Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-27

the stern. When the lieutenant got ON
board he pulled down the one from the
stern, and getting into the sl<if again
was rowed back to the shore. Pierre
was still standing on the sand.
The officer gravely handed the colors
to the boy. Uncle Sam presents these
to valued citizen. Never forget that
you are Yankee"
Pierre, being such new citizen, did
not quite understand the reference to
Uncle Sam. But his heart gave throb
of pride. and he reverently took the col
ored silk. into his grimy hands.
AS he hoped back through the swamp
road leading to the fields beyond, he
thought: "Now / am really Yankee.
The tall man would not give me the flag
if he had any doubt about it."
When he reached the log house it was
growing dusk. The fat twins, his half
sisters, were rolling over the floor, and
Nine. Bourdo busted herself in getting
supper. The stout Canadian woman
still showed some traces Of her comely
girlhood. Jean Bourdo's heavy figure
lounged by the stove, a grievous obstacle
both to his wife and the tumbling twins.
"Jean Bourdo," said Pierre, "would
Won not like to be soldierl''
"a good question: And If went to
the war, who would earn bread for you
to eat?
Jules says that if my fathers money
had been we'll managed it would support
ALL"
Jean turned angrily. "Jules is crazyi
And as for your father, Pierre Beaudrie,
he did so much burrowing into old books
that he had no time to plow the land or
collect fees from the clients"
The woman stopped him. "The no
tary made good husband, though he
was old enough to be my father, In his
time lived like lady"
Pierre had hidden the flag under his
Jacket, and now he climbed the ladder
to the loft and put the silk beneath his
pillow. He returned to the lower room,
the family had supper and Jean, light
ing his pipe, said:
"Pierre, go you to bed. have COM
pany tonight, and tomorrow you must
De ND early to help the thrashers.
Plover Pierre kept nearly as early
hours as the plovers themselves. To-
night, moreover, he was willing to be
alone, for he had plenty to think about.
He pulled himself up the ladder as nin-
bly, as could most boys who had two
legs. After admiring the bright flag he
carefully laid it away among his few
belongings and soon was in bed.
Visions of war and soldiers filed his
excited brain. The friendly officer ceased
to be an awe inspiring monseigneur;
now he was merely good comrade, and
they were fighting for the same beloved
country. Pierre himself, bestride gal
liant white charger and holding aloft the
emblematic flag, led ranks Of horsemen
to victory.
The restless boy, tossed by such fam
cies, must have lain awake for long
time, when he was recalled to himself
by hearing door open and some one
enter the room below. Again and again
visitors arrived, until there must have
been ten men assembled in the lonely
cabin.
So many visitors were unusual, and
Pierre, at first without meaning to turn
eavesdropper, heard enough of their talk
to rouse his suspicious. Getting quietly
out Of bed he put his eye to crack in
the floor and listened. A
The men had arranged their business
and were about to leave When they
had all risen, one of them spoke to Jean
Bourdo:
Remember, Bourdo, how it is set
tied. We are to meet here tomorrow
afternoon at 5-twenty men, armed and
on good horses. You, in what disguise
you please, are to ride with us, guide us
to st. Albans by the shortest road and
point out the village banks. We will do
the rest. For doing this you are to re-
ceive 500. If there seems danger Of
your being implicated, you can cross the
line into Canada, and we will mako
good all your losses"
Bourdo was satisfied and the men
went out.
Plover Pierre, listening overhead,
trembled with excitement. He felt sure
this was plot against his new Yankee
land-a plot which might compel him to
return to Canada He comprehended
that there was trouble ahead for Sc.
Adams, and that the people must be
warned. Indeed, he had heard the con-
spring of those desperate and irrespon-
sible men, who in 1854, under no author
ity from Richmond or any government,
planned to sweep down from Canada,
surprise the village of st. Albans, VT,
and rob it's banks. 5
The boy crept noiselessly back to bed,
but it was long before he slept. When
he did, the flag, the officer, the conspir-
ators and the fated banks pushed their
benign and hateful influences into his
dreams.
All the next morning Pierre was busy
helping the thrashers. Jean would have
kept him at work during the afternoon
as well, but at A o'clock the boy con-
trived to escape from the barn. Slip
ping away to the house he got his flag
from the loft where he had left it.
He tried to think of some way of warn
ing st. Albans before the men whe were
to leave at 8 could reach there. Lame
as he was, it was impossible to walk the
fifteen miles in time. Bourdo, he knew,
would take the young brown mare, their
only horse. Even now he was grooming
her in the stable. Pierre was almost in
despair, when he remembered that old
Jules, their neighbor, had horse. To
be sure it was old and somewhat stiff,
but it was better than nothing. He
would at once go to Jules and ask for