News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-07-26

a flaming torch 1rdS prOtruded through
the door.
few seconds of profound silence, during
which Robin stood over the opening
with uplifted weapon, ready to strike
down the next Tory who might be bold
enough to show his head Then the
stiffness was broken by hoarse voice,
mingling strange oaths with direful
threats
1t was the voice of Claudius Smith
"Out of my way Make room'' he
roared, pushing his comrades to the
right and left as he strobe toward the
steps
One Of the Tories pointed to the open
ing into the attic
''Theres an armed devil yonder,
he said. land ye'd better not go near
him.
Coward PoltroonY" shrieked his
chieftain, beside himself with fury.
'D'ye think fear man. God, or devil?''
Blind with rage, he leaped upon the
steps and mounted them with the agili-
~ of tiger. AS his head came through
che floor Robin struck at it savagely
with his saber
Steel rang against steel. sparks scin-
tillated in the darkness, and the weapon
few out of Robins hand. 1t had
glanced off the blade of the saber with
which the outlaw had been shrewd
enough to cover his attack.
The Tory chieftain sprang into the
attic triumphant He saw in the gloom
the form of a man crouching away
from him and raised his saber aloft to
deal deathhlow. The next instant
the blade cut a cleaning swath in the
air and descended swiftly.
The blow was well intended: never
jheless it missed its mark, for as he
was in the act of delivering it Tory
rushed precipitately into the attic and
jostled against him. At the same in
slant the sharp report of firearms, the
clash of swords, cries of terror and
shouts of triumph arose in deafening
tumult from below. Another Tory came
tumbling into the loft.
"We are betrayed" he shouted in
tones that quavered with fear. run,
captain, run, for the Americans have
surrounded the houseI'
Then he and his comrade scurried
away in the darkness and concealed
themselves in the lumber that Uttered
the attic. Their chief stood at the head
of the stairs. looking down upon the
tumultuous scene below like one petri-
fed. The light of the torches, borne
hither and thither by his men as they
fought to escape from their assailants,
threw fitful CLEANS upon his counte-
nance, and Robin could see that it had
turned hideous, livid hue from baffied
rage and despair.
Presently a deep voice Numbered
above the din.
"Claudius Smith is in the loft Up
quarter'
At this Claudius uttered a defiant
laugh.
"Aye, but ye must catch me first, ye
blarsted rebelsl' he growled between
his teeth.
Then he turned and ran quickly to-
ward one of the dormer windows.
Scarcely had he reached it when there
was an onrush of footsteps on the mar
row stairs, and a number of furious
frontiersmen sprang one after another
into the loft, where they scattered and
began searching the lumber and rubbish
for the bandit chief Presently one OF
them caught sight of him as he was in
the act of crawling through the dormer
window. With a shout of exultation he
hurried after him, arriving at the win.
dow just in time to see the fugitive
scramble nimbly down the sloping ROOT
to the gutter swing himself to the
veranda below, slide down one of its
pillars and escape across the lawn tC
the place where his horse was tethered
In the meantime Robin had narrow
ly escaped eath at the hands of the
other assailants. On their first coming
into the attic they had passed him by
unnoticed, and he had since been TOT
much bewildered by the strange events
Transporting before him to pay mucl
heed to their movements Indeed while
they were searching the loft for the
Tory CHIEF he was engaged in admins
tering to Zadie, who had relapsed into
Inconsistencies when Claudius swung
his saber at her defender. The from
tiersmen came upon him while he wal
chatting the hands and temples of thu
girl with the idea of restoring her t.