The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-20

Her mother, hearing what she said,
was about to correct the statement,
when a warning look from Prissy's
black eyes made het change the infcr-
nation trembling on her lips to, What
may we do for you, gentlemen"
.Just give us a bite to eat. ma'am,
the best in the house, please, and we
will pay you well for your trouble, .
returned the spokesman glibly. "And
be quick about it, too" he added
gruff1y. I'VE have a long journey be-
fore us, and the night is dark and
wild"
Then while Priscilla assisted her
mother to prepare the meal demanded,
the men drew close together around
the brightly burning wood fire and
talked of the New Years coming in
by the storm that day, and told wild
weird stories of uncanny happenings
on holidays in the past, before the
war with it's horrors and hardships
had made life too real to be frittered
away with imaginary ghosts and de-
lusions.
Presently, while surrounding the
table loaded with the delicacies they
had ordered, the mems voices dropped
to low, almost inaudible words, but
muffled as they were, Priscilla's sharp
ears caught enough of their discon-
nected conversation to learn that the
object of their raid was to capture
Colonel Robinson, her fathers old
commander, and the trusted friend of
the family in the dark and trying
times since the dear ones death.
Colonel Robinson was an influential
man in the community, and, because OF
his power in the colonies, the British
Government had set a price on his
head.
Priscilla knew this, and she also
knew that the brave old solder was
at home on a brief visit, to spend the
New Years holidays with his family
and while she waited upon his would
be captors so patiently, she was try.
ing to invent some means of com
municating the news to him before the
arrival of his enemies.
While she was puzz1ing her brain
for a solution of the knotty problem
there came another pounding at the
door, and half dozen more soldiers
were admitted. While arranging places
at the table for the newcomers
Priscilla learned that they had sue
ceeded in obtaining fresh horses fol
the final dash, and that one of them
the fleetest of the lot, was hitcheC
at the gate-post, all saddled and bri
died, ready for the use of Colonel Fry
who was in charge of the troops.
! bright thought flashed into Priscilla'i
brain, but she said nothing, except {
few whispered words in her mothers
ears, but little later she slipped
around to the gate-post, mounted the
flyer and had just walked him int
the shadows when she heard foot
steps approaching. Drawing rein
she waited in breathless silence unit
two men passed They were talk
i ing very low and in broken sentences
about one man-C Captain Gala sus
pected patriot, and three words, "pow
der, quarry, cave that reached he
ears, gave her key to the situation
and when the name of "Colone
Robinson" and prison" were added
to the list, she guessed at the truth
Captain Call had proved himself {
traitor to the patriots cause by re
vealing the secret of the new hiding
place of the powder, guns, etc., anC
that night, and, after the removal o.
the powder to a wagon in waiting, tn,
dear old colonel was to be left {
prisoner in the dark cavern, there tt
i perish, unless even worse fate await
ed him at the hands of inhuma1
troops.
II must outwit them some way, ant
. save the colonel" Prissy told herself
under her breath, as she walked he
i fleet-footed animal out into the open
But when the lane was reached, sh'
gave him rein, and the next momen
she was off like the wind on he
4 errand of mercy.
i Five minutes later, when the mel
rushed out to mount their fresh horses
the racer was gone and, thinking h
had broken loose, they lost severa
minutes more securing the wood-past
ure in search of him. Then, as tn
far-away sound of horses hoof
echoed back from the hill beyond, the,
began to suspect treachery, and spring
ing into their saddles, galloped ava
at breakneck speed.
Though they rode furiously, Pris
ella kept well in advance, and no
until three miles-half the distanc
to the colonel's home-had beel
passed, did she catch a glimpse of tn
riders, the gallop of the horses ha
been sounding in her ears ever sine
they left her mothers gate. Then
was that from the opposite hill cam
J. shouts of Halt! halt! or we'll shoot,
repeated over and over from out tn
utter darkness beyond.
Priscilla glanced back just once
catching a glimpse of the horsemen i
the bright light of the yolley fror
: their guns. She kept her nerve, how
ever, though she did not risk anothe
/ look behind, but she rode on and OF
| her long black hair streaming out i
: the wind, while the hills around an
i above her seemed to reverberate wit
! cries of halt, and the whist1ing {
bullets.