The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-06-19
he GREAT VERMONT STORY |
The RANGERS
OR,
THE TORY'S DAUGHTER.
by JUDGE u. p. THOMPSON.
VOLUME III.
CHAPTER XIV, CONTINUED. !

l VIII make no pledges, nor grant
nor receive any terms, at your iicta
tion: SIR" said the former, hauphtiIv
II will trust to your magnanim,i,
10 fallen foe" then, re Joined Peters
r rhay appreciating, for once. tn,
character of his conqueror. Here,
take this he continued, drawing !
carefully preserved document from his
pocket, and extending it towards The
other--'t take it, and deliver it to tbt
one whom it most concerns. Tell be,
~ was voluntarily relinquished, and
mat will trouble her no more.''
AS small as was the measure of cred.
u which Woodburn's judgment told
MN should be accorded to the motives
prompting this unexpected course al
ms old enemy it nevertheless banished
every vindictive feeling from his gen
erous bosom: and after a momentary
hesitation, he took the proffered doc
ument, glanced at its contents, and 81
lently deposited it among his other
papers. But soon growing Jealous of
himself lest he should compromise the
pollcy which his superiors might deem
u Just and wise, under the sanction
OF the stern rules of war, to enforce. he
restrained himself from making any
immediate reply, and, the next moment,
ne was relieved from what apparent
necessity there might be for SO doing,
by the approach OF the first of the re-
turning Rangers.
Where is your prisoner. Piper?"
he asked. turning to the latter, now
coming up.
" he would not be taken alive, sir
and the order was to let none escape
in that condition." replied the broad
chested subaltern with a significant
look.
I'm order, then, that you 20 not home
empty handed" rejoined WOODBURY.,
II will give YOU charge of my prison
er, Colonel Peters here, whom you will
conduct to Bennington Meeting House
where the prisoners of the day were
ordered and where you will deliver him
to the officer in command as a prison
er of war-at least for the present: for
any doubt that may arise about his
final disposal can be settled hereaf-
ter
der well, "capta in, exclaimed Dun
ming, whose tall, gaunt form, in the
rear of his prisoner the infamous Da-
vid Redding, whom it had been his lot
to capture, was now seen emerging
from a thicaet near by-"here is one,
about whom We shan't be bothered
with der doubts, great while, if his
captor can hava his say. :"
"Aha but what is your say about
him, sergeant?" said Wood" urn smil
ing.
"Der welI," replied the other |
say, if the ditter devil don't take him
from traitors gallows, then we may
just as well have no devil.
Il shall not be the one to gainsay
you in that, sergeant, responded
Woodburn. but bark what it the
uproar yonder?' he added, pointing out
into the woods in direction from
whence the sound of an occasional stiff
whack followed by groans, curses, and
calls for protection, were now heard to
issue.
On turning their eyes towards the
spot. the company beheld Bart, with his
rife in one hand. and a long beechen
switch in the other, driving in before
him the whilom constable, Fitch, wh)
was chatting like chained bear, under
the lash which his catechizing captor
was administering every few yards on
the way.
"Why are you SO rough with him,
Bart. 'expostuIated WOODBURY., as they
came up.
{" Well, captain, | have reasonable
" wherefore for it--maybe, answered the
former, gravely.
what is it? asked the other.
"Why, replied the imperturbable,
Bart. "perhaps don't remember, and
perhaps do, how chap of about my
,ize who sat sweating near two cool
hours. at the sight of an ugly looking
punch of beech rods, that certain
had ordered for his back.
md as twas no fault of his that the
natter wasn't carried out at the time
md AS | always thought there was a
n ;stake as to the one whose back
,ught 10 take it | felt rather bound to
ave the order executed now ana ID
manner to set all to rights between
Is.
"WelI. we'll, boys" said Woodbufn
With a good b umored smile, lyon must
ii be INDUCED in your notions | sup
nose at such a glorious hour as this
}ut YOU may now be moving on with
our prisoners to the field and tnence
" the road to Bennington. BUSINESS
alls me here by nearer route, anu
WICKER race. You shall find good
heer awaiting your arrival.
So saying, he sruck off rapidly from
he rest. and soon disappeared IN the
crest
CHAPTER XIV.