Year: 1863




On the western shores of Lake Champlain, du-
ring the first years of the War of the Revolution,
there dwelt and aged but evil-hearted woman,
known among the settlers of that region by the
name of Hester Madge. 1t was rumored that
she had sought the solitude of the woody shores
to eyade the punishment due her for the perpe-
tration of some heinous but unknown crime many
years before in the City of New York. To have
attempted to trace this rumor to its fountain head
would have been futile; and men were contented
to believe it after one glance at the lowering black
browed, and scowling visage of the shriveled hag,
who seemed to have no affinity for any of her
own species, save for a tall lean, savage-faced
man who called her 'mother," or "devil,' as the
humor suited him, and who appeared at long in
tervals to make short sojourn at the lonely log
hut in which she passed the greater portion of her
existence. Sometimes the hunter, strolling by
accident passed only the door CT her dwelling,
might pause to stare in wonder at the witch~l:ke
shape, smoking pipe in the doorway, and glar-
ing with baleful eyes at the waveless lake, as if
she envied the water in its calm, and would con-
iure storm to tear it from the distant and rocky
shores But he would soon hurry from the step
when the hag eaped toward him ferociously,
hurling stones and curses after him. Otherwise,
no visits were made to Hester Madge


The rumor of the rapid approach of Burgoyne,
with an immense force of redcoats and redskins,
from the Canadas, was driving all those whom
British fury stgmatzed as "rebes," from the
sparsely settled region of Lake Champain and
while the women and children were hurried to
the Interior, the men hastened to join the Ame-
rican army, that was springing INTO armed life
from every town and hamlet, to check the boast
ful invader.


Hester Madge did not fly from her mountain
home but perched upon projecting rock that
overlooked the borders of the lake, screamed her
mad derision at each fugitive laden boat as it
gded by. Save the loud jeer of some reckless
boatman, as he laughed at her rage, no greeting
was given her but the silence of contempt.


"Run, run, you dogs and may the redskins
give every one of ye bloody night-caps !" was her
continual song, the last boat had vanished from
her sight.


One moonlight and silent night, after day of
curSing, because no boat had passed her door she
sat crouching over gloomy fire, smoldering upon
her rude hearth, muttering "They are all gone,
and am queen of the lake queen of the lake
queen of the lake But the redskins will roast
them. They hated me- and hate them-curse
them all Curse and blight every one! =


Hours of this senseless jargon had flown BY,
and the weird stiffness of midnight had settled
upon shore and water. when as she heaped fresh
faggots upon the embers. her long absent son
threw open the unbarred door and entered, drag
ging after him bound yet beautiful girl.


He was man whose shaggy and uncombed
locks were already grizzled, but more by crime
than by time; and his cat-lke eyes, greenish and
phosphoric, CLEANED from yisage stamped with
every feature of vice.


The captive, whose white tender arms were
bound with cruel thongs of buckSkin, SO tightly
that the small and delicate hands were purple and
swollen, was maiden of some seventeen years,
tall, and statley despite her bonds; and with large
black eyes flashed scorn and defiance upon her
unmanly captor Her air and dress was much
superior to such as usually belonged to the girls
of the frontier, and her whole bearing was that of
brave and refined woman above all misfor-
tune


"D'ye know her mother P" were the first words
of the rufian, whose semi-savage and semi-cviliz-
ed garb denoted one of these soulless mercenary
renegades who sided with the British not from
loyalty to the king, but because the redcoats were
in the ascendency. At the first turn of fortune,
Abner Madge would have changed sides to have
slain his folmer compaions.


The hag pncked brand from the fire and
held its fame near the face of the pale, proud
captive; gazed intently for moment and then
slapped the defenseless cheek with her open
palm.


"Do l know her P" she screamed with fend-
ish glee, and tossing aloft the brand "Do