The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-07-25


Lord, how long shall the wicked
triumph"
Mistress Suydam's cheeks were very
pale, and her eyes bla2ed with indigna-
ton, Each OF the excited parsons
scriptural quotations We're expressive of
her sentiments but she did not open her
lips until he uttered, as prayer;
'Iord, root them out of the land of
of the livings pity them not, nor
spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them
utterly"
Then she earnestly calculated; "Amcnw
All that day Robert Jameson lay in
hiding among the bushes back of Mistress
Suydam's house, resting, sleeping and
rapidly rogaining his strength, while she
watched over his safety and fed him.
Parson Ellis went away. Before TAX
ing his departure, he told the fugitive:
81 am over here on a mission in which
it may be Gods will that / shall lay
down my life, and, indeed, the chance
forit is so great that l set small store by
the boat that is moored in the bay near
the mouth of this creek. If l come off
alive, | shall easily find another boat.
This one you had better take, and, as
soon as the moon hath set tonight, sail
for New London, where you will be safe.
Go not before, lest you be overhauled on
the sound and recaptured."
al will never be taken alive" an
swered Robert, firmly.
"You are a brave mau, and I do not
doubt your intent, but we are all in the
hand of God. If you reach New London
safely, give the boat in charge of Ebene-
ger Holden, whom you will easily find.
And now, farewell"
Robert feared to remain in the house,
lest he might be surprised by u party of
the British dragons, who us he was in
formed, were continually securing the
island Near nightfall Mistress Suydam
came rushing down to him from the up
per window where she had long been sit
ting, Watching that she might note the
approach of an enemy far off,
''The dragons are comingw she cried
to him.
A dozen of them were coming down
the road at an easy, swinging trot, with
Captain Tileston at their head. OF course
the fugitive imagined that they were in
pursuit of him, but they were not. He
was supposed to have been drowned and
eaten by the sharks, numbers of which
savage creatures were attracted to the
vicinity of the prison-ship by the prey
that was either tossed to them or that
voluntarily leaped overheard. The dra-
goons had quite another object than his
capture in their coming. But he thought
only of flight.
He ran swiftly down the brook crouch
ing below the line of rank grass that
margined its banks, until he reached the
bay, where he plunged on and disap-
peared. Day was ended by this time, but
the early-rising moon gave so clear light
that he did not dare to attempt reaching
the parsons boat, though it was only four
or five rods from where he took to the
water. A couple of the dragons rode
leisurely down to the bay, and there sat
upon their horses, chatting. They were
discussing the catching of spies who
were supposed to land there from the
Connecticut or New York shore.
Presently Captain Tileson, with four
more men, joined them. They had
stopped to search for rebels in Mistress
suydam's house. The Captain had a
plan.
''It is useless" he said, "for us to at
tempt the capture, upon the water, of
those Yankee spies, who have eyes like
hawks by day and owls by night, and
could see us long before we could see
them. We must let them land. As /
have sharper sight than any of you at
night, will conceal myself in the boat
and watch for them. You will hide in
yonder clump of woods. When they
land will signal to you, by initiating
the plover's cry, which way to dash to
fall upon them-once for this way, twice
for that-and at the same moment will
seize their boat to cut off their retreat. "
So it was arranged. One of the dra-
goons waded out to the parsons little
sail-boat and drew her in so that the
Captain could step aboard dry-shod,
after which he moored her out again.
Then the Dragons went away into the
woods, and the Captain lay down in the
boat to watch aud wait for events.
Events were rapidly approaching him
that he had no conception Of
A big, floating bunch of sedge grass
drifted out from near the shore toward
the boat, slowly approaching it closer and
closer. At length it seemed to lodge
against the boat. The Captain did not
notice it. He was looking in the oppo,
site direction. Noiselessly head rose
out of the water behind him-the head
of Robert Jameson-close by the bunch
of floating grass. The next moment {
long arm reached over the low side of thu
boat, and powerful hand gripped the
Captains throat-gripped it with sucl
ferocious energy that it cut off his breath
made the world turn black before him
and seemed to paralyze him. Before hi
could make movement of self defense
or sound, man rolled into the boa
upon him, and seizing one of his bi.
holster pistols that he had laid besid'
him, dealt such blow upon his tempt,
that he was stunned and lay as still as i
dead.
When the Captain recovered his sense
he found himself bound hand and foot witt
the anchor rope. His captor had stepped
the mast. The little sail was bellying full
with favoring southeast breeze, and tn
shore was far behind. Thenext mornin!
he was turned over to the military author
tiles at New London as prisoner; ant
undesirable as that fortune of war ma,
be deemed, he at least had the consola
ton of knowing that in the hands o
Americans he would suffer from no sucl
fiendish inhumanity as was practice,
under the English flag aboard the Jer
sey prisons
Robert Jameson was regarded as quit
a hero in New London, where he prompt
ly re-entered the service, and Tough
bravely until the end of the war;
Frank LesJie's