Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-04-20
Lexington Rockbdge County, Virginia Wednesday, April 90 1898
ment took the place of mac ion.

among the treetops bard by, and the
flames spreading to the barns and
stables, they fed. For in the night
attack no QUE was safe, Neither North
nor South varied against woman and
children, but under cover OF darkness
the gravest danger threatened al with
in the area of attack.
| At last they reached the dense woods,
and the sound of firing came but faint
liz to their esrs, though the glow OF the
distant fire still showed its giim re-
Election upon the sky line.
"Das far 'nough," grunted Aunt
IDrusilla herself. Down the dewy lawn,
she had kept well in front Of the race
lave can rest now. Put dem bundles
down you boys, an oh; my Iawd!
IPhoebe?"
| Poor Mrs. Tarleton turned at the old
woman's frightened cry-turned to see
! that the young mulatto was indeed
missing, together with her precious
charge, the baby! The unfortunate
Iadys brain 1eeled at this last terrible
calamity, and she fell fainting upon
the path.
Kneellpg by her side and chatting her
hands, Aunt Dlusilla cried frantically
to the negro boys who stood arc md tc
search the woods.
"Go back de way we come" SHE
shouted. "Phoebe mus be captured
or shot. Go back an fetch young
marse, fore de Yankees get him"
But the negroes hung their heaC
aheepishly,
"We'se 'irsid, Aunt Diusilla. Deco
we'se dreful 'fraid," they moaned.
Wrathfully the cid woman rose to hel
feet.
can yo' call yo'sel'es men," she ex
claimed. "Yo's muffin but o pack o
coward!y 'possums. X I'll 60
back mahself. Yassur! or Aunt Dru
silla amt scared o Yankee guns whel
young Marse Halls lef benin"
True to her work, the stout-hearte'
lDrusil'a turned in the direction OF tn
o burning outbuildings and shufiie'
n down the pathway as fast as she coul'
! 20. But another pair of feet wer
Il lighter than hers. A lit lie girl in
. limsy frock, with her sh es clutched
her hands, sped past the cd neores'
J. y It was Nell Tarle on, trembling n
d longer, but wild with eagerness to say
!, her baby brother.
% "Come back, hol cy! Fo' de Lawd
q, . sake, come back" gasped Aunt Dru
y silla, as she snatched unav .iliugly
, the small figure, which rushed
swiftly by. But Nell only shook h'
: head and ran the faster. Farther an
., farther behind dropped poor Drusill
y until at last she lost sight OF Nell alto
gether. Thel she threw up her hano
and sank despairingly upon log
"Dat ends it ALL" she soPbed; be
and gal bofe gone now. What'll Mars
Tahleton say when he comes back
70 An poor Mis-! Bonl
to kill her daid when she hear d.
" Nell's gone, too"
IS On through the woods ran Mel
- her mothers agonized face ever befol
her. and the determination to save Il
10 tie Hal strong within her. A ]agge
stone cut her bare foot, but could nj
., stay her even for an instant. Now 81
q saw the roofs of her fathers hous
% illuminated by the spreading fire, al
u now again the shells went whistlm
" over her head. Rabbits and squire
. scurried madly past her, escaping fro
'' the advancing troops. She heard tt
sound Of many footsteps, and the sha
10 banging Of the Federal rifles. On Il
10 rising ground before the house bla
y figures hurried to and fro-the van
y. Buffers army. But she did not ste
- What were the enemy to her when ID
- was missing-wounded by a chan
y bullet, perhaps, and dying in the fiele
i With roar the house caught I'll
~ and shower of sparks scared into t
60 air and fell among the trees. A bull
=, pinged not foot away from Nell, b
~ she heard it not.
;, "Hal! Brother Hall" was the So
40 her heart sang, and she needed
y, other sound.
- A branch, sholn eff from its pare
tree, crushed down up5n the her
' child and bore her to earth, She GRAY
ed from beneath it, her shoulder bru
~ cd and torn, and with sharp pans
10 her lkle that told of serious stra
A~ Che ould RIM no longer, bat limp