Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-31
BY ROBERT w. CHAMBER
~. 100, fRr ". CHAMBERS

SuOI cut ulIu SuOTI. Ills uOrS6
gave a great bound, backed. dashed
out with both hind feet, then reared
in agony.
They've shot his horse" cried Fox
croft.
"'Tis his own moe. them broke in
Mount. II marked the smoke"
Dispersed beloved the m%addened
officer, dragging his horse to q stand
still. "Disperse, ye rebels!"
Behind a stone wall a farmer rose
and presented his irelock, but the
piece flashed in the pan. A shot rang
out, but I could not see who fired.
Far down the Boston road the solid
front of a second British column ap-
peared.
Already some Of the minutemen were
quitting the single disordered rank. on
the green, which still wnvered, facing
tEe regulars, but their captain contin-
ued in front Of his men and the drum.
mer still drummed his hoarse chal-
lenge.
Then a British officer fired his pistol
from the saddle, and before any one
could o or lift q finger a bright
sheet Of flame girdled the British front,
and the d%eafening roar of musketry
shook the earth.
/ galloped to the chaise and jerked
the horses back, then wheeled them
westward toward Bedford, where the
remnants of the militia were s~ullenly
f011inp hopE hfiro norooo Of thu p,if
ish, now marching on past the meeting
house up the Concord road.
"No! Not" cried Foxcroft. 1--WE can
not risk it.! Stay where you are!"
Look at the Weasel!" muttered
Mount, jerking my arm as my horse
ranged up beside his.
The Weasel was hastily climbing out
Of his saddle, rife in hand.
"Cade" quavered Mount. "Cade,
old friend, what are you doing"
Gomez cried the Weasel briskly.
Cant you see the redskins?"
"Redcoats! Redcoats!" cried Mount
a~nxiously. Where are you going,
Cade? Come back! Come back! They
can't hit us here! Redcoats, Cade, not
redskins!"
"They be all one to me-" replied the
Weasel briskly. scuttlfng away to cov-
er under a tuft Of hazel.
"Bang" went the Weasel's long
rifle. A relocated soldier on the Con-
cord road dropped.
"He's done it! God help usl" groan-
ed Foxcroft.
Hold those horsesl" said Mount
desperately. I seized the leaders.
Mount slipped from his saddle to the
ground and ran out to the long dead
grass behind the meeting house. I
could see him catch the Weasel by the
arm and attempt to draw him back by
force, but the mad little creature chung
obstinately to his patch Of hazel.
AS Mount turned I saw the entire
British column marching swiftly up
the Concord road, a small Ranking
party thrown out OF the right. The
Weasel also saw the troops and made
haste to level his rifle again, but Mount
fell upon him and dragged him down
into the marsh grass.
From the Bedford road our militia
fired slowly across at the fast vanish
ing troops on the Concord road. The
British fanking party returned the fire,
but the main column paid no heed to
the shots and pressed on In silence.
Both the Weasel and Mount were
now deliberately firing at the ianking
party. which had halted on a bit Of
plowed ground and seemed to be un-
decided whether to continue their
march or return and punish the two
%foolhardy rihemen whose bullets had
already knocked one big soldier fat
on his back across the fresh burrows.
All at once six relocated soldiers
started running toward Jack Mount
and the Weasel. l shouted to warn
the infatuated men. Silver Heels
caught my arm.
81 cannot leave them there!" 1 STAN
mered. II must go to them!'
"Foxcroft will guard me" she MUIR
INJURED. go to them, dearest"
"Foxcroft, hold these horses!" 1
cried, finging Warlock's briGle to him
and slipping out Of my saddle.
Rise ATRIAL, | ran across the road,
leaped the fence and plunged into the
low bushes. Over the tops Of the
bushes l could see the soldiers coming
toward us. muskets half raised, scan
ming the cover for the game they
meant to bag, thrusting their bayonets
into bushes, beating the long grass
with their gunatocks to flush the skulk-
ing Quarry for a snap shot.
Without warning, Mount rose. then
sank to the ground as q volley ratified
out. and instantly we three ran for
ward. bent double. In q moment more
sprang up from the swamp grass be-
side a soldier and knocked him fiat
with e blow from my rife stock.
Mount shot at another and missed him.
but the fellow promptly threw down
his musket, yelling Justify for quarter.
The four remaining soldiers attempt
Oh tn Lad H-,t ftn ySy.o,oI