The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-22
War Story
A (Tifaieah Anniversary
Rv RANDALL sPARRgsra
COPYRIGHT. 1909. BY 4 C MedURc & co

, know not, but was instantly upon his feet again. I was first over the thres- hold, stumbling as I made 1t, and fall ing forward on the puncheon floor. A rain of bullets crashed into the oppo- site wall. and, as struggled to my knees, caught a glimpse of the cir cling horsemen without and of O'Brien crouching beside the door, his carbine working viciously. It was ali instan- taneous, and rolled over, kicked the heavy oaken door shut and dropped the bar into his socket.
 It was single room cabin, its only window boarded up, so very little light found entrance. I came face to face with a woman, fronting me with gun in hand.
 "Who be yer-YanksT'
 "Yes," acknowledged. z "Who's them fellers after yer?"
 "Rebs, of course.'
 "Donald's outf1tY"
 "I expect so-either his guerillas or Dunn's cavalry"
 "Thin ye kin count us in, Tank. Git out, Daniel, an' kiver thet winder." . A boy of thirteen, sallow and thin. with stopped shoulders, but firm set jaw, crawled out from the bed and. long rife in hand, clambered up to where he could peer through between the boards. Quickly he pushed the brown barrel out, sighted along 1t and pulled the trigger.
 'Thet's one of 'em, ma," he said rather wearily. expectorating tobacco juice on the. floor. .N
 "Keep lem a-movin', Daniel. Ben- jamin, whah be yer"
 "Yere. ma.'
 'Wal, git out Tong with thet digger ct ther door. Col dern yer, mover
 She caught him by one ear, a young CT edition of the same lanky type, and landed him in the center of the floor.
 Rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, the lad shufaed over toward O'Brien. began to understand the situation, to appreciate these new re- cruits. Woman and children then had been brought up in the atmosphere of war and were not to be despised as allies.
 "You are Maria Daniels, imagine?"
 "I reckon I am, stranger" one hand on her hip and chin advanced.
 "Your husband is in the neighbor- hood somewhere, Mrs. Daniels, has tened to say. "I saw him less than half an hour ago in the house yonder. He left by way of secret passage. He had heard of your plight and was seeking you. He even went to DOn- aid to learn the truth"
 "Bin did? Ter Jem Donald? Stran- ger, we're a blame iar!'
 I stepped back, the fierceness of her face startling me.
 They're a-coomin', sOrw sang out O'Brien, and there was a sharp bark ing of guns, thes cabin filling with powder smoke.
 From every side the fire aimed at the cabin converged to the opening where we stood. Bullets crashed into the lower half of the door and whis- tied past us to find lodgment in the further wall. O'Brien swore and went tumbling backward. Daniels youngest had a Hvid mark across his forehead and sank to the floor, his face in his hands. Maria grabbed his gun and let drive beside me. I could hear the deep barks of the older lads rifle through the crack in the window. Our foes were rushing toward the door with long timber, and behind this heavy battering ram I caught a glimpse of Dunn, urging the men for ward. The sight of the fellow robbed me of all Judgment, left me reckless and desperate. He was beyond range of my revolver, but emptied it into the faces of those nearer For the moment our concentrated fire stagger- ed them, but there was too many out there to be held back long by so small a force. Then, with a yell. they rush ed us. Only half ready, we fired blind ly, scarcely able to see through the smoke. With a crash the end of the timber struck, splintering the boards and tearing the lower half of the door from its fastenings.
 The woman was flung backward. her rifle 6ischarging as sine fell, and l sprang aside. tripping over the boy and striking against something which rendered me for the instant helpless. Yet managed to reach my knees and fired twice at the dim figures leaping toward me through the smoke. Then l went down, grappled by dozen hands, but struggling desperately un-, til pinned to the floor.
 The hubbub ceased, the roar and shouting, the rattle of guns. The smoke blew out of the door in a cloud. The elder Daniels boy was hacked into cnrner. the black mug