The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-11-11

TO the boy. Uncle Sam presents these
to valued citizen. Never forget that
you are a Yankee"
Pierre. being such a 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
Mime. 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
you not like to be a soldier!'
"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 crazyl
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 a 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 up 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 nim-
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 filled his
excited brain. The friendly officer ceased
10 be an awe inspiring monseigneur;
| now he was merely good comrade, and
they We're 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 fan
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 a crack IN
the floor and listened.
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 anG
on good horses. You, in what disguise
you please, are to ride with us, guide u:
to st. Adams by the shortest road ant
point out the village banks. We will do
the rest. For doing this you are to re
ceiye 500. If there seems danger o
your being implicated, you can cross thu
line into Canada, and we will make
good all your losses"
Bourdo was satisfied and the mel
went out.
Plover Pierre, listening overhead
trembled with excitement. He felt sur
this was a plot against his new Yanke
land-a plot which might compel him t
return to Canada He comprehende
that there was trouble ahead for ST
Adams, and that the people must b
warned. Indeed, he had heard the cor
spring Of those desperate and irrespor
sible men, who in 1884, under no author
ity from Richmond or any government
planned to sweep down from Canada
. surprise the village OF st. Adams, VT
l and rob its banks.
L lie DOy CIcDI hOISSiCHoiS O>tSh w OCS
3 but it was long before he slept. Whe
he did, the flag, the officer, the conspi
7 ators and the fated banks pushed the
s benign and hateful Influences into h
dreams.
: All the next morning Pierre was bus
Il helping the thrashers. Jean would hay
kept him at work during the afternoc
as well, but at 4 o'clock the boy CO.
q trived to escape from the barn. Sli
ping away to the house he got his fla
n from the loft where he had left it.
He tried to think of some way of wal,
1t ing St. Adams before the men whe we
a to leave at could reach there. Ian
l, as he was, it was impossible to walk Il
a fifteen miles in time. Bourdo, he kne'
IS would take the young brown mare, the
l. only horse. Even now he was groomiI
Sc her in the stable Pierre was almost
70 despair, when he remembered that o
10 Jules, their neighbor, had a horse.