Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-10-04

carefully opened the dispatches found
on the dead man, and discovered them
to be a full account of the forces at and
around Newport, detailing Rocham-
beau' strength and the number of mi
litia troops furnished him by Rhode
Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts,,
though TO my certain knowledge the
number was understated.
Following out a plan l had thought
up, | altered the figures by scratching
those given and writing in between the
lines more than three times the mum
Der above, as had already been done in
n or two cases. The dispatches of
Hazeltine were letters from Major An
Dire written in prison, and a statement
given out that Washington was about
to make an attack on Paulus Hook and
Staten Island, with some description OF
the plan Of attack. Whether his were
true or not, | could not tell, but l must
take my chance. We were in the act
Of sealing up the packets again, when
there came u laundering pounding on
the outer door.
What is it?" cried the oma
open in the name of the king!"
cried a voice from the outside.
Ohio" said Acton under his mus
tache. "They call upon us soon, eh?'
and he drew his sword and stood look
ing at me.
Quick, woman. I said, "go to the
door, and do you do the talking"
What shall l say?"
ASK who it is and what's wanted"
This she did, we standing by her
close to the door.
open in the name Of the king"
cried the deep voice again, "or we Will
break down he door"
Acton and stood beck, silent in the
darkness, with n stiff problem ahead Of
us, for there was no mistaking the
voice Of HaZeltine.
well, will you OPEN" cried the voice
a third time, and then l babe Acton,
more by signs than anything else,
stand by the handle OF the door.
when | open, catch him and bring
him in" l whispered, and put in all
the strength in your big body"
He nodded, and at my whispered in
struction the woman said again:
What for? Why should i open?"
Because / have a warrant for the
arrest Of a man now in his house"
There's none here she answered,
and then, as l told her, cried out: The
door sticks. You must push from the
outside"
There came a mufled oath, and then
a savage kick at the door, and l heard
other voices.
Harder" cried the old woman, who
seemed to grasp the idea, n as l felt
a body press against the door, l let IT
swing suddenly open, n a man was
driven into the hall II the door shut
again before he realized that he was
down and one of the strongest men in
the colonies sitting on him with his
fingers so tight upon his gullet that
he could only gurgle softly. We had
him In the other room bound and
gagged in a moment, but the pounding
on the door was enough to wake the
town.
open in the name Of the king!"
cried a dozen voices, and then the old
door, strong as 1t a been made, gave
perceptibly to the force from without.
/ turned to the m
rs there a back way out?"
only into the lane, thence to Beaver
street in among the ruins; but We can
go upstairs and down the outside steps
at the back"
80 be it, and quick, too! Acton,
pick up our man and come on" We
were upstairs, had lain him in the
gable, and were hurrying down to the
second story again, when a crash told
us we were too late, and in a moment
the hall was full of men. They saw
us at the top OF the stairs, and started
up.
Now, man, let them have It." I cried,
and we both fired at the leaders as they
came up two steps at a time. Two
men threw up their arms and fell back
on the others and the whole crew rolled
back to the floor.
Again, Acton"
AYE, man." laughed the reckless
chap, take the first, and the second.
So! we wasted nothing" -Four men lay
dead on the stairs before the others
could retreat. But our pistols were Of
no further use.
l am no fool to lose heart in a tight
place, but the game seemed up as we
saw them gather together for another
charge.
yield yourselves, and Wen do we no
HARM" cried n IF ye do not, God
help your souls"
Don't bother strangers by calling on
EN-" sale Acton, in a jeerlng tone,
but come on, my lambs, and tax us!"
a growl was the only answer as they
started up the stairs again. We had
the slight advantage of light, as well as
Of being above, and as the first two
began to engage Acton, who stood at
the top, I knocked the nearest over
with the butt of my pistol, and then,
leaning out from the crazy balustrade,
began an exchange of thrusts with the
next two, they fighting straight over
their heads, l down upon them.
They stood their ground well, pre-
NNllNAli6 Wy Nl'll wv DcNlCo my olllt ;
from taking part, until another ~jeerine
laugh from Acton was followed by the
bodies Of his men tumbling back upor
them, tripping the whole crew over one
another to the bottom, amid cries anG
curses that would have raised the
dead. The howl was taken up by those
in the hall and then to our consterna-
ton a loud shout Of many voices came
from the street. Running to the sash.
less window, l saw half a hundred sol.
diers crowded around the door.
Back again!" cried Acton, "tht
towns on the way upstairs;" and II
truth it looked so; for they had found
a round table, n holding this above
and before them, they were coming
slowly up two abreast n as close az
they could step.
Il have it," cried Acton-the mar
seemed always to become gay in Z
: fight and find his best wits at the mos
hopeless time. quick, man, that cup
board! Twill make cheese OF tn,
whole lot" And we lifted a grea'
:, double-doored clothes press standing
, in the hall, Acton, the woman, and /
and pushed it over the stairs, carrying
d, was a terrible one, for the weight o
, the cupboard carried the table dowl
upon the eight or ten men and all wen
+ down together, amidst dust and criej
. and roars of laughter from Acton tina
fairly set me off as well.
The situation was changed for tn,
. moment, for the brave cupboard hat
, damned itself in the stairway, prevent
ing n ascent or descent by that pas
r sage for some good minutes to come
In the pause that followed, a stifed or!
from the old woman showed us behinC
the spot where the cupboard had stooC
a frameless window looking out on tn
roof of the next house. Roof there wa
none, however-only blackened tim
hers, with here and there n patch o
shingles still clinging in place.
Twas a chance, and we took it. w,
were out in a moment, clambering owe