Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-06

L ala not know WnaG now SnOulu
do Presently, before me, / saw one
coming with swinging lantern-a
short, squat figure Of man. l thought
to turn back, but, not daring, kept on.
AS he approached held myself erect
and so passed into the lantern light,
which flickered, for the night was gus
ty, New York being exposed on all sides
to stretches of violent wind. He, it
seems, was peering about for he saw
me only to stop did not run, for did
not know where
The other said:
"Captain Mordaunt.
you're mistaken" began.
"Stop," said he. "Come, turn back
You can't get away"
hesitated for a moment. / looked
up and down, and the wind moaned a
chorus to my thoughts and yet after a
week in cell it brought the sweetness
of freedom. 1t sang that word in my
ears; it put my pulse to beating. The
! chance should not present itself in vain,
said then. l shouldn't be stopped by
this fellow, whoever he might be.
Twas question at the most of man to
man, and for his compact, powerful
figure l held that my legs were good
and the lane was long and dark and de-
serted.
When you are telling long after what
you did in impulsive activity the words
may choke the action You fail to pro-
duce for the reader the effect of the mo-
ment. For you can be assured it was
not moment, hardly an instant, before
l was giving him my heels in answer to
his demand The situation had framed
itself SO fortuitously, and was not the
man that moment to let it slip me.
The lane was dark enough, l have
said. There was only an occasional
glimmer from house edging it, Yet no
sooner had started before the man who
had accosted me broke out i'll q mighty
voice which seemed to shake Manhat-
tan Island and lights blazed to right
and left and scurrying figures appeared
some with CLEAN of red breeches, and
l realized that on that lane had hap
pened on the quarters of some company.
l had run surely into a net.
Two met me squarely, but / bore
down ON them like a ram-my head
bent down as l have seen negro in
Maryland run, my fists clinched. They
had no time to reach for a weapon. A
pistols butt would have brought me
ever, but my impetuositv bore them
down, and l wriggled out from their
fingers and presently the hue and cry
fell behind me. The lane opened into
the country, and my heart beat exult-
antly. felt as if 1 were the whole
army of congress breaking through the
kings lines and scattering them, exact
ly indeed as General Washington did
in Jersey
But had small time to feel my Joy.
Twas followed shortly by fit of de-
preston. 1 had been glad too soon
when l had everything to do. The lane
seemed to be up hill and from the
farther side came an order l could not
mistake that quick, positive tone. They
were heading me off, while from behind
came the cry of the hunters and again
the scurrying of lanterns light-yel.
low, searching.
The choice was small. 1 leaped low
fence at my left and broke through
some bushes and found myself ON the
edge of a lawn with a great house at it's
center. The moon suddenly burst
through the Clouds and it all lay clear
which was so much the worse for me. l
could hear the two parties meeting in
the road had left and threw myself
fiat on the sod, and then other sounds
distracted
These were hoof beats, and an officer
drew up on the road before the door.
He was followed by another, plainly
servant, for, dismounting he threw the
bride rein to him, and, disregarding the
cries of my hunters, he went into the
house, while the man with the horses
led them away about a corner of the
house, leaving the door ajar, as if he
were about to come back.
l reflected for moment, but did
not know where to turn Presently the
sounds were nearer. saw that must
be surrounded, willy nilly-that must
take desperate chance.
wonder at it now. But what did
was indeed the most foolhardy thing
could have done, yet perhaps not SO
badly calculated, since what else could
l do? 1 did not know the lay of the
land, nor how well they might have the
place surrounded. At the worst might
be taken. But somewhere-in some sill
ly book of adventure or in some story
OF my father, who had served with
Wolfe-somewhere had read or heard
OF man hiding In house in the very
heart OF an enemy's town. The chances
were that should not hide, but that l
should run on them full tilt But then,
as l have said, what were the chances
on the other side?
But to bring this reasoning to an end,
stole across that moonlit space and
through the door. At the halls end was
single pencil of light as from a doors
crack. A broad stairs foot faced me.
10 the left was the door of an unlit
room. Into this stole as quietly as you
please At one side in the lnoonshino
saw another door, and this l pulled
open cautiously, finding myself in a
long, deep closet. So far it had been
well: l began to feel quite proud about
IL all and that my father himself might
not disapprove of my readiness. Then 1
remembered in time enough not to leave
myself vain that the chance of that
door at the Jail was, while extraordina-
~, very simple one to take, and re-
membered, too, how the expedition in
to Westminster had failed through nv
oVerconhdence Thought as we'll of nv