Year: 1865

tederate uniform, rode up the street, and
! halted in front of the mansion. They were
| a villainous set to look at and were armed
with all sorts Of weapons, from a hunting


rifle to a fint-lock pistol. At their head
rode young man in the gay uniform OF a
! Confederate officer, whose seat in the sad
| die was quite unsteady.


They are part of Dick Basham' gang"
! said Mary, as she cooly surveyed them from
| the window, ''and he is drunk, again II be
bound. 1t is enough to destroy any man s
respect for himself to associate with such
wretches, and | should think nothing could
| induce gentleman as Dick Basham used TO
be, to do It,


Come, Ben Sterling,' said Fielder, who
had hastily seized his hat, we can yet es-
cape by the back way.


NO" exclaimed the girl as her eyes shot
fire. You can do no such thing, for
they have already surrounded the house.
Come now you two, you are mer, and you
have arms, and 1T 1t comes to the worst, you
know how to sell your lives dearly But let
me do my part first, for | tell you that not


a man OF that gang shall cross this thresh-
old while Mary Basham lives Mr.. Fielder,
give me one of your pistols. -.
| Quite overborne by the intrepidity and en-
ergy of the high spirited girl, Ernest Fielder
almost mechanically handed her a pistol.
AS quick as thought, she brought out from
an adjoining closet "a large can flied with
powder, carried it into the hall, threw open
the door, and stood there, with pistol in
hand, proud and defiant, and beautiful In
her pride and defiance.


Captain Basham, with four of his rough
troopers, dismounted, and walked toward
the house. The path was hardly wide
enough for the gallant captain, whom a
commission as a lieutenant general could
not have induced to walk in a straight line.
But he staggered on, until he was brought
to a sudden pause by the ringing voice of
his sister


Halt there, Dick Basham y exclaimed
the indignant girl What do you want
here, with that pack of dirty hounds at your
heels? None of your ragamuilin cut-throat's
shall enter this house nor shall you until
you are sober. 20


Don't be foolish, Mary hiccoughed
the officer. I'VE only want that goldarned
Dutch Tory Abolition piano tuner, If he IS
IN the house. He must fight for the South
now, or hang. h21


Ernest Fielder is here, answered Mary,
''andshe is no Dutch Tory Abolition piano
tuner, but gentleman, and that is more
than you are now, Dick Basham. He has
harmed ryeither You nor any one else and
has not meddled with your Higgar., er any
other mans, and you shall not touch him
while he is under my roof. -


1t is my roof as much as it is yours, Ma
ry, persisted Dick, who was inclined to
temporize when he saw that the ''blood of
the Bashams was fairly up in his sister.


1T is not; for you said the house was to
be all mine while the war lasted, if [ would
let you have Jake and Henry. If it was
not mine, none of your thieving gang should
a,ta shall a | fold
until you are sober.


Come on, bows said Basham as he
commenced TO stagger toward the house.
~ y sister is carrying the joke too far. We
are not to be turned from our duty by girl.
Make way there, Mary, for we must search
the house. a7s1


Halt there for your life y his sister al
most shouted, in tone that caused the
young man to stop instantly. ''Do you
know thi can of powder, Dick Basham p
said she, as she pointed to it with her pis
toll And this?" thrusting the muzzle
deep among the shining black grains. Now
/ warn you, SIR, that if you or any of your
thieves approach a step nearer, | will blow
house and all to atoms, as far as this can of
powder can do it.


Hold Mary |" exclaimed her brother,
whom her desperate resolution had almost
sobered ''F0r God s sake take your pistol
out of that powder! You are excited; and
the least slip of your finger would send you,
and perhaps all of US, into eternity"
Z. Il am as cool as ice, Dick Basham,' an
swered the girl, ''and my nerves are as firm
as iron. Now mark me | give you until [
count twenty to mount your horses and ride
away from here IF you do notleave in that
time, swear to you by the blood of the
Bashams, that will fire the pistol into the
powder. One-two---


'.Tll be bound she d do it, Captain, y
said one of the men, Il can see it in her
eye. and reckon we d better be goin =


''Of course she would, said Basham, al
most Indignantly. Il would never own her
enough for that Well, she must have her
own way this time, and we will have chances
enough to catch the Dutchman.


''W e are going now, Mary, he continued,
s'but you will be sorry for this. and IT you
have so far forgotten your position and your
duty as to fall in love with that piano tuner,
both he and you shall pay dearly forit. y


Never fear but that [ can take care of
my position and my duty, Dick Basham,'
said the girl, as the guerrillas mounted their
horses and rode away.


When it was fairly night, Fielder bade
Mary Basham good bye, and went to the
hills with Ben Sterling Mary sent her boy
Jim with them, to bring her word if they
got off safely and when the boy returned
She sent him back to their temporary hiding
place, with two horses and a supply of pro-
visions


Ernest Fielder, after much hardship and
some narrow escapes reached the Federal
lines In safety. Finding number OF his old
friends in the cavalry force, some OF them
in high rank, he Joined that arm of the ser
vice and as he had thorough military
od,,oat;on and was as brave as a man can