Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-10-01

of threats has only the laugh FOL
me. l will permit you to cross thu
harbor, and l will myself row til,
boat. If you consent to como with
out the making of trouble, | prom
Use to save your father and mothe
from harm, whatever may bofal
those others.
Very well, l will go with you OF
one conditiOn-that you save tin
lives of my parents, said Joan.
Good, ma belle. Into the boa
with you, then, cried French Peter
admitting tho reasonablonoss of hoI
proposal II shall soon make yor
forget that lubbairo Hal Springott
And | shall be reoch-vaire rceCh-
after ! am roCOmpenSo for tonight ::
service.
"Do not go too far up the harbor
l dread the tumult, said Joan when
they were nearing the TciGnmOuth
shore. Land, beg of you, hard by
the don SO shall we tho moro quick
ly reach my fathers house and pre-.
vent mischief
French Peter, believing his object
gained, pulled tho boat around so as
to head for the spot where is now
the foot of Ivy lane.
Tho moment her feet touched the
ground and as the Frenchman was
turning to draw up the boat Joan
suddenly exclaimed: My korchief.
l hsvo loft it in the stern. SEQ to it,
good Peter, / prithee, for the air
bites cold"
French Peter, whose vanity had
been Gattered by her seeming oom-
placenoy into the belief that he had
made conquest at last, despite pre-
vious failures, at once leaped back
into the boat to do her bidding,
without shadow of suspicion.
AS soon as he had stopped down,
with his back toward her, to search
for tho missing article Joan snatch
ed one of the oars, the blade of
which was prof over the bows,
and, using 1t as pole, showed the
boat off so violently that Peter fell
head over heels in the bottom.
BY the time he had scram bled to
his feet the boat was spinning mer-
rily out on the tideway into deep
water, and Joan was already but q
white wisp rapidly disappearing in
the darkness i'll the direction of the
eastern side of the town.
Already many houses near the
quay were on fire, and the shouts of
the pillagers grew louder and moro
triumphant Once, as she plunged
into n narrow cross street at the
back of the den, she was seen and
chased by party of the enemy, but
her knowledge of the byways came
to her aid, and she managed to elude
them.
Her greatest fear now was lest the
people, finding the church closed to
them, should have scattered in search
of other refuge, in which case many
of them would fall prey to the
enemy. 1t was therefore with a
wild exultation that on reaching
the churchyard she found her way
blocked by terrified yet patient
throng, waiting in the darkness
while the smith vainly essayed to
open the massive door.
Make wayr' cried the breathless
girl, loath to divulge that she had
the church key, lest the people in
their Joy should raise shout which
should betray their whereabouts to
the French. Make way, good folk.
must have speech of my father, "
she kept saying, and SO pushed a
passage to the door, where Master
Tredgold was experimenting the ef-
forts of the smith.
She threw the key into her IA
theirs hands, and in q minute the
stream of fugitives was emptying it
self into the church, too eager to
avail itself of the sudden opening to
be exercised about the manner of it.
Not till they were all inside and
the door locked and bolted did old
Tredgold turn to his daughter, sob
bling now in her mothers arms, and
all unstrung, as is the manner of
women when they have done dar
ing deed.
1t soon became apparent that the
sacred character of their shelter was
not to be respected and that the
church was to be assailed. The
tramp of armed men was heard out.
side, followed by knocks on the door
and demands for admittance.
Trcdgold's resolute demeanor re.
assured the rest, and the retreat tC
the tower was carried out as quick.
ly as the mounting of the lofty lad
ders in the belfry permitted.
The sexton was the last to leave
the floor of the church, and none toe
soon, for rs he reached the frs,
story, in which was the clock, the
door yielded with crash, and the
enemy rushed whooping into the
building. But willing hands wer,
ready, and AZ soon as Tredgold was
of the ladder it was drawn up, sc
as to be useless for pursuit.
All the people but the few who
had remained to help Tredgold with
the ladder had mounted higher
some to the bell loft and others t.
the roof of the tower, whence they
gazed sadly down at their burning
houses.
Joan, however, remained in tn,
clockroom, and her quick ears soor
recognized the tones of French Pc
ter among the voices below. HC
seemed to be urging the lender tC