Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-09-27
A BOY WITH A WILL.
Andrews Defiance Of an Insolent
British Officer.
BY Maurice Thompson.

nav settlement, OtlO4iiid, lASAo
lived, during the revolutionary war poor
family, consisting of a widow and her four
children, three of whom were boys. or
these boys Andrew was the youngest.
In the year 1850 Andrew and his brother
Robert were driven to the wild woods for
shelter from band of Tories and British
troops then ravaging the Kaxhaw region.
Robert was but fifteen years old and An
drew thirteen, mere children in age, but
short time served to prove that heroic
spirit dwelt in the younger boys breast.
At that time things were all going wrong
in the Carolinas, where Tarlton and Corn
wallis had ragged up and down with fire and
sword. From settlement to settlement the
scourge of irregular and most inhuman
warfare wrought the destruction which no
pen has ever been able to portray. Homes
were desolated, towns RACED, all the plan
tations pillaged and burned. and hundreds
of families driven into the forests for shell
ter.
SEEKING SHELTER
Now, when these two brothers, Robert
and Andrew, had lain in lonely wood
for long time without food and but poor
ly clothed. suffering all save death, in the
last extremity they determined TO try to
reach some house, If any were still spared
the British torch, where they could get
food. And knowing that certain Tories of
the region were sharply on the lookout to
discover and betray them. the boys tried
to be very stealthy and watchful. All TO
little avail however, as 1t turned out.
In the night, seeing the glimmer of a
lamp or fire, they crept toward it and
found, to their great JOY, the house of one
Thomas Crawford. their cousin. Here
they were welcomed, but spy had been
on their track, and very soon troop of
British soldiers dashed up. surrouned the
house and broke into it with atrocious
oaths and threats of murder.
THE COMMAND.
Although Robert and Andrew were in
fact American soldiers, regularly enlisted,
they were so young and looked so childish
in the eyes of the bearded troopers that
they were regarded with contempt
Here. you boy" said the officer in COM
mand, clean off my boots"
And he offered his muddy footgear to
Andrew.
I'm no slave, sir" said the lad; I'm
prisoner of war, and demand to be treat
ed as one" He folded his arms.
The commander stared What manner
of boy was this who dared to put on a SOL
dler's dignity and refuse to obey him?
There stood a scrawny, sandy-haired,
grey-eyed. ill-clad backwoods child weap-
onless and weak, but calmly and stubborn
ly defiant.
Clean those boots. I say" he stormed
with full voice. Clean them instantly"
Il will not do 1t, sir" said Andrew, pale
but determined.
And then the brutal face Of the officer
grew purple as great rage congested it.
He whipped out his sabref rom its scab-
bard. He swore great oath.
Clean those boots"
'No, never" said Andrew.
1t was a shameful thing; but those were
bad days, albeit they brought forth glor-
ious results in the end. A shameful thing,
indeed. for a great strong man to strike
with his sword a defenseless BOY of thir-
teen. The blow was heavy and aimed at
Andrews neck; and it must have killed
him had he not flung up his arm, which re-
viewed cash, as did also his head; but he
could not be forced to clean the boots. He
did not clean them. He rose bleeding from
the floor where he had fallen, and looked
the officer straight in the eye.
ANDREWS DEFIANCE.
1T am a free-born man." he said. you
may kill me: but will not touch your dirty
boots! 1 never. never will"
well you do it. then" the furious Brit
on commander said. turning upon Robert
and lifting his sword again.
Never said Robert.
Then take that. you conceited little
rebelr' and with the words ne drove
blow upon Roberts head sidewise with the
sabre. knocking him senseless.
After this the troopers broke up all the
furniture in the house, took the family
supplies and then forced Andrew to show
them the way to the home Of we'll known
natriot by the name of Thompson, whom
they wished to kill At first Andrew stub
bornly refused; but the women of the
house begged him to go, hoping thus to
save their honor and their lives which the
soldiers were threatening, and he consent
ed. having it firmly in mind. however, to
give Mr.. Thompson, who had long been
friend, warning of the danger at hand.
REVENGE.
that they approached the Thompson plan
tation over a high hill, from the top OF
which they could see the house in the dis
lance. Here Andrew halted, and, point
ing with his finger, yelled as loud as ever
he could:
"Yonder is Thompson's house! Yonder
Is Thompson's house"
Hold your tongue" growled the officer;
hell hear you"
From where they were they could plain
" see a horse ready sadd ed and bridled
hitched near the cabins front door. The
next moment a man stepped boldly forth
and seized the bride rein.
"That's Thompson nowi That's Thomp-
son nowr' screamed Andrew, again point
ing with his finger. His voice rang like
bugle call.
A heavy rain had fallen few hours be-
fore this and beyond the house they saw
\ stream darkly swollen and foaming
harl.-fuI with drift-wood whirling along
on its swift current.
MOI one moment did the ferocious leader
hesitate. hut with a loud order to his men
to follow dashed down the HILL swinging
bis sabre above his head and calling to
THOMPSON Halt! Halt! Surrender, you
sneaking rebel!
But Mr.. Thompson had heard Andrews
first cry and then his second. He knew
what it meant. Barely glancing toward
the troop laundering down the hill he leap
ed into the saddle and rode right down to
the roaring stream and plunged in. His
strong horse swan with him bravely and
bore him safely to the other SIDE. There
he turned. lifted himself in the saddle and
ebool, his clenched hand at the troop as