Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-05-06

Painting and excited they tightened
the drum and tried the fife softly.
'You take the fife, Rebecca, and I'll
drum. We must march along the
shore toward the light.
Won't they see us ?
No; we'll walk next to the water
on the outside beach.
ooh, yes ;.and''thcy'll think, its SOL
diers going down to the point to kill
EN- off,
Just SO. Come, begin One, two
three I
Drum drum drum !
Squeak | squeak! squeak
'Forward-march ?
'Ha! hal!
The fife stopped.
Don't laugh. You'll spoil every
thing and I can't pucker 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 mean :? Who were coming?
Louded and louder on the breeze
came the roll OF the sturdy drum and
the sound of the brave fife. The SOL
diers in the boat heard the noise and
paused in their work of destruction.
The officers ordered every body into
the boats in the greatest haste. The
people are rising! They are coming
down the point with cannons to head
them off. They would all be captured
and perhaps hung by the dreaded
Americans.
How the drum rolled The fife
changed its tune. 1t played "Yankee
Doodle the horried tune! Hark |!
The men were cheering in town there
were thousand of them in the woods
along the shore?
In grim silence marched the two
girls--ploddlng over the sharp stones,
splashing through the puddlts-Abl-
gail beating the old drum with might
and main. Rebecca blowing the fife
with shrill determination. How the
British scrambled into their boats!
One of the brave officers was nearly
left behind on the burning sloop. An
other tell overheard and wet his clothes
in his haste to escape from the Ameri-
can army marching down the
beach-a thousand strong! How the
soldiers pulled No fancy rowing now
but desperate haste to get out of the
place and escape to their ship.
How the people yelled and cheered
on shore. Fifty men or more jumped
into boats to prepare for the chase.
Ringing shots began to crack over the
water.
Louder and louder rolled the terri
BILE drum. Sharp and clear rang out
the cruel fife.
Nearly exhausted, half dead with fa-
tigue, the girls toiled on-teaiful,
laughing, ready to drop 'on the wet
sand, and still beating and blowing
with fiery courage. The boat passed
swiftly out of the harbor OH the outgo-
ing tide. The fishermen came up with
the burning boats. Part stopped to
put out the fires, and the rest pursued
the enemy with such shots as they
could get at them. In the midst of it
all the SUN went down.
The redcoats did not return a shot.
They expected every minute to see one
thousand men upon them at short range
from the beach, and they reserved their
powder. Out of harbor they went in
confusion and dismay. The ship
weighed anchor and ran out her big
guns, but did not fire a shot. Dark
ness fell down on the scene as the boats
reached the ship. Then she senta round
shot toward the light. 1t fell short
and threw great fountain of white
water into the air.
! The girls saw it, and dropped their
drum and fife, sat down on the bench,
and laughed till they cried. That
nignt the ship sailed away. The great
American army Of two had arrived, and
she thought it wise to retreat in time.
| Bebecca died at her residence on
Willow street, on Tuesday, December
13, 1881, in her eighty-ninth year.
Outing her last years, though old and
feebk, n body, she was brave in spirit
and stnpg in patriotism. The two sis.
won't to describe, in auto
~ . y ALL