Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-08-26

whence. In q military coat and hat. he
made bis way home IN safety.
Captain Seaton was now devoting all
his time. and every energy, to the drilling
and exercising Of his troop. His men
were mostly young, and all strong and
true. They had been selected with great
care and discrimination. more than two
hundred having offered themselves from
among whom he could select but q hun
dred. He had one hundred rank aud fle,
aud four lieutcnants. One.half bis COM
mnnd were armed with short rides. and
could be used as dismounted infantry
should occasion require: and the horses
proved to be all that could be required.
Robert was himself q thorough soldier.
He had not only studied the science OF
war under his fathers guidance, but be
had been pcrsistently drilled In every arm
OF the service. In the use Of the sword
and the pistol he had gained such prof.
cheney that his personal self-rellance was
firmly fixed, and In the handling Of men
he was sufficiently versed TO enable him
to enter upon the duties and responsible.
ties OF command without misgiving or
trcpidation. His men very quickly dis.
covered the true and reliable metal Of
their commander, and were. ere long.
ready and eager to follow wherever he
might lead. He drilled them over hills.
aud through valleys; and fording streams,
and In mounting steep banks; In thread.
ing forests, aud winding t0rtu0us courses;
and last. but not least, he schooled them
In the art OF systematic and orderly re-.
treat. with his rifemen for q rear guard;
and 10 expert did these latter become In
time that they could load and fire, with
rapidly and precision. upon the swift gal
lop; and, furthermore, he instituted VA
rious private signals. such as his father
had learned among the Indians, by means
Of which communication could he held be-
tween detached members Of the troops
either by day or by night--by which as
| slstance could be- summoned, or warning
| given.
And so passed the time into August. IN
New York the American army had me,
with reverses. Gen. Howe had been join
cd by his brother. Admiral Lord Howe
with heavy re.enforcements; the battle
Of Long Island had been fought and lost
aud Washington had taken up his posi-
ton at White Plains. Throughout the
country the Tories were greatly encOur
aged. and In New Jersey and eastern
Pennsylvania they were arming and or
gunizing; aud the arming and organizing
| of these Tories meant rapine and rObber,
| Of the most barbarOus and malignant
character. They were, in fact. SO man,
freebO0ters let loose upon the land unde
British cOuntenance and authority; and II
some localities, such as the Mohawk ant
RamapO valleys Of New York, the Pines
Of Monmouth, and the gOrges OF thu
Schuylkill the most blOOdthirsty and des
perate Of outlaws, known to be rObber
and murderers Of old. were suffered to pl!
their fendish vocation under the Tag O
England! Under such circumstances IL |
a wonder that Congress felt constrained
to clothe the chief of its armies with ex
traOrdinary power In dealing with the 10
fectcd districts?
Just at the close of a day In the latte
part Of August, Seaton saw Jacob East
court on his way up the Schuylkill, II
| a barge pulled by half dozen strOni
Oarsmen. On that evening he called a
the bankers house. where he found Mrs
EastcOurt aud Lillian glad to welcom,
him. In speaking OF her husbands alb
sepce, the matron said that he had beer
visited during the afternoon by mes
senger from the Montgomery farms.
"And," she added, In q whisper, "yol
can Judge Of the nature of the business
which has called him away"
| Robert nodded assent. He had hardl!
done 90 when he was startled by an ap
partition.
The apartment In which they sat wa
not only used for sitting room, but
when company was present, for dinin
ro0m and nv the side Of the dOOr Onenin