The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-08-24
They ram at full speed torard the hous.

They ram at full speed toarGrd the house.
eyes fell upon a small sloop rapidly
disappearing down the river under full
sail in the fresh breeze which had
sprung up. She was too far away now
to make out any details in the moon
light, but the sight was somewhat IN
usual and alarming, he scarcely knew
why.
II got dem tied safe, Mars Hilry!"
called out the voice of the boy from
the road.
call right, Dick. We will leave this
one here and try to find out what's
wrong You follow me and keep the
pistols ready
Eyes, mars; got dem." The man
was brave enough in the presence Of
open danger. 1t was only the spiritual
he feared,
They had scarcely gone ten PAGES
farther toward the path when at the
foot of it they stumbled over another
body.
Here is another one. What does it
mean? See who it is, Dick.''
The groom, mastering his instructive
>A0ASAAs ONAA1
lifting the face, peered into it. It was
lighter here, and he recognized it at
once.
"Hit's Mars Blodgett, de Runners
old sojuh man. Him got a bullet hole
in de fohaid, sub. Him a daid man
sholy, an heah is his gun by his ham,"
he said in an awestruck whisper
"Blodgett! Heavens! It can't be-
Eyes, sub; it's him, an dere's anoder
one ober dab. See. suh!' 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 Hil'ry,
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
Hilry, 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 lit had dis
appeared round the bend, he noticeO,
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?
ooh, my God:' he exclaimed, stung
into quick action at the thought of a
possible peril to his love. "Come, Dick,
to the house. She may be in danger"
''But dis libe one, Mars Hil'ry?'
"Quick, quick! Leave him. We will
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
merrymaking 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. It was empty. He paused a.
second katharine, Katharinew be-
called aloud, a 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.