Year: 1861

|
direction were punished with promptneSs and


severity which exasperated them to the last


degree. Many an old farmhouse bears witness


yet to the sharpness of these struggles.


At noon, on the second day of their march,
the dragons halted near Eatontown. On re-


suming the route, detachment of about sixty


men deployed from the mais body and turning


off southwards towards Long Branch. From


his lookout, near at hand Conover distinguish
| ed the buff facings Of q Continental officers


uniform in their midst. Unwilling to spare


single man from service which were needed


more than all, he resolved to follow them


alone. Deputing the command to his lieuten-


ant, be set out, with grim smile of determin-


alton, to cope, single-handed with sixty well


armed ruGlians, nearly every one OF whom had


cause to hate him bitterly.


Familiar with every foot of the ground he


easily kept near the troops, sometimes gaining


an advance by crossing corners and lying in


wait for them to pass sometimes far in the


rear, when the open country afforded him no


shelter The prisoner he recognized as Lieu


tenant-COonel Reynolds, of New York, who


had been missing since the day of battle


Amos rightly supposed they were Fastening
| to embark him on board the II. b NJ soop of


war Nulture known to be in the oGfing as the
advance guard of Lord HOwe's fleet


AS they drew near the sea boards, where old


home land marks grew more aud more frequent,


and occasional glimpse OF the Atlantic stirred
up old home memories, his indignant hatred of
the hireling invaders became almost uncOntrol-
liable. He could scarce restrain his impulse


to fire on them, and then spring iu and lay
about him ri sht and left


! I0stead OF stopping, as he had expected at
Long Branch, they kept on toward Deal; and


bis thoughts, which until now had been for
the prisoner turned with breathless anxiety to
his home aud to hers. lie sought in vain for
an opportunity to hasten forward and warn bis
friends of the near danger !; the road was en-
tirely clear-running through level fields for
miles, and twas only with the greatest difficult
ty he contrived to keep covered in the rear


On arriving at HendrickSon's Lane the dra
gOons stopped, and after consulting together
a moment turned in-apparently attracted 10y
the sleek cattle in the meadow lot With
smOthered grOan Amos watched them hardly
had the last man disappeared behind the hedge
when he sprang into the field and crouching
along dry ditch, followed at half pistol shot
As they turned into the doorway of her house,
he gained the shelter of haystack, and peer


ing out, he saw Alice come out startled by |
the tramp of horses. Lovlier than ever she |
had grown in the years since they had parted. |
Even the brutal dragons are aNed by this |
vision of virgin beauty, and approached here |
with certain respect She evidently did not |
understand their demands which were repeat. |
ed to her mother in snch threatening manner |
that the prisoner Immediately interfered \ |
blow from the back of a sabre stretched him |
upon the floor, where he was bound and then |
laShcd fast TO one of the pillars of the piazza |


This cruelty intended to strike terror 20
the hearts of the defenceless women. excited |
only Indignation and abhorrence When one |
of the HeSsians speaking little English com
manded, with much clustering aud cursing, |
that the cows should be brought up and milk
ed for them, Alice ran to the bars and stood
before them in defiant attitude declaring that
not single animal should be touched while
she lived. How little did she dream that,
within ten yards, Amos COnover lay conceal
ed-trembng with loving admiration and fear
for her.


Poor child The troopers only laughed at
her display Of courage, and were soon in the
meadow driving the herd towards the barn
The first that came up waS fine white cow
q
be left home She was the favorite still, and .
as she passed, Alice threw her arms around .
the poor creatures neck and cried as though |
her heart would break The English-speakiHg |
Hessian came to put bride rein on the cows |
horns, andiercely ordered Alice away. But
she clung to her old friend begging that this
one might be spared, though the rest of the
herd pe taken. With a savage oath the doom
ed man seized her arm, aud throwing her to
the ground struck her with the end of the bri
die. In an instant rife ball crashed through
his brain and as other troopers rushed for
ward, laying violent hands on Alice, Cool Con-
over was among them-not cool now, but
Seething and boiling to the tips of his fingers
with burning rage. His clubbed rifle, whrl-
ing in swift circles around his head; {; protect
ing him eff from the sabres, O I'd telling a foe
at each down swOop, now on Que side, now on
the other, Amos was no mean match for q
dozen frightened marauders. But how many
one man prevail twenty-ay, in a moment
against fifty heavily armed dragons. The
CONSERVATION produced by his sudden appear
ance aud his terrific blows, brings to our hero's
mind and wild thought---tO catch up Alice and
fly while he may but already tits too late
Hemned in on every side, borne down by
weight of numbers he is overpowered, disarm-
ed, and pinioned with saddle girth.


| suppose | ought to say here that Alice
had became insensible but as she did not do
anything of the kind, truth forbids my making
such statement On the contrary, she main
tanned such control of her faculties, that know
ing the esteem in which Amos was held by
Hessians, she repressed the joyful exclamation
which rose to her lips, and did not allow her
self to recognize him by word or deed.


Not so considerate was Colonel Reynolds.