The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-31

am in the army!
"'Certainly: father knows it,
There was n fOOtstep on the stairs.
Abner took his paper pill from his a
where ne had carried it, and, holding
II between his thumb and finger, held
It to Deborah's lips. pushing 1t into her
mouth. He had only done so when
her father came down the staircase.
On seeing Abner and noting his garb
he looked surprised. He questioned
the boy. and the replies he received
made him at Onces suspicious. Knowing
that Abner was Il soldier in Washing
tons army. that he was travelling in
q direct line between the American
forces in New Jersey and New York.
it did not take him very long to sur.
mise that there was a possibility Of the
young mans carrying a message from
the II to the other. He knew Of the
affair between Abner and Deborah, but
considered his duty to his king para
mount to that to his daughter. He
concealed his intentions till he could
get Abner in his power. He invited
him to supper. meanwhile sending a
negro messenger to his nearest Tory
neighbOr with Il message saying that
he thought he had a rebel spy in his
house and asking for help to make him
a prisoner.
IAN hour after Abner's arrival at
the Goodwin house 1t was surrounded
by several Tories. and Abner was
made a prisoner. He was searched.
but no message was found on him.
since he had transferred it to Deborah.
Then he was locked in a room on the
top floor Of the house while a %consulta-
ton vas held by his captors as to
what should be done with him. While
they were still suspicious Of him, his
appearing in farm clothes at the house
led them to believe that he had left
camp without permission in order to
visit his sweetheart. They decided to
take no further action regarding him
than to keep him locked up for a few
days. then let him go.
$50 my grandfather-I mean Abner
Jones-was taken to q room in the roof
Of the house-the roofs were enormous
In those days. with big dormer win
dows-and locked up. No young fellow
with plenty Of ingenuity was liable to
remain there very long. especially with
a sweetheart In the house to help him
out. But 1t was a long distance from
the window to the ground. and Deb
orah could not get the key Of the door.
for her father had hidden 1t.
"Abner looked out Of his window
upon an enormous elm tree growing
near, but not near enough for him to
reach. However. he began at n to
lay plans to escape by means Of the
tree. He made a rope Of the bed
clothes. then looked about for some.
thing be could tie to M end Of it that
De could throw to catch in a crotch
formed by two limbs Of the tree about
ten feet from and above his window.
The only thing be could find was a
long iron poker belonging to a set of
fireplace implements among other rub
bish in the room.
Tying the poker at its middle to his
improvised rope. he waited till the
house should be quiet before proceed
ing any further. About 10 o'clock he
heard a scratching ut bis door. which
at drst be thought to come from a
mouse. but it was repeated. and he
went to the door and listened. The
scratching seemed to come from the
bottom Of the door. he got down on
to the door and heard his name whis.
pered. The voice was Deborah's.
"She told him that she would like to
free him. but could see no way Of do.
ing 80. He told her Of the plan he
proposed to try. but II he succeeded in
throwing the poker 10 as to catch in
the crotch he must swing himself OF
some 6fty feet from the ground with
a possibility of falling and being killed
Deborah begged him not to try 1t.
promising to. take the message to Gen
eral Lee. 1t was finally agreed be-
tween them that II. he failed to escape
she would do SO. but in any event she
was to steal out Of the house that she
might mee him under the tree In case
bis feat should be successful.
1T was about midnight that Deborah.
standing under the elm tree. heard
something beat. against the branches
above. She listened and the sound
was repeated. Abner threw his poker
more than a dozen times before 1t
caught. each time having great diff
Guilty In keeping 1t from striking the
house on its return. At last It caught.
and firmly. Abner. clinging to the
rope be had made. swung himself OF
and for some time vibrated in the air
like q pendulum. When he settled.
letting himself down to a branch be-
meath him. ne descended from it to the
ground. There he found Deborah.
who was 40 moved by the danger he
had passed that she sank limp into his
arms.
"LOver-like. Abner fingered with his
sweetheart for half an hour. She told
him WHERE hr could get n boat. and
when he left her hr w,s not long In
Andinx II. Hr pulled across the river.
delivered his ,nrssag- and the next
pvpnin. WAS hack IN camp.
Predetermined (InnAAsAl oo mos q