The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1900-08-31

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incurred, before entering the house,
how many servants there might be
about the place, and i'll what manner
they were disposed Of. 1t appeared
that, independently of domestics: no
fewer than thirty male slaves, besides
women aud children, dwelt in the huts
adjoining Now, though we were not
| afraid of these poor creatures them
selves, the thought occurred to us that,
were their master disposed to play the
traitor, he might make OF any or all of
them very ready instruments. We,
therefore, though with a thousand
declarations of regret for the necessity
under which we lay, insisted upon
lodging the whole body, for this night,
under one roof; and planted sentinels
so as to hinder them from holding any
secret intercourse with the family.
| Besides this, we mustered all the do
mestic servants, placed soldiers in the
kitchen beside them and took every
other prccaution which the sngularly
| exposed nature of our situation seemed
to require.
| This done, we followed our host, who
conducted US through a spacious and
well-lighted hall, up winding oaken
staircase, and introduced us into a
drawing room, fitted up and furnished
with considerable taste and elegance.
| There We found the rest Of the family
assembled: it consisted of an old lady,
| whom he introduced to us as his moth
era young lady whom he named as
his daughter-and middle-aged per-
son in black. who, we were given 20
understand, was the family priest or
confrssor Our acquaintance, it ap-
pcared, was rigid Catholic: and there
being no Romish place Of worship in
his neighborhood, he afforded a home
and 4 maintenance to domestic chap
lain. They were all, especially the
master of the house and his cha plain,
well-bred people. The old lady was
frank and loquacious; the young one,
without being either shy or forward :,
maintained her own share in the con-
versation; and both the priest and his
| patron had seen the world, and seen it
to advantage Nor was it by their
conversation alone that they sought to
amuse us. Tea, or rather sort of
compound between tea and dinner, was
| ordered in On the same table were
arranged cups and sauccrs, several
fishes of cold meat, a few bottles Of
different kinds of wine, and fruit in
| plentiful variety OF all of these we
were hospitality invited to partake;
and, as the reader will easily believe, it
required no violent pressing Oh the
| part OF our entertainers to urge us to a
compliance.
All this was satisfactory enough, nor
had we any better reason to complain
either OF the beds Or odging apart
ments which were offered for our ac-
commodation. Our meal being coli
| clude;!, and rs much claret consumed
as we felt disposed to indulge in, the
master Of the house led us up stairs.
and ushered rs into Il large, well-fur-
nished chamber, from which a door
| opened INTO Il smaller apartment be-
yond In the former stood a capa-
cious !Our-post bed; in the latter, a
neat French couch was erected These
conveniences he pointed out, and leav-
ing us to decide 10y whom they should
respectively be occupied, he wished us
good 9ht and withdrew.
My companion happened to be, at
this time, in delicate state of health,
= the fatiyues of the two last days
overcame him, and he readily and glad
ly threw himself upon the bed. 1t was
not so with me- If not robust, | was
at all events capable of enduring my
full Share OF privations; and felt my
self, under existing circumstances,
called upon to exert my powers OF
vigilance to the utmost. | did exert
them-instead of lying down, wrap
ped my cloak about me, and, descend
ing quietly to the courtyard, walked
about i'll the cool night air; sometimes
looking in upon the men to see that
they were in Il state of preparation,
and at other times trudging from post
to post, in order to keep the sentinels
on the alert.
was setting out, a little after mid
night, to perform the last mentioned
of these duties, when the appearance of
Williams, who advanced through the
court with rapid strides, greatly sur
prlsed me. ! had heard several of the
sontlncis challenge; but neither tumult
nor the report Of firearms following
their challenge, paid little heed to
either. As may be imagined, | eager
ly inquired into the cause of his visit;
and my CONSERVATION may be guessed
at, when he informed me that an Amer
lean stragg'er had fallen into the hands
of his picket, from whom information
was obtained that an attempt was
about to be made to cut off the party
at the chateau. This, he alleged. was
} to be done hy the cOnnivance, and un.
der the directions of the master of the
house; for whom. or for & messenger
from whom who miuht ,rt aS ~ Uu,1a