak! squeak!
Forward
"Ha! har'
The fife stopped.
Don't laugh. You'll spoil every
thing and can't puckcr my lips"
Drum! drum! drum! drum!
Squeak! squeak! squeak!
The men in town heard it, and were
amazed beyond measure. Had the
soldiers arrived from Boston,? What
did it mcanP Who were comingp
Louder and louder on the breeze
came the roll of the sturdy drum and
the sound of the brave fife. The SOL
dicrs in the boat heard the noise and
paused in their work of destruction.
The officers ordered every body into
tho boats in the greatest haste. The
people are rising! They arc coming
down the point with cannons to head
them of. They would all be captured
and perhaps hung by the dreads
Americans.
How the drum rolled! The fife
changed its time. 1t played Yankee
Doodle, the horrid tune! Hark! The
mcp were cheering in town; there were
thousands of them in the woods along
tho shore?
In grim silence marched the two
girls Flooding over tie sharp stones,
splsshing through the puddlcs Abigail