Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-08-18

| Of firing their guns before entering
the town or the fort. not only as a sig
| nal OF their approach, but in order to
| rid their weapons of their charges pre-
| liminary to cleaning them before set
I ting out upon another scalp hunting
! expedition. A shot, therefore, or even
volley, heard on the outskirts Of the
| village was not a noticeable incident
| IN the daily snd nightly experience of
| the garrison. Still. for some reason,
| Governor Hamilton started violently
when just after nightfall five or six
rifles cracked sharply short distance
| from the stockade.
! He and Helm, with two other officers,
were in the midst Of a game of cards,
| while kettle, swinging on crane in
| the ample fireplace, sang a shrill prom
ise of hot applejack toddy.
"By Jover' exclaimed Farnsworth,
| who. although not in the game, was
amusing himself with looking on, you
| jump Ike fine lady! I almost fancied
| 1 heard a bullet hit you"
''You may all jump while you can"
| remarked Helm. That's Clark, and
your times short. He'll have this fort
! tumbling on your heads before day
| light OF tomorrow morning comes"
As he spoke he arose from his seat
| at the card table and went to look after
the toddy which, as an expert, he had
| under supervision.
Hamilton frowned The mention of
Clark was disturbing. Ever since the
| Ss4r -
| Barlow he had nursed the fear that
| possibly Clark's scouts had captured
him and that the American forces
| might be much nearer than Kaskaskia.
| Besides, his nerves were unruly, as
| they had been ever since the encounter
| with Father Beret, and his vision per
| sisted in turning back upon the ac-
cusing cold face OF Alice, lying in the
| moonlight One little detail of that
scene almost maddened him at times.
1t was a sheeny, crinkled wlsp of
warm looking hair looped across the
cheek in which he had often seen n
| saucy dimple dance when Alice spoke
| or smiled. He was bad enough, but
| not wholly bad, and the thought Of
| having darkened those merry eyes and
| stilled those sweet dimples tore
| through him with cold and rasping
| pang.
"Just as soon as this toddy Is prop
erly mixed and tempered" said Helm
with magnetic jocosity beaming from
his genial face, I'm going to propose
| toast to the banner Of Alice Rous-
| sillon, which a whole garrison Of Brit
| ish braves has been unable to takey
'If you do I'll blow hole through
| you" said Hamilton in a voice fairly
shaken TO husky quaver with rage.
you may do a great many insulting
| things, but not that"
Helm was in a half STOPPING atti-
| tude with a ladle in one hand, a cup
in the other He had met Hamilton's
| glowerlng look with peculiarly limo
| cent smile. as II TO say: "What in the
| world Is the matter now? | never felt
| in better humor in all my life Can't
| you take joke, / wonderY lie did
| not speak, however for rattling vol
| ley of musket and rife shots hit the
| top Of tie clay daubed chimney, send
down into the toddy shower OF SCOT
and dirt,
In wink every man was on his feet
| and staring
| "Gentlemen," said Helm, with an i'm
| pressive cath, "that is Clarks soldiers,
and they will take your fort, but they
| ought not to have spoiled this apple
| toddy."
"Oh, the devilr' said Hamilton, forcl-
bly, resumlng n calm countenance. at
| is only n squad Of drunken Indians
| coming in. Wen forego excitement.
There's no bnttle on hand, gentlemen"
| I'm glad you think so, Governor
| Hamilton" Helm responded, "but
should imagine that ought to know
| the crack OF n Kentucky rife. I've
| heard one occasionally in my life. Be
| sides. / got Whit Of freedom just
| now"
| Captain Helm Is right" observed
| Farnsworth. "Tbat is an attack"
Another volley. this time nearer and
| more concentrated, convinced Hamil-
| ton that he was indeed at the opening
| Of fight. Even while he was giving
some hurried orders to his officers a
| man was wounded at one of the port
holes. Then came a series Of yclls. an
swcred by ripple Of sympathetic
French shouting that ran throughout
| The town. The patrol guards came
struggling in, brcathlcss with excite
mcnt They sworc to having seen n
thousand men marching across the
| water covered meadowg
| Hamilton was brave. The approach
Of danger stirred him like n trumpet
strain. His fighting blood rose to full
tide, and he gave his orders with the
| steadincss and commanding force OF n
born soldier. The officers hastened 10
their respective positions On All sttlcs
sounds indicative of rapid preparations
for the fight mingled into n confused
strain Of military energy. Men march
ed 20 their places. cannon were wheeled
into position, md soon enough the fir
ing began in good earnest.
Late in the afternoon rumor OF
Clark's approach had gone abroad
through the village, but not a French
lip breathcd u 60 q friend OF the Brit
| ish The crcolcs were loyal 10 the
| cause Of freedom; moreover, they cor
daily hated Hamilton, and their hearts
beat high at the prospect of n change
in masters at the fort Lyery cabin
had its hiddea gun and supply or am
! munitlon despite the order TO disarm
issued by Hamilton. There was a
hustling TO bring these forth. which
was accompanied with u guarded yet
irreprcssible chattcring delightfully."-
French nud Infinitely volatile.
'Tions. f. vais frotter mon fusil! Jai
va nm singe" said jacques Bourcler to
his daughter, the pretty Adrienre. who
was coming out Of the room In which
| Alice lny.
81 saw q monkey just now. 7 must
cub up my gum" He could not be
solemn not he. The thought Of mn op-
portunlty to got even with Hamilton
was like wine In his blood
If you had seen those hardy and
sinewy Frsnchmen gliding in the dusk
of evening from cottage TO cottage
passing tho word that the Americans
had arrived. snylng airy things and
pinching one another as they met and
hurried on. you would have thought
something very amusing and wholly
jocund was in preparation for the peo-
pie Of Vinccnncs.