The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-16

EasN1 ~ IN q runlOuS con
&M ~ dition, near De.
il f61 marest, New Jer-
~ sey. In the
house about one hundred yards away
the sturdy miller lived with his two
sons and two daughters, within full
view of the shadowy woods sweeping
up the western slope OF the Hudson
Palisades.
At midnight on the eleventh day OF
that month of May the miller was
awakened by sounds that he had, for
many q night, expected to rouse him.
He seized his musket, called hastily
Mis- sons Cornelius and Hancomb, and
followed by them, ran quickly down
.stairs and out at the back door. This
was the third time they bad been thus
'roused to repel the attempts of ma
'rauding Royalists to steal their
horses.
This time they were too late to save
the animals. The party OF marauders
had already led two fine horses from
the barn, and were in the saddle
again when the miller and his sons ar
rived.
The two parties perceived each 9TH
oer at the same moment, and fired on
the instant. Demarest and his sons
were unhurt, but q yell from one OF
the raiding party showed that he was
struck; but they all rode away at the
top OF their speed, leaving the miller
and his sons alone.
Cornelius Demarest was TWENTY,
Hancomb eighteen years Of age; both
were tall and strong. Their mother
was dead, and they were principally
~solicitous for their young sisters, May
and Lucy.
The miller had made himself highly
OBNOXIOUS to the British and Tories
by frequently furnishing supplies of
meal and flour to Washington's army,
encamped at the little village of Tap
pan, a few miles away.
They expected return OF the party,
and soon they were visited again.
Short Y after nightfall on the second
day after their encounter Mr.. Demar-
est went to the spring not far from the
house to fetch water
The boys heard shout from their
father, and rushed out at the door.
The mill was on fire. They could see
figures moving about in the light of the
fire.
They've got father prisoner There
group where a struggle was going on.
At that moment there were two
quick reports OF musket-shots, and
both the boys fell to the ground and
aay prone on the grass not far from
the door.
May and Lucy ran to the door,
where they were confronted by party
OF troopers. The leader seized May by
the arm, and pointing with a fierce
gesture down the sloping lawn.
"Out OF this! Your brothers are
there: They've ground their last
grist."
The party rushed in to complete the
work of robbery and destruction.
Only one man on guard at the front
of the house.
Lucy and May ran to the bank
where their brothers lay. Trembling
with fear, they listened to discover #
their hearts were still beating, and
were overjoyed to find that both were
still alive. 1t was the work of a few
moments to bring Hancomb> back to
consciousness, for bullet had barely
agrazed his skull.
AS soon as he arose to his feet the
duty OF rescuing his father came back
to his mind.
"stay here and keep quiet" hesaid.
-t*I'm off,"
Hancomb leaped the low stone wall
at the base OF the slope, and crepr
along in its shadow till he reached the
=granary, beneath which were several
,partially decayed pumpkins. He Sc
'4ected the hardest and moved toward
the sentry, keeping in the dark
shadow OF a. group Of pines. The
noise OF the marrauders in the house
enabled him to approach within a. few
Fteet OF the guard, who was in tently
observing the road. l.a..
Carefully posing the pumpkin, Han
comb sent it straight at the head Of
the Tory on guard. 1t struck true tc
rthe mark, broke into a dozen pieces
land laid the trooper senseless upor
the grass.
Hancomb dragged the stunned man
within the shadows of the pines
bound him with a halter strap, anC
gagged him with his own neckerchie
as soon as he began to recover breath
Then the boy stripped the trooper o