Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-11-11
CHAPTER XVI.

!, Robert Seaton was alone In his narrow
kell, with irons upon his feet and hands'
His pockets had been cmptied BY the
provost marshal. his coat had been taken
from him. and ragged, filthy blanket
Thrown over his shoulders In Its place.
BY day a faint ray Of light had pcnetrs.'
ed TO his dungeon through a small, graz
ed aperture over the door, but that M.
been long gone. and utter darkness nsu
shut him in. Supper had been nrousn'
to him OF bread and water, OF wmcn ne
had eaten. His magnificent pnysique
could not be easily crushed from "s nut
ural tone of health and strength Anu
vet the heart within, beating 50 faith'
fully its lifc.pulscs. was heavy ana SAD.
A dismal prospect was before him-tne
most dismal In its terrible contamination
that can be placed before the brave man
whose honor Is dear to him.
From his cell he could hear the tread
of the seninel upon the pavement OF the
corridor near at hand, and the sentinel
had lust been relieved for the third time
since the utter darkness had fallen. 30
he knew that It was past ten o'clock.
Only ten more hours Of life, and then,
the death Of the gallows! Well was It,
he thought. that his father had dled be-
fore this hour. Beyond this, two subjects
of thought bore heavily and painfully up.
on him. The first was OF Lillian; but
that was not the one that In this hour
gave him the keenest regret. With LII
liam he had kept faith. In her service nc
had sacrificed his life. Had he sacrificed
more than life? All! this brought the Sec
oud thought How had he kept faith
with his dying father? What had nc
done with that life which he had so sol
emily pledged. above oil else OF earth,
70 the cause Of his country? Had ne
not foolishly, rccklessly thrown It away
TO be sure, he had given It to Lillian,
but had he not flched It first from the
cause of Liberty? He thought Of the
martyrs Of Valley Forge--how he had
left them when they needed hin, most
and how he hal thrown away life that
belonged wholly to the cause Of American
Independence! Had he kept faith with
his father?
Oh! this was the bitter thought. and he
could not absolve himself. Had he come
upon this mission In the service Of his
country-had he been acting under orders
from his nder-in. chief-he could
have bowed to the fate more calmly. ant
Nc WOUIu uuNe DVCu Sustuiucu W suC Son
soling reflection that his name would, ir
the coming time, be enrolled with tn,
noble. self.sacrifcing martyrs who hat
laid down their lives before him, ant
should lay down their lives after him
But nOw--now, he was to die an ignOmin
ious death, and the final hour was to b
Frightened not ut oil by the sacred alta
fires!
With n rcnding groan he bowed hi
head upon his manacled hands, and n
remained until he was aroused by th,
unb0lting and opening Of the door Of BIZ
cell.
A man entered bearing a lighted Ian
tern, which he placed upon the ston,
hoor, and Immediately the door was c!as
ed by some one upon the outside. tn,
prisoner suppOsing It to- be the proves
marshal come to find II there was any
thing more Of value upon which he coult
place his despoiling hands, had looket
quickly and sharply up, and had caugh
sight Of the form and the face. It wa,
not Cunningham's burly form, nor hi,
brutal face; 1t was far slighter form
and the face. showing man rather pas
the middle age, was handsome and arts
tocratic, and the face OF stranger-th,
face Ut stranger, and yet not entircl,
strange. Somewhere, II seemed to Sea
ton. he had seen the face before, but h,
could not locate II. The visitor wore
military cooked hat. long fur-lined cloal
and thick jack-bOots, and our hero fan
cied that he caught sight Of rich garl
beneath.
Captain" said the stranger. In ton
which sounded strangely In contract witt
In ss.pta sol <.S h..
will sit upon the pallet ! will find sea
upon this stool. 1t Is tiresome standing
on these uneven stones"
Seat0n sat down upon the narrow bed
wondering what could be the meaning o
this visit. Had the man come In hone
to gain from him information Of tn
soon to be enlightened.
captain SeatOn, 1t may be In my pow
or to offer you boon which you shout,
prize. You know the sentence which tn
court has passed upon your"
"Yes, SIR"
"And you are probably aware tina
Gen. Howe has approved?"
Eyes, SIR"
"You are to be hanged tomorrow morn
Ing at nine O'clock"
so ! have been sentenced"
"And SO your judges mean Il shall bt
1t has been discovered to-day that GU
heavy provision train, under the escort q
Maj. Mckenzie, has been captured, Tw
Of the drivers escaped, and have come /
with the intelligence; and It IL know
that you, In person. led the attack upo
our dragons"
eyes. sir" replied our hero, with
thrill Of pride, II led the attack, an
made the capture-l, and those bray
men who We're with me-"
"And now tell me-" continued tn
stranger, with much of reprOach In hi
tone, did you think II wise and prone
to risk your life upon the foolish erran
that brought you hitherY
foolish, STRIP
"Aye-foolish, boy! Were You not
honor pledged to the cause In which 20
had drawn your swordT'
But you have no sympathy with tha
causeY"
'As an Englishman-no; but were a
American, should be Patriot. IL
cannot sympathize fully with your Rev
luton, ! do most heartily and utterly d.
spise those Of American birth who al
Tories! And so, Robert Seaton, ! have
rignt 10 ask You II you did not do foo
ishiy ana wrongly when you jeopardize
life 30 valuable to the American eau.
as was your Ownw
What an echo was this OF his ow
thoughts! How could he answer but hol
estlyf
Let It pass, l pray you. sir" he pri
oner said. '"rhe die Is cast, and l mu,
abide the issue"
But" demanded the other, sternl
'Tlow will You compound with your ow
conscience for having cast away 4 III