The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-07-05
Observation-Disclosures
The Patriot Powder

7 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

1 knows what a fierce battle ground wal
the Mohawk valley. Lying open, as il
did. to Indian and tory ineursions, its
patriot inhabitants were constantly
/ in a state of fear, and many who vert
true to the colonies were compelled ts
smother their feelings in order to save
both life and property.
Among the American families whe
during the struggle occupied an hum
BILE house in the heart OF the valley wa
one named Wilton.
Some time before the opening OF hos
tiGties the childless couple had adopt
ed an orphan boy, who, although Amer
lean by birth, bore the name Of Gottliet
for a German grandfather.
Gottlieb Wilton, as he was known
was smart boy of IS, short and stout
and the possessor of a nature which
was hard to rufie. Up with the lark
and to bed with the sun, the boy wal
known everywhere in the neighbor
hood for his industry, and parents were
won't to hold him up as an example t.
their less thrifty children.
The Whittons were favorably disposed
20 the American cause, though they
had succeeded in making no enemies Of
their tory neighbors.
The house in the valley stood on th'
trail to Fort Stanwix, an American out
post, and the spies of both parties were
almost constantly crossing the neutral
ground.
One night Gottlieb Whitton looked
from the small window of his attic and
witnessed a very unusual proceeding
The moon was pale crescent in the
sky, and the drifting clouds still fur
Their dimmed the little light it afforded
He saw a man carrying something
into the house from the garden thai
came almost up to the back door. II
was not Mr.. Wilton, and the proceed
ing was enough to arouse the boys
suspicion.
Again and again the strange man
made little trips between house and
garden, each time bringing from the
latter something bulky, which he car
ried in his arms.
garden and did not return.
The boy waited and watched long
time for him, and at last crept back
to his hard bed in the corner and fell
asleep.
The next day the farmer told Gott
heb that he and his wife intended t.
visit some relatives at one end of the
valley, and concluded by saying thai
he would have TO remain at home and
keep house two or three days.
Once 1t was on the boys tongue tt
mention the strange movements he had
witnessed the previous night, but fear
ing to let Mr.. Whitton know that he
had played the spy he let the oppor'
tunity pass.
When noon came the boy found him.
self alone with a dinner of his own
getting, and at shutdown he had fed the
cattle and shut up the house.
His adopted parents at parting had
cautioned him to admit nobody, and
Mrs. Wilton had taken care to say
that she had placed all the food he
needed in the pantry, and that she had
locked the cellar till their return.
The boy went up to his bed in the
attic as the birds retired to their nests
in the trees
Falling asleep almost directly, he
passed through the first sound slum'
Der, and then lay wide awake on the
cot.
Suddenly there came up from below
and into the loft through the open win
dow, the hum of voices.
Gottlieb crspt to the window and
looked out. A large tree grew in front
of the house, shading the long porch
during the day. and throwing its
branches over the sloping roof.
There was a figure under the tree
which was not there when Gottlieh
crept up to bed. While he watched IL
was joined by another which came
from the porch, and then the low voices
were resumed.
The next minute Gottlieb went down.
stairs In his bare feet. The boy knew
that the men outside contemplated
mischief of some kind, and all at once
he thought of the mysterious proceed
ings Of the night before, and coupled
with them Mrs. Whitton's remark about
the cellar.
Stealthy footsteps came across the
porch, and found the patriot boy listen.
ing at the door
Are you sure the boy sleeps in the
garrett" asked voice.
That's his nest, as rybody
knows" was the answer. 81 know
where the bolt is, and here have the
gimlet ready. II will not take us ten
minutes to saw out a hand-hole, and
then we're inside"
do you think we'll find the Yankee
powder in the oellar?"
at is nowhere else. We've tracked ii
to Jonas Whitton's house, and it hasn't
gone onto Fort Stanwix yet. A sly fox
Is Jonas, but hereafter he can't blow
not and cold with the same breath, for
everybody win know how he hid Yam.
kee powder in his cellar"
Like fash the whole truth dawned
on the boy in the dark. The numerous
trips between garden and house were
now explained.
There was powder IN the cellar, and
a. was patriot powder ct that, intended
TO be smuggled into Fort Stanwix at
the first favorable opportunity.
Gottheb felt his heart leap with a de.
sire to save the powder. He knew how
sorely the little garrison of patriots
needed the hidden article, and he re.
solved that II he could prevent II. II
should not fall into the hands of the
tories, to which party the men on the
outside evidently belonged.
He did not have much time for re-
aeotion when the p1miet began its work