Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20

taken the day before, he jumped TO MS teet,
| gave us cup of spirits for our good news,
| and sent his negroes to get sail on the Ber-
| mudan. On our side, we profited by the
| dram to become more confidential, and Mt
| last offered ourselves as passengers. He
| looked askance at our tarry clothes and
pistols, and replied civilly enough that he
had scarce accommodation for himself; nor
could either our prayers or our offers of
money, in which we advanced pretty far,
avail to shake him.
Il see you think i'll OF us" says Ballantrae,
''but l will show you how well we think of
| you by telling you the truth. We are
Jacobite fugitives, and there is price upon
| our heads"
At this the Albanian was plainly moved
little. He asked US many questions as to the
Scotch war, which Ballantrae very patiently
answered. And then, with wink, in a vul-
gar manner, Il guess you and your Prince
Charlie got more than you cared about
said he.
"Bedad, and that we did" said l. "And
my dear man, I wish you would set new ex-
ample and give US just that much"
This l said in the Irish way, about which
there is allowed to be something very en-
gaging. It's remarkable thing, and tes-
tilnony to the love with which our nation is
a handsome fellow cannot tell how often
have seen a private soldier escape the horse,
or b"Egar wheedle out a good aims by a
touch of the brogue And indeed, as soon as
the Albanian had laughed at ne, was pretty
much at rest. Even then, however, he made
many conditions and flor one thing took
away our arms before he suffered US aboard,
which was the signal to cast Off so that in a
moment after we were gliding down the bay
with good breeze and blessing the name OF
God for our deliverance. Almost in the
mouth OF the estuary, we passed the cruiser,
ana little after, tho poor Sarah with her
prize crew; and these were both sights to
make US trembe. The Bermudan seemed
very safe place TO be in, and our bold stroke
to have been fortunately played, when we
were thus reminded of the case of our com
panions. Foral that we had only exchanged
tralS, jumped out of the frying pan into the
hire. run from the yardarm to the block and
escaped the open hostility of the man-of- war
to lie at the mercy of the doubtful faith of
our Albanian merchant.
From many circumstances it CHANGED we
were safer than we could have dared to hope
The town of Albany was at that time much
concerned in contraband trade across the
desert with the Indians and the French. This
~ AZ was hiSIll IeIiAcl lutll loyalty,
and as it brought them in relation with the
poIltest people on the earth div ided even their
sympathics In short, they were like all the
srnugglers in the world, spies and agents
ready made for either party. Our Albanian,
besides, was very honest man indeed, and
very greedy; and to crown our lnck he con-
celved a great delight in our society Before
we had reached the town of New York we
had come to full agreement; that he should
carry us as far as Albany upon his ship and
thence put us on a way to pass the boundaries
ana JON the French. For all this we were to
pay at high rate, but beggars cannot be
choosers nor outlaws barGainers.
we sailed then up the Hudson river which.
l protest, Is IA very fine stream. and put up at
the Kings Arms, in Albany. The town was
nun OF the militia of the province breathing
slaughter against the French. Governor
Clinton was there himself, very busy man.
and, by what could learn, very near dis
tlacted by the factiousness of his assembly.
ihe Indians on both sides were on the war
pain; we saw parties of them bringing in
prisoners and, what was much worse. scalDs
both male and female, for which they were
PAID at fixed rate, and, | assure you, the
sight was not encouraging Altogether we
could scarce have come at period more
unsuitable for our designs; our position in the
chief inn was dreadfully conspicuous; our
Albanian fubbed us off with a thousand de-
lays and seemed upon the point of a retreat
from his engagements; nothing but peril ap-
peared to environ the poor fustives, and for
some time we drowned our concern in a very
irregular course of living.
This, too, proved to be fortunate; and
IT'S one OF the remarks that fall to be made
upon our escape, how provdentially our
steps wore conducted to the very end What
a humiliation to tho dignity of mani Ny
philosophy, the extraordinary genius of Bal |
lahtrae, our valor, in which grant that we
were elual-all these might have proved in |
sufficient without the divine blessing ON our
efforts. And how true it is, as the church
Tells us, that the truths of religion are, after
AL quite applicable even to daily affairs
AT least II was in the course of our reyelrv |
that we made the acquaintance Of a spirited |
youth 10y the namo Of Chow. lie was one of
the most daring of the Indian traders, very
well acquainted with the secret paths OF the
wilderness, needy, dissolute, and By a last
good fortune, III some disgrace with his fam.
ny, Him We persuaded to come to our re-
lief; he privately provided what was needful
for our fi2ht: aud one day we slipped out