The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-03-13
THE GREAT VERMONT STORY |!
THE RAN GERS
OR,
THE T0RY'S DAUGHTER.
~ JUDGE u, p. THOMPSON.
OR
VOLUM III.
CHAPTER Ii. Continued. J


Good Grand exclaimed the OK.
cited soliloquist. starting up and snap
ping his fingers in high glec. "This
will be a great thing for you, Bart.
Yes. and hen how gentlemanly and
respectful like it sounds to be called
Bartholomew, in that way Bart. we'll
90 it for them and have touch of the
trade thi, very night, if you please.
But whe,e shall we begin? Let's see,
now. Why, there's old mother Rose's
haunt up the great road here. whore
| do think. she must hatch out tories.
same as a hen does chickens, they are
so thick about there. Then there's
Josh Rose counting that up and com
ing sort Of girl you saw at HoWard's
tother day, when you called with
Harry for a drink of water. Now.
wouldn't the fellow be apt to let out
secrets there that we could get hold
of. and put us on some good srentP
All that's it; so now up the river for
Howard's as beginning, hit or miss.
Bart. y
While this singular genius is pro
ceeding on his proposed destination.
in the hope of accomplishing some
thing to show himself worthy of the
curious trust that had been so uney.
pcctedly reposed in him, we will oc
cupy the breathing spot, thus afforded
in our narrative. in apprising the
reader, more definitely than we have
done vet. of the main incidents that
had marked the checkered fortunes of
the two adventures whom we have
now again brought upon the scene of
action, since we left them.
When Woodburn and Bart left the
state. under the circumstances DIES
crbed in the closing chapters of our
first volumes, they proceeded directly
to Cambridge, where the revolutionary
army was then gathering for the siege
of Boston, enlisted, for two years. into
the continental service and actively
participated in all the most important
movements in the campaign that i'm
medately succeeded, They were at
Bunker HILL on that memorable day
of fire and blood, so glorious for the
yoeman patriots of New England, and
so fearful for her foes,
when first, as at Thermopyle
The battle shout of freemen rose;
Firm as their mountains, and as free
They nobly hraved encounterng foes"
And in the following autumn. they.
in the same company. in which Wood
burn. for bravery and good conduct,
had been made subaltern officer,
marched with that division of the
army which Arnold, with almost un-
equaled energy and fortitude. and
amidst privation and suffering untold,
led through the snow clad wilderness
of morass and mountain. to the distant
Quebec. And there, into the onset.
4, II N
fell. they were together cut off from
their company and made prisoners
when. after having. for nearly a year
and half, endure the sufferings of a
British prison ship, they together es-
capped at Halifax, wandered, half naked
and starving, through the seemingly
intermlnable forests of Brunswick
and Maine. to the American settle
ments, and finally reached home: not
however, long to repose, but soon to-
repair, with yet unbroken spirit. of
the scene of action at which their
counrtymen were beginning to rally
to meet the formidable invasion of the
hitherto victorious Burgoyne We
will now resume the thread of our
narrative A walk twenty or thirty
minutes brought Bart to the log tene
the continental service now absent on
duty having left his house and bust
ness in charge of his wife. woman I
no less noted in her neighborhood for /
energy in conducting her domestic /
affairs, than for the patriotic spirit |
with which she espoused the American I
cause. She and her daughter, rustic
beauty Of eighteen, of keen perceptions |
Il riao or
frolicsome disposition would allow her
To exercise it, were now the only per
manent Inmates of this secluded cabin
which consisted of but two rooms with
a front entrance leading through an
entry into either of them and another
door at the end of the house opening
into the one usually occupied by the
family as both sitting room and
kitchen
A light in both rooms by the pi-
pers. :" exclaimed Bart as after having
cautiously paused to reconnoitre the
house. THE fellow is there at his
traps sure as a gun Now what is to
be done Bart? 'Twont do to 60 in
and show Yourself, and have that tori
fed scamp carry away word that you
arousing are housing round the coun-
- il-hlS' " III ~ ANb' ph' -
you what if it want for the name OF
sneaking and evesdropping we would
creep round back of the room where
they be and bark through the cracks
ike enough get peep and so learn
s)mething. But such things they eX-
fected Of you didn't they Bart? Must
lie so. | think Then suppose we
throw the name and blame of it ON the
@uncll, and try it mister?' II
Taking a wide sweep round the house
Bart soon approached part of 1t on
the backside in which he rightly con-
!ectured the young people were sitting;
and gliding up to the wall with steps
rarely found its way into this section
except through the intercourse of the
torres with that province, her atten-
zion was suddenly excited; and turn
i!nlg sharp and searching look upon
hin, she said,-
Where have you been lately
,'Why:" he replied, evidently sur,
Lrised at the question and manner oil
Tho Il