Show JL I 1 E aa 9 the J A romance of colonial days BY ROBERT A GUMMING CUMMING CHAPTER I 1 VORT OSWEGO red battlo stamps his foot and nations feol feel tho the shock 11 byron byro 1 6 mandant mana ant anon oy dy way or 01 soothing tile tho anxiety in her face kissed horand nor rind tho the child and departed followed by tho the halfbreed half breed brood CHAPTER II 11 TO PYTHIAS it was early spring in tho the valley of the mohawk and tho the snow still la lay y upon the ground in heaps and ridges as its play playfellow follow the wind chose to dispose it and the moon riding high in the starry vault gave weird effects to the ermine armino carpet below and the black and naked giants which flung the their ir gaunt arnis arms to the sky in salutation of tho the queen of night and the river with its floating masses of ico ice moved on with majestic rhythm liko like a lost host with glittering cr crests ests invincible in its might T today oday to o day the scone scene is changed the savage grandeur has departed with the rod race who once inhabited it the erie can canal 1 bears the freight of the west to the seaboard tho the scream of the loco motive whistle tal takes es the place of the w war ar whoop of the mohawk bravo and alio cattle of a hundred hills drink at tho theau river on this april I 1 night tn in tho the year J 1750 50 sir william johnson sitting beside the cheerful hearth of his kinsman charles selwyn was urging upon that youth some suggestions the worldly wisdom of which could not bo be doubted falling as they did from the lips of a warrior and statesman whom king george was graciously pleased to honor with a baron baronetcy 0 acy in reward for a victory which was saved from disaster by his libouton lieutenant af after ter his gallant chief had retired from the field with a slight wound which was however of sufficient importance to bo be mentioned in the dispatches announcing the defeat and capture of diesman at crown point in fact the lion skin being too short the opi dormus of the fox was made available to oko eke out the deficiency elency with the happiest results to the wearer the thereof thereat charles Selwyn was as about twenty five tall brown haired arry gr y oyed with a resolute mouth and a thoughtful yet cheerful expression the room was largo with no attempt at adornment unless the stags antlers anglers and other trophies of the chase suspended on oil the walls could bo be counted as such A few boar bear skins shins scattered on the floor served th the purpose of mats and at a pinch beds whon when guests were guiner ous and the blazing logs gave all the light that was needed on winter nights 6 it was in short the groat hall and ro re caption room of an american manor house rude and inelegant to european eyes but quite in harmony with tho the i genius and the requirements of the hardy pione pioneers ors of a rw nation A table S strewed with books and manuscripts i 9 gave avo evidence however that the light of eighteenth century intelligence was waa not quite excluded by the forest shade from this object sir william glanced at tile the face of his nephew i Dr dreams eanis dreams charles lie ho said with an impatient gesture enough ough in time of peace bubnow but now wo have other matters on which to sharpen our wits and our swords Is it not peaceful in tho the valley undo uncle asked tho the youth methinks Me thinka this Are arcadian adian peacefulness is tho the nurse of poetic thought the bradlo of philosophy thou art not lacking in tho the soldier blood of thy raco race hoy boy else I 1 would not bo be hero tonight to night replied tho the baronat ba dropping into a familiar and confidential tone and that which I 1 havo have to say imports theo thee much you are right undo uncle but if I 1 lay my books aside I 1 must havo have something to recompense me for the sacrifice 11 hard blows lad hard blows turn thine ambition i in n another channel king george is not a niggard of hla his favors to those who deserve them the laurel on the heros brow is nobler than tho bay leaf of the tho poet or the toga of tho the sarre sage 11 the young man was not as much impressed im by this rhetorical speech as his kinsman supposed ile ho was not altogether a bookworm book worm havivi having served under sir william in the gallant affair at lako lake george where th tho 0 french and indians under baron diesman were defeated by tho the provin provincial ial troops perhaps tho the youth know bettor than the english homo home government how small a share sir Will william iain earned of that day daya s laurels aro are the french stirring again ho he asked after a pauso pause tho the news from tho the north is important the french are led by b y general montcalm a man of tirel tireless ess energy lie ile is preparing a flotilla at fort fron tonao and tho the favoring breeze which wafts him across lako lake ontario will place oswego in great peril mercer and his now englanders hold that fort said tho the youth in a tone of confidence anaid and if they can not As tho the full import of this suggestion flashed across bis men mental tal vision selwyn arose with the air of one who shakes off a brows drowsy y fooling feeling of security what then ho he asked i why then in about a weola your peaceful arcadia will bo be full of canadian savages and frenchmen the british troops J aro are comfortably quartered in boston now york or philadelphia reinforcements for mercer 1 I have no authority to raise broo troops p s replied tho the knight I 1 but I 1 could got volunteers a hundred riflemen my iny friends and bors said the youth impetuously illow how soon ready to march in two weeks j adrain A desp in the bucket nop nephew howand and yet as the nucleus of a larger force it might bo be effective try what thou canet do and in tho the meantime I 1 N will ill to albany with speed and try my influence with tho the authorities to lend thee aid failing which thou wilt of courso course abandon tho the attempt when my liand hand is on the plow I 1 will not turn back sir william boy do boyl boy exclaimed tho bayonet baTo not impatiently ambition finds its way by devious means the chief of which is prudent calculation As I 1 havo have already told thee the my visit hero hereto tonight to night had tile tho object of arousing thee from those these bookish dreams yet I 1 counsel not rashness 11 wo 0 o will help each other charles thy prompt action in raising troops will redound to the family credit whether I 1 succeed in albany or not but to march to oswego with a hundred men were sheer folly mars charles interrupted a negro servant putting his bis gray woolly head 1 11 biot t into the room lorn dom aar ar clogs is mighty mient ineasy doy is cattlin lin d dar 1 r chains an spacious spi cious I 1 they foont a 0 wild animal lurking around tho barnyard perhaps replied bolwyn taking a rifle from tho the wall In juns giobbe bobbo suggested peter selwyn shook his head tho the mohawks hawks aro are our friends said ho he and would conic como boldly if at all so saying lie ho unbolted the hall ball door and was about to step ferth upon tho the moonlit lawn but almost stumbled over an object seated on tho the threshold which arose and stood before him silent and motionless selwyn was too well used to indian habits to bo be surprised at this apparition tho the se sex x and features of which wore were concealed by a blanket thrown over tho the head bead and almost touching tho the ground whom do you seek asked tho the young man in tho the mohawk dialect slowly tho the blanket dropped from head and anal shoulders revealing a handsome boyish face whose features were rather french than aboriginal and a pair of largo sparkling black eyes were if exl ar 1 N I 1 F WHOM DO YOU SEEK raised to his faco face with an expression half shy half confident and thon then a small brown hand d drow row from the bosom a letter in a bold eh english lish hand charles selwyn taking the messenger by tho the arm solwin led him into inko the hall and pointing to a chair opened the letter tho the lal lad however seated himself on a bearskin ina mat tand and his head upon his hand haild remained motionless as before exhausted thought selwyn glancing at him peter give him somo some food what have you there asked sir william but his kinsman was too much occupied to heed tho the question old comrado comrade and brother in arms ran tho the missive if this letter ever reaches you I 1 confide tho the bearer to your protection and sympathy ile he had the misfortune to fall into tho the hands bands of a band of durons who being in a playful f u I 1 mood cut out his tongue and would doubtless have deprived him of his hair also if they had not been surprised by a 1 party of ran rangers gors who quickly mado made them look on this practical joko joke in a very serious light tho the boy is faithful and intelligent and will serve thee as ariel served his master prospero I 1 saved him at the battlo battle of crown point and thus earned his gratitude but I 1 havo have taken tho the liberty of translating liis his indian name which is as long a ai 3 chis lottor into that of shakespeare ai ariel but why do I 1 indico thia epistle to thee 0 my pythia J and venture a lifo life to place it in you hands it Is ia because thy damon is ia begirt with foes his bis castlo castle threatened by tho the barbarian and the still moro ill or 0 dr dreaded 0 abed gaill arthers his forces at montreal an albl J 4 r fl Fronto frontenac Fron ilac to make destruction sure choro aro are those renowned roii owned english heroes loudoun and abercrombie and why do they not march to our relief n aro are thoy they waiting like their predecessors for the th 0 despised provincials pro vInci als to U beat the foo and then claim tho the victory in i grandiloquent dispatches to the homo home government mercer will vill hold the t t fort till it ib crumbles beneath his foot i but naught can avert the catastrophe 0 unless help arrives before summer opens st lawrence to the bateaux of the enemy whisper this in the ear car of tax kinsman sir william johnson whose eloquence may rouse those abug shar biah englishmen to mako make an effort to td savo this important im t post I 1 know thy love for fop me may prompt thoo thee to attempt the tb 0 rescue with a danaf handful ul of volunteers hut but that would not avail and boaro wo aro enough to die adieu mardan nN I 1 selwyn handed tile alio lottor to sir will iam and began pacing the floor with s A hasty stops steps and thoughtful though tf ul brow tho the indian boy bo y having oaten eaten had bad rolled 4 i hiebl his blanket up for a pill pillow 0 w and stretched chea M himself on iho tho bearskin bear skin shin whore ho 10 slept 4 soundly tho the baronet ba having road read tho T letter returned it to his kinsman with K the remark I 1 the hour is late tonight to night for rest tomorrow to morrow for action atif tt if 1 to I c he 10 v ed r |