The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-04
CHAPTER II.
THE sToRY-A MIDNIGHT ALAEN.

THE SToRY-A MIDNIGHT ALAEI.
It will be necessary to precede Captain
Alton aid his attendant two hours in our
story and reach the little seaport town Of
Manoa before they do. Manoa, as We
have seen, was q fourishing little vii
lace at the time OF which We write. 1t
was wedged in between two high bluffs
of hills which were dotted with cedars,
oaks and other forest trees. Its harbor
was q small bay-too small, in fact, to
be a safe harbor at all seasons, and its
shores we're rocky. The scenery was
picturesque, and, to the lover CT the wild
| in nature, beautiful. Manoa creek emp
tied into the bay on thel south side Of
town.
The houses were built OF stone or wood,
and some were good substantial build
: incs. The chief dwell ng-house stood on
an eminence in the north part of the VIII
lage-in fact, almost beyond the village
limits. Itwa large, substantial dwell
ing. two and half stories in height, and
built of the gray granite indigenous to
Manoa. This was the home of Captain
| John Gatrell, an old retired seaman, the
| father OF tie young woman to whom
Captain Alton was betrothed.
On tie evening of the day on which the
events recorded in our last chapter oc-
cuned, Menoa presented quite IN aEl
mated scene. Long lines of carthw orks
were THROWN Up Guout the entire village.
Between three and four hundred men and
large boys, including many negroes as
we'll as whites, were still busy with picks,
shovels, spades, and all kinds of imple-
ments. making the embankment higher.
The works we're constructed with little
regard to laws of military engineering,
but were much better than no defense.
Considering tho fact that they worked
without any recognized leader, those men
were doing remarkably we'll.
There was n lack of order and organiz-
alton, but the picks, and shore!s, and
spades kept diligently picking and dig;
ging away, heaving up sand and gravel
into large ridges, which were fast becom-
inp breestworks. On the side next to the
ocean, the grolrd being lower, the earth.
works had Teen raised eight or ten feet
high. Several pieces of artillery, rang
ing from nine to ten-rounders, were
within the works, and long twenty-four
brass piece was mounted on gun-ckr-
riace near the highest part of the works.
Order, skill, and discipline alone were
lacking. The men had strength, courage
and coolness.
Tie sun was just descending over the
western hills when two men mounted on
iaded horses rode down the broad thor
6ughfare Winch led to the village. The
picket, instead of hating them, as a
wel!-trained soldier should have done,
set up shout of JOY and waved his straw
hat in the dir.
The west embankment was Immediately
covered with excited men, shouting and
huzzahing, rs Captain Alton and his
single attendant rode down the hill
through gap into the works.
They all recognized the Captain, for
these defenders OF Manoa were either
| villagers or farmers of the surrounding
country who had known Griffith Alton
from boylood. They regarded him MS n
prodigy and thought him to be one of the
/ most remarkable military men Of the
age. He had always been fnvoritc, and
now tbcy looked rpon him as dcliverer
from tho clutches of On enemy whose
cruelty and powers had been magniied
thousand fold.
Hey. Grif. old boy. here you .Iarel"