The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-02-17

General, there's q man who wants
to speak with you at the back gate"
said one OF the servants, approaching
the house.
''I know what that MEANS" said
General Schuyler, Immediately arising,
"l want every one of you," he added,
turning TO his family, 'to go to the
room upstairs. Don't wait, but go inn
mediately."
The frightened women and children
quickly obeyed, and the general, call
ing the servants, barred the doors and
locked the windows. AS soon as he saw
this had been done, he ran to his beds
room for his gun.
He stepped to the window in his
room for a moment and looked out.
What was that he saw? The sun had
set, but there was light enough to en-
able him to see that the house was sur
rounded by men. 1t was a dangerous
m oment, but the guard must be
aroused, and perhaps the town must
be alarmed, also; so out of the open
window he fred bis gun, and then
quickly drew the heavy shutters and
fastened them. He was just in time,
for volley was fred by the rufians,
and he could hear the thud of the bul.
lets as they struck against the house.
All was confusion now. With shout
the band started for the door of the
hall. They had brought rails and
heavy pieces of timber with them, and
an exultant yell soon showed that they
had succeeded in breaking down the
door. A crowd of men rushed into
the house and began to shout for the
general to give himself up and save all
further trouble. His family were all
in the room with him now; but the
darkness concealed the pallor on their
cheeks, and not word had been ut
tered.
Just as the Tories burst into the
hall, Mrs. Schuyler thought of the baby
she had left in the nursery below. In
the confusion each had thought an.
other had brought the little one, and
the mother had just discovered her
loss.
"My babyl my babyl" she cried.
'T shall go for it. They will murder
it. know they will"
"Nay," said the general, as he firm
ly grasped his frantic wife. ''It will
be at the forfeit of your life, and the
ruflians may not touch it.
"Then shall CO." said Margaret,
his third daughter and before she
could be restrained she had rushed
from the room, run down the two
flights of stairs and gained the nursery.
The babe was sleeping in the cradle,
all unconscious OF danger, and in a
moment Margaret had snatched the
little one, still asleep, and started to
return. She had just gained the stairs,
when she was stopped by one of the
men, who ronghly grasped her by the
arm. 1t was John Waltermeyer him
self, but she did not know it, nor was he
aware who was before him. Plainly
enough she was young woman, and,
as she held babe in her arms, he at
once concluded that she must be one
of the servants.
"Wench, wench," he shouted,
"where is your masterP"
Margaret Schuyler was greatly
frightened, but she did not lose her
presence of mind. Almost like an in
spiration quick thought came, and
raising her voice so that she could be
heard in the room above she replied:
"He's gone to alarm the town"
John Waltermeyer hesitated. If that
was true not moment ought to be
lost in making their escape. His men
we're in the dining-room now, and he
could hear them as they gathered the
silver quarreling among themselves.
Evidently the generals silver was as
desirable as the generals person, and
the ruffians had decided to secure what
was nearest first. While the leader
was hesitating he heard a voice call
ing out of the window above: "Come
on, my brave fellows, surround the
house and secure the Williams. They
are now in the dining.room plunder-
ing"
That was enough. The leader did
not know that not soldier was about
the place, nor that the call was made
by the general, who had followed up
the words of his quiok. witted daugh-
ter. Not "brave fellow" was near,
and even the guards in the cellar,
awakened by the confusion, could not
find their guns. They did not know
till afterward that General Schuyler's
daughter, Mrs. Church, had removed
them all, confident that all danger had
passed, and fearful that her little boy,
who delighted in playing with them,
might be injured.
"Run, boys-run I" shouted the
frightened Waltermeyer. "Che Con-
tinentals are all around us
His companions needed no second
warning, and delaying only long
enough to secure their booty ana cap
ture the three guards on the lawn,
began to run; and the early records
tell us that they never stopped until
they arrived on the borders of Canada.
The guards, although they had no
guns, used their brawny fists to good
advantage, and if there had been a
little more light might have escaped
after all. Afterward they had no
cause to regret their capture, however,
for the records inform us OF farms in
Saratoga County presented by General
Schuyler to John Tubbs, John Corlies
and John Ward. John must have been
a popular name in those days.
But General Schuyler was saved /;
and the heroism of his quick-witted
daughter, who afterward became the
wife of General Van Rensselaer,,
deserves a place among the stories of
the days that tried the souls of men.
New York independent.