The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-04-24
NJ GREAT VERMONT STORY |!
1HE RANGERS,
OR,
THE TORY'S DAUGHTER.
~ JUDGE u. p, THOMPSON.
VOLUME III.
CHAPTER VIII.


,orchpd the brave from rocky steep,
'lAtu l, "m,Co,ntain river, swift add cold.
flV V,iprs of the stormy deep,
lns p'n'aIrs where gathered waters sleep,
Innrnnn Ih strong and bOld."-Bryant.
rLe hold and decisive measures OF
Nv p,ornril of safety had by this time
lAr ,"t IN manifest themselves in re,
ly i,s little anticipated by their adj
sr@ots of the Royal cause in Vermont.
NF Thn latter. embroidered both by the
i", Of a powerful British army
P', ,beir borders, and the doubts and
gu anaanIties which, for Il while, were
C""un 10 have embarrassed and render
AiOH Intellectual the deliberations of
. e. opponcnts, had become so assured
. ,u' confident of easy conquest, that
anS same sections they proceeded openly
~ tbc work of enlistment, and in
o II , pushed forward their parties
S ia,o the very heart of the interior, be-
i D perceiving their error: while by
, .hj representations at headquarters,
.ho s completely deceived Burgoyne and
II. advise respecting the true state of
h t, that animated the bosoms of the
D "s,,' mass of people-a fact made
smndantly evident not only by the
San0bseouent confessions of that general.
S pTt by all his operations at the time,
sni especially that of the short
Sgbted expedition which we have be-
hre shown him to have planned and
sat afoot. under Peters to the Connec-
tjcut River. 1t was no wonder, there
fare that when they now suddenly dis
covered the whole state in motion
armed men sprlnging up in every glen,
nook and corner of the Green Noun
tsins and concentrating to join another
no less unexpected and on less formid-
allie force, which was understood to be
RAPIDLY advancing from New Hamp-
sbire-it was no wonder they were
taken wholly by surprise, and skunk
silently away to their retreats or i'm
mrdjately fled to the British army
whom they still neglected to unde-
ceive.
1t was about one week subsequent to
the events last recited and the interim
had been marked with little. as far as
Immediately concerned the action of our
story. and those of it's personages to
whom we must now return with very
little to which pen can do justice,
except what the readers imagination
probably has already anticipated for
though thrilling events may be dis
cribed with a good degree of adequacy
there are yet certain states of high
wrought feeling that language can never
but feeby portray The search for the
lost maiden, on the eventful night of
her capture and escape, had been, as
the reader will have inferred. as vain
and fruitess as it was agonizing to
her lover, and anxious to all. The re-
newal of the search next day, till after
noon. bad been no better rewarded.
More force having then arrived, the
tory encampment was once assailed but
found empty of occupants who had
some hours before scattered and fed
Still unwilling to relinquish his OBJ
jet Woodburn. with a small party of
bis friends. continued his efforts in
wider ranges through the forest, which
on the third morning brought him to
the cabin in which her most fearful
trials had occurred: when the dead
wolf, the remnants of the slain In
lans, not yet wholly carried off
by the foxes or returning wolves. the
guns, the torn and bloodstained earth,
and, above all the white shreds of
;ome female apparel, discolored and
scattered round the room, told tale,
hat in spite of the entreaties of his
friends, who deemed the
III Al Inc ttn
rore the appalled, lover in frenzy of
rief and horror from the fearful scene.
1t was about week, as we have said,
fter that night of adventure and eX-
itement Three companies of the
ewly enlisted regiment of Rangers
all the recruits yet raised
h the east side of the mountains. were
araded in the road before Coffin s |
ivern. while their officers were stand
x listless on the grass in front. and
throwing inqulring
ances along the road to the east, as
awaiting some expected arrival from I
lat quarter. At length WOODBURY.,
i who So brow rested an air Of gloomy
erness advanced. and calling his
'rgeant and scoutmaster, Dunning,
his side, in low tone impaired to
i'm some private order or questions
hen the latter reckoning from the
INKS his and the readers old ac-
laintance, Bill Piper, who was also,
baltern in the same company, the
% laid aside their guns and equip
ents and proceeded leisurely down the
ad, the way in which the attention
emed directed After preceding
out quarter of mile they came
a turn in the road, which now be,
ming invisible from the tavern, led
wn a long hill, and entered an eX-
nded piece of woods nearly another
arter of mile distant.
'Well", said Dunning, here pauslng
d casting his eye forward to the
ods, they der don't seem to make
cir appearance yet. ] ditter think
ey must have halted there by the
0ok to drink and rest little so we II
Up at this point, where we can see
tn ways: and when the troops begin
show themselves We'll then give the
nal. "
With this they threw themselves
wn in the cool shade of a tree by
= wayside. and, for while, yielded,
'mselves to that listless, dreamy