Richmond daily palladium., 1901-11-12
The Drufnbeats
OF Liberty
...Ey NJ. QUAD.
Copyright. 1901. by C. q. Lewis.

They had brought him home one
day. that loyal and stout hearted pa
triot, Jacob Van Brunt. with his vision
gone forever. A Hessian's bullet had
blinded him. and comrade walked
hand in hand with him and warned
him of obstructions in the road.
One night months later. as the blind
man slept. there was gentle tapping
at his window. and as he opened the
sash and asked who was there pa
triot sergeant replied:
Hist. Jacob, | have been with oxen
and wagon for muskets. powder and
| lead l have had a long pull of it. and
the oxen can go no farther. and there
| is a Hessian picket on the road to the
south. We must hide the munitions
and come for them again
Ten minutes later the blind drummer
and his three daughters We're assisting
| the soldiers to unload the wagon and
| hide it's contents in the dark and emp
| ty cellar of the barn. In all haste and
vet with due caution the work was
| speedily finished and the vehicle driven
! back over the road. and by and by
| when a patrol of cavalry came trotting
that way no man saw or heard any
| thing unusuaL
| Aud when the muskets had been oil
ed and the lead cast into bullets which
cleaned bright as silver there was
drill on the bare floor Of the old barn.
With drum at his side, but the sticks
beating softly. and with Ruth. Mary
and Esther in line before him, the blind
| man uhiSnariprly commanded.
Attention, company! Right face!
| Left face, Order arms! Shoulder
arms, Ready-aim-recover R-r-r-r!
Rat-tat-tatr'
And there came a November day
when the snowfiakes f1uttered down
now and then. and the skies were dark
with winters warning, and the gale
whipped the dying leaves off the apple
and pear trees and tossed their branch
es about in wild disorder. The blind
drummer was nodding in sleep in his
chair. and his daughters were in the
field searching for potato hills which
might have escaped the raiders. OF a
sudden the man reused up and peered
into vacancy with his sightless eyes
and listened With beating heart
The daughters found him standing
erect, with drum at his side and sticks
in his hand. as they came running in.
Ave. they are coming. the enemy"
he said as the painting girls essayed
1 TO sneak They have heard of the
arms and are coming to take them
away. You. Ruth and Mary. TO the
barn and bring as many muskets as
you can carry. and you. Esther. lead me
to the lane and stone wall Forward
straightforward. march.
Attention, company.' cried the drum
mer as he ceased TO rattle his sticks.
Load each and every musket. Let
them come half way up the lane before
you fire. Tell me, Esther. what do they
dog
They have halted. father. and ap-
pear surprised and confused"
"R-r-r-r. Rat-a-ta,. Rat-tat-tat! They
are brave men and viii come on. but
. they are enemies of liberty. Aye.
, hear their tramp on the dying grass.
Steady. sirls-steady. When they are
: even with the wild cherry tree, fire at
them TO kill Tell me- Esther. tell me-
Bang, bang, bang. roared the three
muskets and with pulses jumping the
blind man grasped his sticks and made
the drum rattle till the half dozen
!. horses down in the road reared up and
plunged and whinnied at the sounds.
Fresh muskets! Fire again! Tel
me. Esther, tell me If any of them are
down.
Three. father" Bangi bang. bang
: Five. father-five are down now. and
one is leaning against the wall. We
!. have stopped them. They halt-they
waver-they give back
The enemy fell back. rallied and ad