The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-12

ION mad procured from the nearest gar
rison town. Cavalry" thought Bur-
roughcliffe. eff that sentry does not
stand by me now. 1t is courtmartial
business The sentry did stand by his
captain. having secrets of his own con-
corning the previous night into which he
did not care to have too much inquiry.
How the prisoners had escaped was
mystery. One open window would not
account for three men In different rooms.
Burroughcliffe cut short all speculations
and all argument by ordering the young
officer who had come In charge of the
cavalry to set out at once and scour this
country. The Americans had left the
ruins of the old castle and were about
to embark in a boat which awaited them
when the cavalry came upon them. Mr.
Kit Dillon was riding with the cavalry.
hoping to see the rebels brought In. But
when the Americans opened fire from
their boats in order to cover the retreat
to the ships Of the adventurers who had
been the involuntary guests of st. Ruth,s
Abbey. the worthy lawyer suggested that
he ride up the coast and warn a royal
cutter which was lying In q nearby
haven to sail out and take hand in the
matter.
On this mission he was allowed to de-
part, with the result that when the cut
ter came sweeping down the coast Kit
Dillon was on board. The American
schooner. which had sent her boats to
her men on board and, setting sail, stood
out to meet the cutter. The battle was
short but fierce, and in the end the
Yankees carried the British vessel by
boarding. Barnstable, who had brought
IN the schooner, took command of the
captured vessel, and sending the schooner
to report to the frigate, which was hover
ing in the offing, stood down the coast.
The Pilot had not been among the men
who had come off in the boats He was
still ashore. He was still hopeful that the
mission upon which he had landed might
be successful and had returned to recon
noitre the castle at which the hunting
party had been planned.
The weather was threatening and as
night closed down the storm which had
been impending blew up with fury. The
captured cutter was wrecked on the beach
below the cliffs, and in the wreck Dillon
lost his life by jumping into the sea at an
inopportune moment. The rest of the men
on the vessel got ashore in safety by the
use of the small boats and there, below
the cliffs. met the pilot
His reconnaissance of the castle at
which the hunting party had been planned
had not resulted satisfactorily, and now
he was determined to go back to st,
Ruth's and take prisoners whomever OF
prominence might be there. With the
shipwreeked sailors the Pilot captured
the Abbey in spite of the recruits of
Captain Burroungcliffe, and, taking Col
onel Howard and his guests with him.
made a return to the beach. The ladies
were allowed to. choose whether they
would accompany their captors on board
ship or be released. Alice Dunscombe
refused to choose the path of the water.
She and her old lover had a long talk, in
which he urged her to accompany him
on board. But Alice was too loyal and,
deprecating the courses which John Paul
had pursued, was placed by him in charge
of Captain Burroughcliffe, who, released
for a second time on parole. was sent
back to the Abbey. The prisoners of the
Pilot having been safely placed on board
the frigate that ship set sail for the
south.
But as she cleared the headlands there
appeared on the horizon sails of men-cf-
war The British Channel Fleet had final
Iy got news of the invading rebel vessels
and were closing UP on them. fight en-
sued from which the American frigate es-
capped by pluck and clean pair of heels
But In the engagement Colonel Howard
was MORALLY wounded because of his
insistence upon exposing himself on deck
They took the Colonel to the cabin, and
there Griffith came to his bedside. Ed
ward" said the old man, at seems to be
the will of God that this rebellion should
triumph. Tell me, young man. do you
love this maiden7' The Colonel pointed
as he spoke to the kneeling form Of ce-
celia, who was weeping by the side OF the
dying man. II love her as no man ever
before loved woman" said Grtfnth.
And this Barnstable. do you know him?"
1T have sailed with him for years." re-
turned Griffith. He Ii gentleman and
4 sailor" well, WELL" said the old
Colonel. '.than call in the chaplain. and
hero. by the side of my dying bed, let
nv wards be consigned to the care OF
those who I hope will make them hap
pier thanI have ever been able to do"
And SO there upon the sea, with tho
wind whistling in the cordass a. the
frigate stood over to the Holland coast,
Barnstable and Griffith were married to
Kate Plowden and Cecilia Howard. Be-
fore they raised the lights of the Texel
tho colonel had breathed his last. His
body they buried with all honors In Dutch
soil. The Pilot went on his lonely way to
Paris, where he was furnished with
higher commands and more important
duties. But often looking back across the
waters which guard Albion from her in
vaders, he thought of and sighed for the
love Of his youth. Alice Dunscombs. In
the New World. after tho war was oyer
and new nation had taken its place
among the powers Of mankind. there
lived happily for many years the families
of Barnstable ana Griffith. When the
British were evacuating the western
posts, which they had 30 long held, a
certain OFFICER named Borroughcliffe was
sent out to command Z station on the
Canadian side Of the Detroit river. The
officer who came to command the station
on the opposite side was one Major
Manual. So Manual and Borroughclife
met each other again and drank South