The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-08-21
THE PATRIOT FUGITIVE.
A TALE OF THE REVOLUTION.

Comely Mistress Sally Suydam sat on
low bench beneath the apple-tree in her
back yard, shelling peas. Delicate petals
from the fragrant blossoms overhead
dropped upon her; the bluebird perched
upon the hollow stump hard by sang to
her song of spring and sunshine; the
fresh morning breeze that made ripples
all across the golden surface of Flushing
Bay to mark its progress, came to lift
! carelessly the soft, brown curls on her
temples. Before her, on an upturned
pail, rested gaunt old man, with white
hair, and long, bony fingers that were
interlocked over his knobby knee.
"Indeed," spoke Mistress Suydam, con.
tinuing her conversation, 'it is hard that
Abner should be so long away from his
home and in peril of his life, but he
would be no true American did he lag at
his wife's apron string when his country
has need of him. And, of truth, in
stead of repining should rejoice daily
that he is still alive and at liberty. |
think | would rather hear that he had
fallen on the field than that he was a
prisoner in the cruel hands of the Brit
ish-"
in that Jersey prison ship. Verify,
it is wondrous that men endure to live in
that hell upon earth if the half that is
told of it be true"
"The half Of its horrors hath not been
toldp' exclaimed suppressed but dis
tinct voice, from the clump of lilac bushes
behind Mistress Suydam. The good dame
gave little jump and an exclamation of
alarm, while the gaunt man sprang to his
feet. Peering in the direction of the
voice, they saw under the bushes. close
TO the ground, the haggard, yellow face
of a man with great wild eyes and tangled
hair and beard.
"Who are you, and what want you
here?" demanded Mistress Suydam,
stoutly.
"Robert jameson; fugitive from the
Jersey prison-ship am l, and sore in need
of all that man may need to live"
"Come forth, man; come forth. You
shall need no longer here" responded
the old man earnestly, going toward
him.
"Back-back Keep your distance,
man! There is death in my garments
the poison of the prison-fever. Stand
aloof; but | pray you lay some food where
may get it without coming anigh you. 4"
While he spoke Mistres Suydam re-
flected, and when he had ceased, quickly
took the ordering of affairs in her hands.
Giving to the old man-who was none
other than the patriot-parson Egbert Ell
lis-a suit of her soldier husbands cloth
ing, she instructed him to see that the
fugitive, after casting away his infected
garments, bathed in the creek at the foot
of the garden, and then put on the clean
raiment, by which time she would have
good breakfast ready for him.
When Jameson's hunger had been APP
peased, he told his story:
81 was taken prisoner through the
running down of the boat l was in on the
Hudson, and was put aboard the prison
ship three months ago. The night be-
fore last / sprang overheard, being will
ing rather to die than live longer there !;
but coming ashore little below the tide
mill, managed to make my way into the
country, and since then, hiding when
could, and running when l dared, | have
fed thus far, eating nothing until now.
How anXiOusly / listened to your speech,
to learn if we were friends or foesn
sis life on the prison-ship indeed so
terrible as men say!" asked Mistress Suy-
dam.
"Only the dead have learned all its
horrors, but the living there know
enough to madden them. Twelve hun
dred men are crowded in a space that
would not suffice for the healthful keep
ing of one-fourth so many. They are
scantiiy fed upon tainted meat and ver-
min-infested bread, so that violent and
fatal disorders are rife among them.
The dreaded fever hath broken out, and
so RACES that at times as many as two
hundred die of it in night. Through
sheer malignity the British officers refuse
water even to those parched with the
fever, and find sport in seeing their burn
ing thirst drive them mad. Often in the
inky darkness Of the lower gun-deck,
where they are confined at night, the
startling cry is heard: Look to your
selves One here hath gone mad and he
hath knife. And the madman, know
ing not what he does, slashes right and
ieft with his weapon, until in self-defense
hey must kill him-and all that in the