Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21

a
Lives IN his eye: that close aspect of his
Does SHOW mood of = much troubled breast.
-ShdksspeGre.
Tommy Sparks, you've lost the wayr'
"0h. no / haven't, Aunt Draker'
Il say you havel This amt the New Cut
road! II is the old turnpike where the peddler
was murdered
'Oh, MOI Aunt Drakel It's so dusty you can't
seel But it's all right! I know the road!''
cried Cousin Tommy with a confident side
long nod Of his curly red head
Il tell you it is all wrong! Don't know!
This is the old abandoned turnpike, and these
are the very thick of the woods where Flee and
bis gang prowl! And the night is going to be
as dark as pitch! And here's a storm coming
upI There, now! l just felt spit Of snow IN
my FACET
These were the words that reused me-Dolly
Phippard, girl of ftteen-from comfortable
doZe on the back seat of our old carry-all, as 1t
slowly drew up in the darkness of deep forest,
and they frightened me half to death, for
though old aunt spoke with more annoyance
than anxiety, yet were her words alarming, to
say the least. Let me briefly explain.
This was in the primitive period OF our
national capital. when 1t consisted of a few
dwelling houses grouped around the principal
public buildings; around the Executive mansion
and the departments IN the vest, the Capitol
the arsenal in the soush. with wide wastes Of
marsh lands and scrub wood between each
group. And when Pennsylvania avenue was as
ill-kept as a country road. sparsely built up on
either side with assorted houses of one-story
frame to three stories of brlLk; with narrow,
unciean sidewalks and open cutters frInged
with coarse grass and rank weeds. And at the
junction of 7th street was large cluster of low
open cattle sheds called the Marsh market
This avenue was muddy IN wet weather and
dusty in dry.
The country around Washington was not very
thiekly settled. The farms and plantations lay
along the banks of the river, or near them. and
the interior Was still occupied by vast tracts OF
forest.
Nearly all the land travelling was done on
horseback or in private carriages. All the
water travel was done by little sailing coasters.
There no organized police force. Ii
there had been Jim Flee and his band could not
have existed week. They were Legacy of the
war Just closed While the British forces
under General Ross were passing through the
lower counties of Maryland on their march
upon Washington they were joined by few
fugitive slaves. who proved very use ful to them
in guiding their foraging parties to the best
filed ''meat houses" poaltry yards and gran
aries on the various plantations, and. by so do
ing, acquired passion Tor plilaSe and
adventure. But when the British troops
withdrew from Washington, they left the
fuzitiyes behind them. The latter were afraid
to meet their masters. even if they had been
willing TO return to work, which they we're not.
They sought shelter in the depths of Prince
Georges forest, where their nocturnal out
breaks and sudden attacks and depredations
upon lonely travellers or defenceless dwellings
spread terror through the neighborhood.
There were said to be two or more white men
among them-deserters from the British army.
and more atrocious villains than the negroes
themselves.
The leader of this band was one Jim Flee,
often called The Fice"-not at all the ideal
negro rufian. for he was small, thin, black as
jet, and crafty, swift and cruel as the tiger
Only a month before this night Of our adven-
ture the robbery and abuse OF two poor girls.
weayers by trade, who lived together in a lonely
house and who barely escaped with their lives,
had thrilled the community with horror and
indignation And within fortnight the muir
der and robbery of a harmless pedder had
raisou the popular fury to fever heat. 1t would
have Jared badly with The Flee and his fellow
fends if they had been caught. quick
prayer and a slow IRE would have been their
reward But the age OF detective police organ
izations was yet to come.
Few women would have had the pluck of our
old Aunt Sukey-Mrs- Susannah Drake-Or
dared to have started in a private conveyance
on forty miles drive through tina: demon
haunted district. But Aunt Sukey was a woman
of indomitabie courage, and she looked il. She
was the ideal AmaZOn--the tallest woman ever
saw-broad shouidered. deep chested aud mus
cular, without ounce too much of flesh.
erect as a flag staff and bearing her Sky years
as II they had been but thirty. She was no
more concerned about Jim Flee than she was
about Dick Turpin.
We lived at that time in a large red brick
house surrounded by a luxurious garden that
occupied whole city square, fronting on New
Jersey avenue.
Our household consisted Of Aunt Sukey.
Cousin Tommy Sparks aud myself, Dolly PhIp-
pard, and family OF negro servants.
On the morning. OF the I'D of December
after breakfast by candle light, We three en-
tered our old carry-alt with our strong old
draught mare Kitty harnessed before and our
old yellow halr-covered trunk strapped on
behind. and started on our long journey down
into st. Mays county to spend the Christmas
holidays at the old homestead, Greenwood"
then occupied by Aunt SUkey's elder brother
Jack Greenfield. The sun was rising just as
We passed over the Eastern Branch bridge. and
promised glorious winter day. A six hours
pleasant drive brought Us to Horse Head. an
old-fashioned tavern about eighteen miles from
the city. II was now ii o'clock and We stopped
there to dine and to feed aud rest our mare
After two hours rest and refreshment we pre-
pared 20 resume our journey.
The landlord tried to persuade Aunt Sukey
to put up there for the night, declaring that
II was not safe for ladies TO travel in that dis
trlct with 10 better protection that We had,
especially IN the evening. But our intrepid
aunt was resolute.
Tommy Sparks has gots the blunderbus in
the bottom of the carry-all. and we shall get to
Spring Hill before dark and stay all night
there. Besides | am not afraid! / believe
these stories about Flee and his doings all ex-
aggerated. They NAV murder q poor friend
less peddler, or maitreat two poor helpless
girls. and they'll be burnt at the stake for il
yet! but they'll never dare to interfere with
Us Tommy Sparks, hurry up! Make the host
Ter put the mare to the carry-all. It's clouding
over, and l should not wonder if we should
have snow" said our warlike relative with the
air Of held marshal issuing an order
Cousin Tommy Obeyed. What else could he
do? To argue the point with Aunt Sukey
would have been as useless as to expostulate
with the gathering storm.
We re-entered our carry-al, Aunt Sukey and
myself occupying the back seat and Cousin
Tommy perched on the front seat, with the
reins In his hands, the back of his curly red
head shining before Us.
keep to the New Cut road, Tommy Sparks.
and drive faster, or we shall not get TO Spring
Hill in time, and Molly will be sitting up for
us"
''An right, Aunt Drake" replied Cousin
Tommy, with that sldelong nod of his head that
was peculiar to him.
Spring Hull was a fine. breezy farm house ON
the top Of elevation, from which it was
named and il was the home OF snother rela-
tive. The road after leaving Horse Head
sklrted the edge OF the forest. sometimes pass-
ing under the shadow of leafiess trees and
sometimes out upon the open. The light of
the short winters afternoon was fading fast