Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-30

tAbE Mho lhaN VIC OnClCu ~ WdlCh WIN
old Granny Peare that night. 10 tel
the truth. cousin, We were ell some
what tired OF watching with Granny.
So long had she required watchers,
some of us had begun to think she was
not so sick after all and our father ex-
pressed great surprise when he heard
that Trix, Priss, ana / were to watch
together that night. One, he should
think, would be quite enough to sit by
Granny while size slept comfortably
through the night, which was her habit.
But mother must have suspected, as
mothers will, our plan; for when father
pressed the matter, and We grew en-
barrassed, though persistent, she said
in her sweet way and with twinkle in
her eyes, "Oh, let them go, father
Girls like to do things together" And
she gave US our favorite supper of ap-
pie pot pie, which We do not often get,
-four is so scarce and dear, and stood at
the door and moved her hand en-
coursgingiy to US as we looked back
Just before turning the corner at
Sweet-water Brook.
'Trix had an anger under her short
gown, and had little pail of powder
under mine. My father kept his pow
der on high beam in the wood-house
l had to climb up after it; / filed my
pail and clambered carefully down,
lest / should fall aud spill the powder,
and so explode it and put an end to
both the plot and myself. L hid the
powder under & boulder till night
should come. Priss's part was to learn
how to set a slow match.
We fOun6 GRANNY IN ha1 a. nan I
that night. 'Trix made her some Cruel,
and we tucked her up costly in bed.
and gave her the hop pills. We then
told her the news of the day, for Granny
dearly loves a dish of gossip, and when
she began to doZe We grew silent
Priss lay down on the settle; 'lrIx
curled herself like kitten in the great
stuffed chalr-for our Trix is small, lik e
Mr.. Shakspeare's Titania. though full
of pluck-while | leaned my head on
my folded arms, and the old clock went
tick-tsck and the mice squesled behind
the waiuscot.
| awoke with a start as the clock
struck eleven. Priss was vawning, but
do not think 'Trix had slept. 1t was
still an hour to twelve, the time We had
set, when we knew every one in the
village would have been soundly asleep
for three good hours at least. For we
ring our curfew at eight, es my father
says you do in Ola England.
We drew the curtains close about
GrRnny's bed, and then, sitting by the
red embers, we run bullets and talked
in whispers.
As the clock struck twelve we pre-.
pared to go. PTiss had not dared to
ask Jack how to set a slow match, she
said, lest he shoufl remember it, and
suspect her when the Liberty pole was
found blown up. So she put brand
from the fire into Granny's fry-kettle
70 light the splinter of fat pine she had
brought under her short gown; it was
to be fastened to a pole, and the pole
lay beside the same boulder where the
powder was hidden.
We went out and shut the door soft
ly, leaving the latch-string out, as
otherwise We could not get in again
The night was black, and we had to
feel our way, putting out our hands to
search for Granny's gate. There was
no moOn-which, indeed, would have
spoiled our plot-and the stars we're
obscured by thick clouds. We ran at
first, stumbling over rough Places, but
after we had found the pol and pow
1er-which we did after much search
ing by reason of the darkness-we
went more slowly. Granny's house
was far away towards West Chop, and
We had almst mile to go, and we ar
rived at the top of the hill in u breath
ess state.
We paused and looked about us. We
lad not spoken the whole way, and we
lid not speak now, only took each other
by the hand, with firm clasp of en-
There below us lay the war brig; we
could tell her motion, as she rose and
ell on the tide, from the way the mast
light dipped and rose again. All
around her the sea broke in fiery rip
pies, as 1t did where the breakers
dashed against Seconnet Rock. A
7essel passing through the Sound left
rail of fire behind her. l suppose 1t
S true what our minister, Mr.. Thaxter
says, that this fiery appearance is
,aused by millions of tiny marine
creatures, but it seems none the less
It's very brightness seemed
10 deepen the surrounding darkness,
md to blind our eyes, so that We could
lot see the Liberty pole, but had to
yrope long before We found it.
Rv the glow of the ember in the fry
lettle We sought the proper place to
ouncture it with the anger, and tn en-
began turning it, two working together,
or it went very hard and we soon
1listered our hands, unaccustomed to
uch work. But notwithstanding
he smart, we did not pause. What
blistered hands in such
,ausel
After what seemed a long time We
we're about three-quarters through, and
oriss, whose father blasts rocks, and so
he knows, said that was enough. L
hen filed the cavity with my powder;
oriss tied the long silver of fat pine to
he pole, lighted 1t at the ember, and
hen together We lifted the pole.
t was heavy, for il was quite fifteen
eet long, and there was great difficulty
n balancing 1t so as to touch the pow
Ter. The fat pine f1sred and fiickered
ike a dancing will-o'-the-w wisp, and |
lthough by its flame We could dis
Inctly see the powder, it seemed the !
nerest chance when, at last, we did |
puCu H. anu IL GA plOucu Nlbu a Ct dch !
hat seemed TO US must awaken every !
leeper in the village.
For an instant TIE explosion lighted |
ip the black night. and as it yawned |
bove us, we caught sight of the top |
# the Liberty pole; the next instant it !
ell.
Feeling that our work was now COM |
'lete, without speaking we turned as
" one impulse, and ran down the s'ndy
7inding road, faster and faster, winged !
" fear-faster even than on that day !
7hen the red Indian, crazed with rum,
ursued us with his uplifted toma-
awk; for every instant, as we ran !
through the sleeping town, we expected !
he door to open ana the people to ,
our forth aroused by the sound OF |
he explosion.
But it could not have been so loud as
eemed at the moment to our startled /
ars; for the silence of the night re. !