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Show 1 J jfem WESSON. I 1 '4 It tti In March, 1743, unit tin cam 3 i taT mlsodin (Ilnrtcester to Join tho ex 9 1 jailillon BgitiMt Loulslmrrfsviistolcsvo 1 town with llio Halng of tlio morrows X son. In lbs tiirinjctvrillglrttliroo young W tata msdjtlioir way, with noisy Jost ,, wd son, toward n wretched cottngo that staxlinths outskirts of tlio town m : i nd rsjipja lfr,dly (or rulmlttanro 4:1'' Tho cijjfr.wsi oponcd lyn withered C Ijj old crontljAVcaudlo, burning nil n 1 !( small taull.'dlinljr rorealnl tlio black- If enfd walls cMlw, Interior, tlio hunches t' of herlx'luiiiRlns from tlio ci-illng, n X . scant mipi'ly, of A attend pewter plates W j andctiarsofarlhenvvaro on some shelves 4 In a coiner, a few old'chaln and a rack ! of worn. Mil Rreniy cards aiiparently I jnitflnng&onn. J , "What )o hers fort OrriYlilisot'Vrlisl tho 81d woman when tho law who her E lsitorsvvorc. I I I Oh, now, Pogior," said tho tallest of : the throo In n wlmnlllnir tono, "vvu'rn Ij off In tho mornltitf for IJiiiihttrg, jem t I linor, nndwo thought wo'd pay) on n I farewell rliit and not oar fortunes told," h ,1"'" "Tant j o'vn no tiller to pay mo jj wl' '.Mnjjin 8undors." suld l'cggy, ki cp- ' ing a firm crip on tlio door and ptuhlng t it n Utlio clojrr aa nlio rinke, )i I "llvro'a a hrljlit new ullrer nbponca , for jo,1? djiplojinj It an ho rpo'te, "and i ,Tora onajjeb liaro moro of the aamo , aort. Soiibw let us comoluand giro 'i, 'ntacovd endoff."l ' Tho money prored an nrgmnent not J to bo galsiald, and I'lgSY nlmlttod 1 thcru. (When they weru ecatol tho took 1 1 ,bp her cards, snaniotl litem and j ro ', ceeded to tell tho young lucu'a fortunes, fit, j Job Aycrs coins ftnt, then Tom aooV I T ' win. AV lien Martin Bandrs' turn enmo, 1'.- and Goody Wcttoti crowl l,(i palm ! v ,wlth tho coin lis handed her, his luiper- I I i turbablo crarlty, contrasted with tho il Irrepreirihls.snlckerlnff of hlicompan-J hlicompan-J ! loiu'intSe lrr snddenly sniplLlons. Sho ,3 irai him aioarchlng elanco, then, ns ii i sEb was about to tlaco tlio coin on tlio X, ) table vlth the others, sho Krutlnlzcd It v keenly and baloncrd It on her hand, tjj' AjersnndUoodwIn glRglod and niovtnl '??'f J towanl tlio dour, lint not tho chott ol j i ) n initio pasted orer Martin hundcrs I" face. Peg atrnck tho coin Hnartly Jill agnlntt tho baio of tho iron candlestick (Ttt and listened to tbo round, tlun proteil 'Mm, it agslctt tho edgo of tho table, Itbtut 1 Ha , Svith the pressuro. By si V'Cnrts ye, Mart Banders," the cried HJ 1 1 In a sudden fury t "It's leadl" t p Then Martin Sanders liiiii;hcl, and tho three, routing with huiihter nt tho result of their poor trlrV, opened t!n door of Cloudy eston'a cot and riKhed ont Into tho nlht, , Plm ron after them, brandishing Ler staff and raving Uko a mad woman. ' Cono e. Mart Banders" the Kivamedi "curto th' three of ye, body and breath, flesh and bono! Cnrm ye lying down and rising up, sleeping and waking, Using and ilyitigl I'll tiku encanco on jo nt I,otilsbitrgI-' The night ttlnd boro tho itltma) thrent mil its repetition to their ears and dlencrd their laughter ns they ran down tlio hill to their homes In tho mors thick!) sit-tied sit-tied part of tho town. The rreatreetof neirly lOi) vescls, that made tip tho expedition against Lonlsburg sailed from Uoston on the 1st day of At til. favored by wind ami weather it soon reached Capo Ilreton nndwas coistlng along tho shore of that Island ton aid Its destine 1 haven, fn many of tlio vessels tlio soldiers were watching tho hills and woods on shore with tho Interest inspired bynewsiencs but every indentation of tlio ioa.it was famllar to most of tho Gloucester nun for they had often Ix en thero on the'r lUhlng oyages Their attention vn Attracted to tho slngnlar movements of n solitary crow tint hot crcd persistently nbore them, now and then alighting on tho topmast. As they wcro entering tho harbor of Loulsburg, Martin Ban lers was tent forward for-ward to nutst In furling tho jib A ropa parted suddenly under hit feet and ho fell headlong Into tho sea. Tho last sound thnt fell ujion his cart beforo tho nulling waters eloied over hlmwus tlio hnarso screaming of tho trow. A uwertnl ourretit was running, and It was only with great dlfllcult that Sanders was rescued, When tho cicltctnent was over, and tho half drowned mini was onco more safely on dock, tho crow had disappeared. Tho fleet cast anchor in tho harbor and countless boats took tho men on shore IWoro tho tlego (oull com-menro com-menro the cannon mutt 1n landed and laced in favorable ltloti It vvas nrduous toll, for tho soil was boggy and tho men often tank to the knees, but nil worked with n will nu I tho gum, cue after another, wcro landed. Goodwill und A) era, with others, wen dragging n cannon on n ilcdgo through half frozen mud when inddenlj w ltli u whir of wings n crow flighted nn it. Job Avert mode u dash ot It with hi" rap. At tho very instant that ho did sc tho rcur of tho sletlgo sank In tho trtach crous roll, tho caution gavo n rudden lurch and tho arm ho had Hung out wai caught botwecu tho cannon and tlcdgo an I hoicIessly crnslu-d. Tho unfortu nato man wit cirrltd Into camp And his arm nuiputatiSl The work of tho tlcgo went on day attcrda), 1'oragliig parties vverorent out sometimes, for tho rations wer somovvhat stale unl iiiouotonous, , therv vv weicolleat gnmo iuabundiii In the vicinity. Bandcrt and tloodvi,i mado two of such n irty ono pli asnnt May afternoon. Often during their hunting they noticed n crow circling near them. They wcro alwut return, ing to uunp vvlien Ooodvvln, utriding across some low shrubbery lu search of n fallen bird, thrntt Ids foot Into nn oeu toitrip, which closed aroiitnl his nnkli, tho linr r lots iienrtrutliit; iWp Into tho lletl Ills cry for help was echoed bv tho "can ! can I of the erriw It was with inHnlto dlfllculty that hit companions releiied him. l'ale, and lult fainting with pain and loss of blood ho looked up at tho crow still near ' I bellevolt'anwltrh,' hocried Tog Wesson, by hi-ivpns'" csclslmed Mudciii, lualllng tho witch's eurse. Iln llfleil his loaded fowling ilreo tool, ste jdj nliuhnd HruiL ' Civvl cavvl eavvl ' trrcumed tho e row, derisively winging Its onward way nnhurt. Martin Han-ilers Han-ilers was n rrnovvnMl thot and never known to tnlts snch u marlc liefore. His companions noted his failure wltli amazement, and trough they thought it njioor tiso for good ponder ant shot, another and another fired, lilt with the samo result "It Is surely o witch," cried tloodv-ln, who, ling on tbo grass with hnsllly bandaged ankle, was I Hiking grimly on. "It Is annly n witch, anl not to lo brought down by a leid'li bullet. Koth-Ing Koth-Ing but silver will bring dow n a witch." "That's trno," cried Martin Kamle rs. ilo hastily toro his tilrrr sleovo buttons from his wrist. Ho vvrcncheil them nsunder. It was tho work of n mlnuto to load his gun with ono of tho 1 leers, Tho crow was still within gunshot. He took deliberate aim and fired. Wounded In tho leg, It fluttered downward in lessening circles and apparently fill In soino bushes closo by, lint careful an 1 prulongod search failed to discover it. for (Oiiio dajs tho woodmen who iascd Peg Wesson's lint morning mid night on Uieir wny to and from their work In tho forest noticed that thero was no smoke in tlio chimney. "Peg's olf On her broomstick," sal 1 cne "Thero'a ill Inck for somebody tome-wheru," tome-wheru," said another. It w ns n mil f mid tunny May nf ler-noon ler-noon and the) wcro busily howirg in tho woods when they heard n faint moiN lug. Thev heard it rcicitcdly, mid at Ungtli, following tho sound, they camo Uion Peg Weston 1) Ing on the ground aiul unnblo to get till. flow tamo tbo there? They could havo tworn that tho had tint p-tssed the in on tho path, and who could havo undo herway through tho linponetinblo junglob)ondf Though loath totouch her they help'sl her to hcrfect. Kliowasunblututako nttcp. Her leg was broken. A rule litter was iiiiulo and Vlto was taken home1, ntti ring malediction all tho wa) A doctor wis culled When ho vx nmined tho fracturo ho extracted there-fnnn there-fnnn u tnmll pieco of silver which ho care fully preserved. When tho Kildlra retnrneil from I.outsbnrg, victorious and jubilant at has lug dt roj ed tho hornet s nest that had long Kim n torment to Gloucester, they heard with amazement what had liefallrti Peg Wessen, for In couiimrltig dates they found that cho had fallen Willi tho broki u leg at tho ctj Urns Hint tho crow had lircn shot. Banders produced hU irt of the tleevo button. Iho doctor (reduced his. They wcro precise.) nllko, Tley wcrvllukid together again and carefully preterv oil by Mat tin Hinders and lit descendants. Indeed they nro j kept to this day in tho family for might 1 know to the tontrary T ey were brought out and xhii 'el wheiever this r mark iblo stor) vva till,imd i wasverv tften tild Peg Wesson never rci nvered from her injury, f ho died toon after and receli td decent burial, bjt the- l n.tono bear big her name in tho old grnvevard Poor maligned, peisemtedPegg)! Pnr thre and tnrh as thuit there i-honld In deed be, thero must betumo list pier tphcro whero tho thadoivs r f cirlli mav lio f irgutteu lu the glad luiiahluoof hup I Inoss unknown before. 1 ''g3''s cot, untenanteil after her death, long the tiortof tho elements, has fallen to deen) . Dat If ono cares to know whcxi it stood, its sits near tho old garrison can Ixs lnted out b) any of tho older inhabitants, f r this it no talo of tho Imagination, but cne In which our forefathers and fort mothers Imollc Itly liellev ed. Sarah O. Dub y ,ln Los ton Transcrti t. |
