Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-12-06


MyY0 HAVE seen the same effect
tWI when a stone was thrown
E into a boil Of river rapids
IASSsel an enhancement and marvel
ous entanglemera of swiftness and fury
and spread of broken circles which
confused the sight ut the time and the
memory afterward.
1t was but small body Of horse and
foot which charged us whilst we were
cutting the tobacco on the plantation
of Laurel Greek, but it needed not
large one to put to rout company 80
overbalanced by enthusiasm and cider
and that marvellous greed of destruc-
ton. No more than seven gentlemen
of us there were to make a stand, and
not more than some twenty-five OF the
rabble to be depended upon.
AS for me. the principal thought IN
my mind when the militia burst upon
us was the safety Of Mary Cavendish.
Straight to the door Of the great house
rushed, and Sir Humphrey Hyde
was with me- AS for the other gentle
men, they were fighting here and there
as they could, Captain Jaynes making
efforts to keep the main body OF the
defenders at his back, but with little
avail. l stood against the door of the
house, resolved upon but one course
that my dead body should be the
threshold over which they crossed to
Mary Cavendish. 1t was but a pitiful
resolve, for what could do single
handed, except for the boy Humphrey
HYDE. against SO many? But 1t was
all, and a man can but give his all.
knew If the militia were to find
Mary and Catherine Cavendish in that
house grave harm might come to them,
If indeed it came not already without
that. So l stood back against the
door, which had previously tried and
found fast, and Sir Humphrey was
with me. Then came hush for
moment whilst the magistrate, with
Captain Waller and others sitting on
their horses around him, read the riot
act and bade us all disperse and repair
to our homes. and, verify, 1 wonder II
ever there hath been in all the history
of England such farce and mummery
as that same riot act, and II ever 1t
n,.r read with mticn effect when RIO
were well under way.
Scarcely time they gave the worthy
man to finish, and indeed his voice
trcmbled as If he had the ague, and
he seemed shrinking for shelter under
his big wig, but they drowned out his
last words with Kisses. Then there was
wild rush of the rabble and a cry
of Down with the tobacco!' and "A
Bacon. Bacon" Then the militia
charged, and there were the flashes of
swords and partisans and the thunder
Of firearms.
l stood there, feeling like deserter
from the ranks, yet bound to keep the
door of Laurel Creek, and had pis-
tol in either hand, and SO had Sir Hum
phrey Hyde, but for minute nobody
seemed to heed us. Then as l stood
there | felt the door behind me yield
a bit, and a hand was thrust out, and
a voice whispered: Harry, Harry,
come in hither. We can hold the house
against an army"
My heart leapt, for 1t was Mary,
and quicker than fash l had my
mind made up. I turned upon Sir
Humphrey and thrust him in before
he knew it through the opening Of the
door and called out to him to bar and
bolt as best he could inside while held
the door. He, whether he would or
not, was in the house and. seeing some
of the soldiers riding our way with
Captain Waller at their head, was
forced TO clap to the door and shoot the
bolts, but as he did so l heard wom-
ans shrill cry Of agony ring out.
stood there. and Captain Waller
rode up with his soldiers and, flashing
his sword before my face like streak
of fire, bade me surrender in the name
of his majesty and stand aside. But
| stood still with my two pistols leveled
and had him full within range. Captain
Waller was young man and brave
one. and never to my dying day shall
I forget that face which had the pow
er to still with death. He looked into
the muzzles of my two pistols. and his
ROSY color never wavered, and he shout
ell out again to Inc his command to
surrender and stand aside in the name
of the king, and stood still and made
no reply. l knew that l could take
two lives and then struggle unarmed
for perhaps a moments space and that
all ,the time saved might be precious
for those in the house. At all events, 1t
was all that could do for Mary Cav
endish.
held my pistols and watched his
eyes, knowing well that all action,
through having Its source in the brain
of man, gives first evidence in the
ewes. Then the time came when l saw
his impulse to charge start In his eyes,
and fired, and he fell. Then fired
again, but wildly. for everything was
in motion, and know not whom hit'
II any one. Then felt my own right leg
Harry with pistols leveled