Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-10-24

Beverley could scarcely hold himself erect by the fence. The smoky, foggy | landscape swan round him heavy and strange. He uttered groan, which brought Oncle Jazon to his side in hurry.
 'tQu' avez-vous? Whats the matterY' the old man demanded with quick sym pathy. "Hev they hit ye? Lieutenant, air ye hurt much ?''
 Beverley did not hear the old mans words, did not feel his kindly touch. "Alice, AIice!' he murmured. Dead, l deadg'
 "Ya-as," drawled Oncle Jazon. "I hearn about it soon as got inter town. It's sorry thing, mighty sorry thing. | But mebby won't do little somepin' 1 to that
 Beverley strengthened himself and lifted his gun, forgetting that he had not reloaded it since firing last. He l leyeled 1t at the fort and touched the trigger. Simultaneously with his 1 movement an cmbrasure opened and Il cannon flashed, it's roar fianked on ei- l ther side by cracking of British mus kets. Some bullets struck the fence l and flung splinters into Oncle Jazon's l face. A cannon ball knocked a ridge l pole from the roof of a house hard by and sent it whirling through the air.
 "Ventrebleu-et apres? What next? 1 Better knock a, feller's eyes out!' the old man cried. T ain't a-doin' nothin 1 to ye.'
 He capered around rubbing his leathery face after the manner of | in the breast by fattened and spent l ball that glanced from fence picket. 1 The shock caused him to stagger and drop his gun. but he quickly picked it up and turned to his companion.
 Are you hurt Oncle JazonY' he in- l quired. "Are you hurt?" 'fNot bit; jes' skeert mos into a duck fit. Thought cannon ball had knocked my whole dang face down my throat! Nothin' but handful O. I splinters in my booty unt'nance, maxim my head feel like pore pine. But sort O thought heard somepin' give you diff'
 Something did hit me- said Beyer- ley, laying a hand on his breast, 'but don't think it was a bullet. They seem to be getting our range at last. Tell the men to keep well under cover. They must not expose themselves until we are ready to charge"
 I The shock had brought him back to T his duty as a leader of his little com pany, and with the funeral bell of all
 his life's happiness tolling in his ago
 nized heart he turned afresh to direct ing the fire upon the blockhouse. l About this time runner came from I Clark with an order to cease firing and let returning party of British scouts under Captain Lamothe re-enter the fort unharmed. A strange order 1t seemed to both officers and men, but it was implicitly obeyed. Clark's genius here made another fine strategic fash
 He knew that unless he let the scouts go back into the stockade they would escape by running away, and might possibly organize an army of Indians with which to succor Hamilton. But if they were permitted to go inside
 they could be captured with the rest of the garrison Hence his order.
 A few minutes passed in dead si-
 lence. Then Captain Lamothe and his party marched close by where Bever- l H. |
 was a difficult task to restrain the cre-
 oles, for some of them hated Lamothe.
 Oncle Jazon squirmed like snake
 while they filed past all unaware that
 an enemy luEked 90 near. When they
 reached the fort, ladders were put
 down for them and they began to
 chamber over the wall, crowding and
 pushing one another in wild haste.
 Oncle Jazon could hold in no longer.
 "Ya! "a! Yav' he yelled. Look
 out! The ladder is a-fallin' wi yer
 Then all the lurking crowd shouted
 as one man, and, sure enough, down
 came ladder-men and all in crash ing heap.
 "silence! silencer' Beverley com. manded, but he could not check the
 wild 1eering and laughing, while the bruised and frightened scouts hastily erected their ladder again, fairly tum. , bling over one another in their haste
 to ascend, and so cleared the wall, fall ing into the stockade to join the gar rison.
 } "ventrebleuw shrieked Oncle Jazon They've gone to bed, but we'll wake } lem Up at the crack O day am give } 'em breakfas' O hot leadw Now the fighting was resumed with } redoubled spirit and noise, and when
 morning came, affording sufficient light l to bring out the bead sights on the Kentucky rifles, the matchless marks } men in Clark's band forced the British ! to close the embrasures and entirely
 cease trying to use their cannon, bu1 : the fight with small arms went merrily A on until the middle of the forenoon. , Meantime Gaspard Roussillon hat 3 tied Francis Maisonville's hands fas } and hard with the strap of his bulle pouch.
 , Now, I'll scalp you," he said in , , rumbling tone terrible to hear. Ant F with his words out came his hunting 7 knife from its sheath.