Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-06-14

raising the old "queen's arm,n fired.
The shot was effective and Mrs. Enlow
grasped this one and drew him into the
kitchen.
"Open quick now said voice from
don't be squeamish about the rebel
hays -
There was dead silence for the space
of a few seconds, within and without,
"Something wrong in there?" this in
anxious tones from outside.
81 believe that shot made dead
man but where is the first one ?"
"What are we to do now"'
"Take to the roof ~ was the answer,
distinctly heard by the women; "there's
the chimney, and it's as good as a
door ~
A ladder with pins at each side in
stead of rungs stood by the huge, out
side chimney. 1t had been used a day
or two before to replace some loosened
clay that had fallen from the stones.
This ladder was seized and placed in a
secure position. Mrs. Enlow OWNED
their purpose. 81 fear we are lost
God help us they are coming by way
of the chimney! Oh, that | had a
quart of turpentine or tar +! I'd suffo-
cate the wretches. Betty, where are
you going, child ~ she cried as Betty
ran from the room. She was back in an
instant, dragging behind her the "Hol-
land feather-bed.n Quick as thought
Naomi, who had OWNED her purpose.
caught from the tray on the dresser a
butcher knife, slit open the tick, and
the precious feathers were poured, a
fiuttering, downy mass, into the huge
fireplace on the glowing GOALS. Shortly
down dropped dusky form clad in the
scarlet uniform of a British soldier.
That it was an Indian, they felt reason
ably sure. Mrs. Enlow and Naomi
drew him into little store-room OPEN
ing from the kitchen and thrusting
him in padlocked the door and awaited
results. That another was descending
they We're confident, and although
nearly suffocated themselves with the
hot black smoke of the burning feath-
ers, Betty added yet more and another
form came tumbling to the hearth,
bruised, blackened with smoke and
somewhat burned. He was hastily
drawn aside, an unused BEDFORD was
brought from the closet and the victim
securely bound.
Perfect quiet reigned for few mo-
ments and then some one cried "In the
name of the British crown, why don't
YOU force open this battered door and
let a fellow in ?"
"You can enter in like manner of the
others, and also share their fate if you
choose; your comrades are powerless
to help you," was the reply of the reso-
lutte woman
Waiting in the silence and suspense
of overwhelming horror, the sound of
retreating hoof-beats told them of at
least, one departure. 1t was a dreary
waiting for those brave yet sorely tried
women, and it seemed that days rather
than hours passed ere the glad return
of Mr.. EnloW and Luke, who were
by several patriots The
victims of their own tragic folly were
soon disposed Of They were buried in
the wood near the forest brook. The
Indian first secured and the British
private recovered and We're forced to
explain. That they came for plumber
in part, they admitted also that a
squad of British soldiers, in charge of
a young lieutenant, were bound to find
quarters at Mr.. Elbows
expense. They were allowed to depart
as the men feared no further trouble,
there being a strong uprising of the
in all the region, and they We're
fully armed and prepared for any at
tempt against their liberties.
''Where were you, my father" said
Betty, Gin this awful timer"
cat the great colonial meeting, to
protest against the use of a single article
made in Great Britain !"
"And to find recruits to meet General
Gage" said Luke.
"And we We're left with only Hol-
land feather-bed for protection. My
wedding portion is gone entirely, save
the poor down pillows; they are all
that is left as relics of your exile, father,
mother, before coming hither," said
Betty, with flushed cheeks and CULVER
ing lips.
II have something better than relics
Of the past, F." replied her father "a pres
ent and powerful knowledge of the
heroism and fortitude of three as brave
women as God ever placed on this
earth ~
eyes, responded Luke, "the colonies
will live and their liberties also! Men,
women, and even children are its de-
Tenders. What a glorious thing for
feeble women to do. You conquered
right WELL"
mot in the smoke of battle,u said
Naomi, "but in the smoke of Betty's
Holland feather-bed: and she alone
thought of doing the brave deed ~
Chow came, you to think of it,
Betty" asked her mother.
"Did you not pray, with your face
toward Heaven, for God to defend and
to guide us? And he guided me
straight to that bed with hardly time
for thought, said the heroic girl.
Some of the antique silver plate that
once belonged to the Elbows is dis
played in the niche reserved for it by a
prominent New England historical So
ciety, and the down pillows, though
re-made several times, are valuable and
cherished heirlooms, and the owners
thereof wage as earnest fight against
the "buffalo bug'' as did their ancestors
against the Britons and their cruel
allies, the dusky Indian warriors of