Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-09-07

/ kneIt there upon fhe ground before
the door, slashing out as best could
with one hand. and they closed faster
and thicker upon me. and at last |
could no more. | felt singing pain
in my right shoulder. and then for
minute my senses left me. But 1t was
only for moment.
When came to myself l was lying
bound. with a soldier standing guard
over me. though there was small need
Of it, and they were raining .battering
blows upon the door of Laurel Greek.
Somehow they had conceived the idea
that there was something Of great i'm
port therein by my mad and desperate
defense. know not what they thought.
but gradually all the militia were cen
tered at that point, striving to force
the door. As for the shutters. they were
heavily barred and offered no easier
entrance Indeed, the whole house had
been strengthened for defense against
the Indians before the Bacon uprising
and was near as strong as fort It
would have been well had we all en-
tered and defended it, though we could
not have held outsfor long, through not
being provisioned.
At last Captain Jaynes and the other
gentlemen began to conceive the situa-
ton. and | caught sight Of them fore
ing their way toward me and shouted
to them with failing voice, for had
lost much blood, to come nearer and
assist me to hold the door Then saw
Captain Jaynes sink In his saddle. and
caught q glimpse of a mighty re-
treat Of pIunging launches OF Parson
Downs horse and indeed the gist of
the blame for it ali was afterward put
upon the parsons great fiery horse,
which ii was claimed had run away
with him first into the fight, then away
from it, such foolish reasons do men
love to give for the lapses of the clergy.
However, to do the parson justice,
be did not fly until he saw the day was
lost, and, trow, did afterward better
service to me than he might have done
by staying. As for the burgesses,
know not whittier nor when they had
gone, for they had melted away like
shadows by reason Of the great OBJ
loquy which would have attached To-
them should men in their high Office
have been discovered in such work.
Ralph Drake was left, who made
push toward me with hoarse shout,
and then he fell, though not severely
wounded, and then the soldiers pressed
closer. And then / felt again the door
yield at my back, and before knew it
| was dragged inside, and, in spite of
the pressure of the mob, the door was
pushed to with incredible swiftness by
Humphrey Hyde's great strength and
| the bolt shot
There / lay on the door of the hail
| well nigh spent, and Mary Cavendish
was chatting my hands, bandaging my
wounds with some linen got I knew
not whence, and Catherine was there
and all the time the great battering
blows upon the door were kept up, and
also on the window shutters, and the
door began to shake.
Then 1 remembered something Thers
was behind the house a creek which
was dry in midsummer, but often, as
now. in springtime, swollen with rains,
and of sufficient depth and force to
| float boat. And when 1t was possible
| it had been the custom 10 send stores
! of tobacco for Iading on shipboard 10
England by this short cut of the creek,
Harry beseeches Sir Humphrey
| to save Mary