Year: 1865

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his sister


Halt there Dick Basham " exclaimed
the indignant girl. What do you want
here, with that pack of dirty hounds al
your heels? None of your ragamuf1in cut
throats shall enter this house nor shall
you until You are sober"


Don't be foolish, Mary" hiccoughed the
officer. We only want that goldarned
Dutch Tory Abolition piano tuner, if he is
in the house. He must fight for the South
now, or hang"


Ernest Fielder is here" answered Mary
and he is no Dutch Tory Abolition piano
tuner, but gentleman, and that is more
than you are now, Dick Basham He has
harmed neither you nor any one else, and
has not meddled with your .niggers, or any
other mans and You shall not touch him
while he is under my roof"


at is my roof as much as it is yours,
Mary" persisted Dick, who was inclined to
temporize when he saw that the "blood OF
the Basham's 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
| u, i
you, until you are sober"


commenced to stagger toward the house


My 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"


Halt there for your life !" his sister al
most shouted, in tone that caused the
young man to stop instantly. "Do you
know this can of powder, Dick Basham ?''
said she, as she pointed to it with her pis-
tol. "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. For Gods sake take your pis-
tol out Of that powder You are excited ;
and the least slip Of your finger would
send you, and perhaps all of us into eter-
nifty"


I" | am as cool as ice, Dick Basham," an
swered the girl, "and my nerves are as
firm as iron. Now mark me | give you





and ride away from here. If you do not
leave in that time, swear to you by the
blood of the Basham's, that | will fire the
pistol into the powder 0ne--two--"
" Pll be bound she'd do it, Captain" said
one of the men. '' can see it in her eve,
and | reckon we'd better be goin."


" OF course she would" said Basham, al
most Indignantly. 81 would never own
her for a sister of mine if she hadn't spunk
enough for that Well, she must have her
way this time and we will have chances
enough to catch the Dutchman'


" We are going now, Mary" he contin-
ued, but you will be sorry for this, and
if 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 for it."


" 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 babe
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 re-

ry hiding place, with two horses and a sup
ply of provisions.


Ernest Fielder, after much hardship and
some narrow escapes, reached the Federal
lines in safety. Finding a number of his
old friends in the cavalry force, some of
them in high rank, he joined that arm of
the service ; and as he had thorough mil
itary education, and was as brave as man
may well be, his promotion was quite ra-
pid ; so that in the course of time he was
known as Major Fielder, and was spoken of
as very promising officer.


1t was many long months after the mid
night Of East Tennessee, before the CLEAN
of Union bayonets and the flash of Union
sabres began to make very pleasant sort
OF sunrise III that region. In the advance
of the grand army, which at last carried
relief and protection to that prosecuted
people was fine squadron of cavalry,
which occupied after a slight resistance,
the village near which Mary Basham lived.
This squadron was commanded by Major
Ernest Fielder


Dick Basham had been killed while max
ing a brave but desperate defence against
the overwhelming force of the Federals
when they entered the village and his
sister, although she did not love him as she
formerly had was indignant at his death,
and resolved to revenge it, if she could
find shadow of excuse for 50 doing. So
with the "blood Of the Basham's " boiling
in her veins, she seated herself at the win
dow where she and Ernest had sat so many
months before.


More troops came pouring into the Will
age, among them an infantry regiment, all
tired and hungry. An army on the march
seldom treats very tenderly the country
through which it passes, nor is discipline
always preserved as it should be, Some
of these men were excited by liquor and
others were foraging about as they chose.


A number of them made their appear
ance at Mary Basham's fine mansion, and
commenced raid upon the pigs and poul-
try. Mary warned them off, but they
laughed at her, and ordered her to open the
door, threatening to break it open if she
refused She again warned them off, and
leveled her gun at the foremost man. The
soldier laughed and advanced toward the
door with a rail to burst it open. Mary
Basham coolly sighted her piece, but as
she drew the trigger a fine looking fair
haired officer rode up in front Of the dis
orderly soldier Just in time to receive the