Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-08-20
AT THE CROSS KEYS.
An Interesting Story Of the Revo-
lutionary War Times.

lutionary War Times.
Innkeeper Van Buren,, aproned to the
chin, leaned against the framework Of
the open door, and lazily launched a
ring of tobacco smoke on the balmy air
of the September evening Good wife
Van Buren, reclined against the OPP
posite side of the door, glad to get a
mouthful Of the cool breeze for the day
had been sultry. Jacobus passed to
and fro between the bar and the trees,
with tankards of frothy brown ale;
taking good heed not TO tread on the
toes of his master and mistress; pot
boys positions were not going a-beg-
ging in Flatbush town in the year of
grace seventeen hundred and eighty
one.
The inn-keeper was in the act of
shaping another ring, when loud
burst of laughter from the trees caused
him TO turn his head so suddenly that
the smoke was elected in shapeless
cloud
"The Cross Keys, said he, has
never known livelier company
That fat pirate, replied the wife,
"would make Quaker laugh
''Ay, it's a merry rascal, and right
welcome to ali the liquor it can gulp.
But remember, my dear it is the dumb
host that draws the most ale Let the
congress and the king fight out their
own battles
Folk say remarked his helpmeet,
''Howe has written to King George
that we Long Islanders are ready to
take the oath of allegiance. amt
ready to take such an oath, loris
BAH you're not Long Islander;
you're woman. As for me, | am too
old TO fight on either side, so I'll live in
peace, with my customer for my king"
This English major certainly do
bring us plenty of business, Joris.
"oh. Shelton knows on which side
his toast is buttered he quarters the
American prisoners in this neighbor-
hood, and boards at the Cross Keys
himself free Of CHI ge.'
And you allow him per cent on the
prisoners ale, don't you. Joris?'
Mrs. Van Buren,, replied her lord,
CURLY, that's state secret
In the modern warfare of civilized"
nations the parole, MS it existed in the
time of our revolution, finds scant
recognition; it has gone out with the
slow match and the boarding pike 1t
was customary then for large numbers
of prisoners OF war to be given the
freedom Of certain district, their
word of honor being accepted that they
would not attempt to rejoin their
friends until given permission 20 do So
by the terms of a mutual exchange
Generally these prisoners were at
tended by a single officer; and in the
pregnant period OF the revolution The
life of prisoner of war with the GER
tain shameful exceptions blotting the
pages of Britain's history was by no
means devoid of pleasurable incident
Much has been written regarding the
whaleboat privateersmen of those
days, and, perhaps, considerably more
TO their disparagement than circum-
stances Justify They were but the
natural offspring OF unnatural con
ditious. OF these rangers none achieved
wider reputation than Capt Mariner
An old record tells us The was man
of eccentric character, witty and in
genious, and Astounding in anecdotes. "
A careful perusal OF such of his re-
markable adventures as are preserved
in the chronicles of his time enables
us to form "A good idea of his person
atty. lie was as short as a Dutch
skipper; SO fat that the ransacking Of
stolen clothes chests formed no part of