Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-06-23

"Blodgett! Heavens! 1t can't be-"
Eyes, sub; it's him, an dere's anoder
| one ober dab. See, suhv' He laid his
hand upon another body In the same
uniform as the first one. This man
! groaned slightly.
'Dis ones not daid yet" said Dick
excitedly. HE been hit ober de haid,
his face all bloody. Oh; Mars Hirry.
dem raidahs you done tell me bout
been heah. Mars Blodgett done shot
dat one by de riber on de waf an den
hit dis one wild his musket, an den dey
done shoot Mars Blodgett Oh, Mars
Hn'ry, les get out OBJ heah."
Talbot saw It all now-the slow and
stealthy approach OF the boat from the
little sloop out in the river ut had dis
appeared round the bend, he noticed),
Blodgett's quiet watch at the foot Of
the path. the approach of the men,
Blodgett's challenge, the first one shot
dead as he came up, the pistol shot
which missed him, the rush of the men
at the indomitable old soldier, the near
est one struck down from the blow of
the dubbed musket of the sturdy old
man, the second pistol shot, which hit
him in the forehead, his fall across the
path. Faithful unto death at the post
Of duty. The little drama was perfect
" plain to him. But who were these
raiders? Who could they be? And
Katharine?
''Oh, my Godr' he exclaimed, stung
into quick action at the thought Of
possible peril to his love Come, Dick,
to the house She may be In danger
1rIf {c l1n II
"Quick, quick! Leave him. We VIII
see about him later
With no further attempt at caution,
they sprang recklessly up the steep
path and, gaining the brow of the hill,
ran at full speed toward the house.
He noticed that there were no lights
in the negro quarters, no sounds of the
INerrymaking usually going on there
in the early evening Through the
open windows on the side of the house
he had hasty glimpse OF the disorder
ed dining room The great doors Of the
hall were Open They were on the
porch now-now at the door of the
hall. 1t was empty He paused a
second. Katharine, Katharinew he
called aloud, note OF fear in his voice,
Where are you? Colonel Wilton"
In the silence which his voice had
broken he heard a weak and feeble
moan, which struck terror into his
heart.
He ran hastily down the hall and
stopped at the dining room door aghast.
The smoking candles in the sconces
were throwing somewhat uncertain
light over a scene of devastation and
ruin. The furniture of the table and
the accessories OF the meal lay in a
broken heap at the foot of 1t, the chairs
were overturned, the curtains torn; the
great sideboard had been swept bare
of its usual lead of glfttering silver.
At his feet lay the body of man in
the now familiar red uniform, blood
from CHASTITY sword thrus4 aotted
about his throat, the floor .GDout his
head being covered with ominous
stains A little farther away on the
floor near the table there was the body
of another man in another uniform, a
naked sword lying by his side. He had
frightful looking wound on his fore
head, and the blood was slowly oozing
out OF his coat sleeve, staining the lace
Mt his left wrist. Even as he looked
the man turned a little on the floor.
and the same low moan broke from his
lips. Talbot stepped over the first body
to the side of the other.
My God, it's Seymour he said. He
knelt beside him. as Katharine had
done. Seymour" he called, "Sey-
mourn The man opened his eyes slow
ly and looked vacantly at him.
"Katharine!'' he murmured.
- J. -1<<Sr 60 -
Talbot in an agony of fear.
Raiders prisoners" continued Sey-
mour brokenly in a whisper, and then
feebly murmured, Water, water"
Here, Dick, get some water quick
~! First hand me that decanter Of
wine," pointing to one which had for
tunately escaped the eyes OF the ma
RAIDERS. He lifted Seymour's head
gently and with napkin which he had
picked up from the floor wiped the
bloody face, washing it with the water
the groom quickly brought from the
well outside
Then he poured little of the wine
down the wounded mans throat, next
slit the sleeve of his coat and saw that
the scarcely healed wound in the arm
it up with no small skill with some of
the other neglected table linen, and
the effect upon Seymour Of the stimu-
liant and OF these ministrahons was at
once apparent. With stronger voice
he said slowly:
"Dunmore men-Captain Johnson
colonel Observation-Disclosures also
| God grant-no harm intendedw
Hush, hushi l understand. But
| wnere are the slavesg'
Terrified, suppose-in hiding"
Dick, see If you can find any of
them. Hurry up. We must take Mr..
| Seymour back to Fairview tonight and
report this outrage to the military COM
| mander at Alexandria. oh, that / had
boat and few men, he murmured.
Katharine was gone. He would not
tell his story tonight She was in the
hands of gang of ruffians. He knew
the reputation of Johnson and the mo-