The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-02-04
THE FUGITIVE.
A Long Island Legend Of the
Revolution.

Comely Mistress Sally Suydam sal
On low bench beneath the apple-tree
in her back yard, Smelling peas. Deli
cate petals from the fragrant blossom:
overhead dropped upon her; the blue.
bird 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 It's progress, came to lift caress-
ingly the soft, brown curls on her
temples. Before her, on an upturned
pail, rested a gaunt old man. with
white hair. and long. bony fingers that
were interlOcked over his knobby
knee.
Indeed" spoke Mistress Suydam,
continuing her conversation, lit is
hard that Abner should be so long
away from his home aud 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, instead
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
British"
''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"
1.-The half of its horrors hath not
been toldr" exclaimed a suppressed
but distinct voice, from the clump of
lilac-bushes behind Mistress Suydam.
The good dame gave a 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; a fugitive from
the Jersey prison-ship am /. 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 l pray you lay some food
where L can get it without coming
anigh you"
While he spoke Mistress Suydam re-
Elected, and when he had ceased.
quickly took the ordering of affairs in
her hands. Giving to the old man
who was none otheg than the patriot
parson Egbert Elisa suit of her
soldier-husband's clothing, she in
structed him 10 see that the fugitive,
after casting away his infected gar
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-and with the clothing she sent a |
generous glass of rum, to keep him |
warm in his bath.
When Jameson's hunger had been
ne told his story:
81 was taken prisoner through the !
running down of the boat was in on |
the Hudson, and was put aboard the |
three months ago. The
night before last l sprang overheard, !
being willing rather to die than live
longer there; but coming ashore a lit
tie below the tide-mill, | managed to [
make my way into the country, and
since then, hiding when | could. and
when / dared, / have fed thus
far, eating nothing until now. How
anxiously / listened to your speech,
10 learn if We were friends or foesI"
sis life on the prison-ship indeed so
terrible as men sayP" asked Mistress
Suydsm.
"Only the dead have learned all its
horrors. but the living there know
enough to madden them. Twelve
hundred men are crowded in a space
hat would not suffice for the health
'ul keeping of one-fourth so many.
They are scantily fed upon tainted
neat and vermin-infested bread. 90
hat violent and fatal disorders are
lie among them. The dreaded fever
hath broken out. and so RACES that az
lines as many two hundred die of IL
n night. Through sheer malignity
he British officers refuse water even
70 those parched with the fever. and