Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-25

were thT0wa uEg about the entire wills age!
Between thrse and E0EE hundred men and
large boys, including many negroes as
well as whites were still busy with picks,
shOYe3s, spades, and all kinds Of nipple
ments, making the embankment higher.
The works we're constructed with little
regard to laws Of military engineering,
but were much better than no defense.
Considering the fact that they worked
without any recognized leader, those men
we're doing remarkably we'll
There was a lack Of order and organic
alton, but the picks, and shoyels5, and
spades kept diligently picking and dig
ging away, heaVing up sand and gravel
into large ridges, which were fast becOm-
ing breastWorks. On the side next to the.
ocean, the ground being lowen, the earth
works had been raised eight or ten feet
high. Several pieces of artillery rang
ing from nine to ten-poundeFs,. were
within the works, and long twenty-fOur
brass piece was mounted on gun-car-
riage near the highest part OF the works.
Order, skill. and discipline alone were.
lacking. The men had strength, courage
and coOlness.
The sun was Just descending over the.
western hills when two men mounted on
jaded horses rode down the broad thor
Oughfare which led to the village. The
picket, instead of hating them, as a
Well-trained soldier should have done,
set up e shout Of joy and waved his straw
hat in the air.
The west embankment was immediately
covered with excited men, shouting and
huzzahing, as Captain Alton and his
single attendant rode down the hill
through a gap into the works.
They ali recognized the Captain, for
these defenders OF ManOa were either
villagers or farmers Of the surrounding
country who had known Griffith Alton
cd hi 4,
prodigy and thought him to be one Of the
most remarkable military men Of the
age. He had always been a fayOribe, and
now they looked upon him as a deliVersp
from the clutches OF an enemy whose
cruelty and powers had been magnihed a
thousand fold.
Hey, Griff, old boy, here you. arsI"
ToGred Jack Ratchet the honest black
smith; rushing forward and seizing the
Young Captains hand as he entered the
works. Il kn0Wed ye'd come, hey; I did,
old Teller. We're all right now. boys,
we've got plenty guns, eannons, an Griff
to show as how to. use EN-.
"Hurrah fur Grif, yelled Henry
Small, the village carpenter, taking off
his hat and finging it into the air.
Even Tommy RufHes, the genbeel little
tailor who had never liked Griffith Alton
since he had succeeded in winning the
affections of the girl on whom Tommy
the hand of the young Captain.
Here he is, sword, pistols, an ALL be
gosh, yelled ST Cole, the shoemaker,
grasping the hand Of the new commander.
Griffith knew they had little time for
rejoicing and congratulations. He de-
manded silence, and as soon as he could
get them quiet made a short speech,
hastily mapping out a plan of defense.
| The British we're near Belfast. and their
/ light horse we're even then securing the
| country to keep volunteers from coming
| to aid in the defense.
Tired as he was, he organized them
| into companies, and selected the coolest,
/ best men for officers of each company.
+ He even inspected their arms, had each
+ officer make a list Of his men, and set ST.
/ mon to drilling one of the companies,
/ while a second company he had rest, and
/ third to. labor on the works.
With remarkable rapidity he surveyed
! and slletched the walls with his eyes, and
mapped out the necessary height and
! breadth of the works. BE then gave the
/ work into the hands of Sam Perry, a
/ stone mason, and Al il ones, a. bricklayer
! instructing them what was to be done.
When ye ROin' to git them cannOns
/ ready for shOOtin', Griff ?" asked Jack
| Ratchet, the blacksmith. @They says
| how that ships been in sight time OF
| two. Could seer from off the cape, n
( the's gittin' readg to blow us to etarn-
isy."
morning, the young officer answered.
/ The works are not ready"
But she'll be blazin' away at us by thai
| time"
"No, she WON'T Jack. The breeze is
I from the land, and she can't warp in here
I in twelve hours, for this harbor is not the
easiest In the world to enter. Besides
! don't you see the skies are lowering anC
/ we're going to have blow? You can de-
/ pend on it, Jack, that ship Will put out tC
+ sea where she can stand a gale"
WALL guess yer right"
! @There Is no danger from land attacI
either, for I learned an hour ago thai
/ Bridges is twelve miles beyond Belfast.
why, Griff. L heard that the redcOatl
! war all over the country"
They are only small predatory bands
/ or scouting parties, sent out to recon
noitre and harass the farmers so as t.
prevent their concentrating.
But our fellows are comm in" saiC
the blacksmith; well lick EN-, now tina
| you've got here"
Night came on. Dark clouds whiol
had been lowering about the horizon be
gan to spread over the sky, and the wine
| in low walls sOughed through the tree
tops. 1t threatened to be a terrible night
The sea was already dashing In foam
crested waves against the rock boun'
shore.
/ After partaking of supper at the hous
where he had established his headquarters
Captain Alton lett Simon in charge, an
fastened to the large house which stool
on the hillside.
at won't do, he said shaking his head
THAT house Will be too conspicuous
mark for them to remain there during tn
siege"
He reached the front door, and his han,
was extended to the bell-knob when tn
door was thrown open and a bright, fairy
like creature threw her arms about hi
neck and pressed her kisses upon hi
cheek.
aOh, Griffith, Griffith! am so gla
Sou have come, she said. Papa is g
! laanonaan tn-nic-ht md I IN Erra -nn