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Show Arthur 2. Hoivden S'mit? Copyright. 1028 ARTHUR D. HOWDKN SMITH WNU Service "Set yerselt tluiiwn, Turn. I wouldn I want for any ninn to think 1 meant him harm. Will ye have a drop o' (IrlnLi jest to wet yer tongue?" Tom brightened percept ilily. "Why. IM take It kindly, ma'am." "Not too much." cautioned Fellowes. and turned to Krooi Nlmrod Sopher who hurried in at the head of four or five men, all carrying rilles, muskets or fowling pie.es of various dates and patterns. Sopher was a man of about forty, thin as a lath, with a long, mournful fare that reminded Fellowes of a horse. Around his waist was helted a dragoon saher of prodigious size. "This is an unforeseen pleasure, Lion," he proclaimed ponderously. "1 very nearly fell out my window when I'aris told me you were home. An ' ' ." Nil 1- vou. Will yon aid us to capture these llrltish Invaders?" "Ah, that's a different matter." The lawyer-militiaman plucked up his spirits. "There, to be sure, we have the law on our side. Invaders In arms may he resisted, nay, they should be resisted. Rut laying an Information alleging the crime of high treason Is a matter requiring protracted consideration. considera-tion. I should err in my responsibility did I not urge reflection upon the possible pos-sible consequences." "I care nothing for the consequences," conse-quences," Fellowes said coldly. "To protect the Inglepins and Cliater, Col-lishawe Col-lishawe pressed me off the True Bounty, Boun-ty, and gave me a hundred lashes of i he cut. Did you ever see a man who had taken a hundred lashes on his back? Do you understand what It means to be compelled to serve against your country?" "Your resentment Is justifiable," deplored de-plored the lawyer, "yet suffer me to indicate that Justice Is seldom realized through passion." Eaches, who hovered by the window, made an awkward attempt to come to attention. "Axin' yer pardon, Cap'n," he reported, re-ported, "the powder's sarved out, and the comp'ny be acallln' for ye 'n' squire." "And 'bout time some one took heed to actin' 'stead o' argyin'!" announced Mrs. Rhodes. "Here!" She opened a cupboard, and drew from It a musket, -powder horn and shot pouch, which she extended to Cuffee. "Tom, jest stir yerseif out to the woodshed, and ye'll find a hefty ax I honed, myself. Squire, (liar's a pistol in the drawer o' that tahle. Nimrod, ,git out o' here, and muster yer Fencibles or I'll go do it for ye." "1 trust 1 do not need to be reminded re-minded of my duty, Mirandy Rhodes," the lawyer returned with dignity. "Corporal Eaches, lead out your squad. After you, Lion !" In the hall they encountered Tom, fingering the edge of a shiny, broad-hladed broad-hladed wood ax. "Run yer thumb over that," he Invited In-vited them admiringly. "The Badger's gunner couldn't have It no sharper. Thar's a woman for ye I Cripes, she'd fight a seventy-four 'soon as look at it." Fellowes reflected uneasily that, at least, she'r1 probably fight more handily than his prolix attorney. But a clamor of voices distracted his attention. atten-tion. "HI, whar's the squire?" "Down with the Bloodybacks I" "Come on, Nimrod, we want to fight I" "Three cheers for the Fencibles 1" "We'll show them Englishmen a few tricks I" "Hey, Sopherl Hear yer bloodhounds barkin'?" Not so well disciplined, the Fencibles, Fenci-bles, who, after all, were only every day farmers and fishermen. Thank God for the misty darkness 1 The men were armed as nonde-scriptly nonde-scriptly as the squad that had attended at-tended Eaches half of them carried old Brown Bess firelocks, with bayonets; bayo-nets; the remainder sported hunting rilles. tradeguns and fowling pieces. Lads barely in their teens shambled beside grandfathers wearing their while hair long In the fashion of the last century. But all, regardless ot age or equipment, were hysterically aggressive, and they broke ranks with a whoop to receive Fellowes. He quieted the demonstration witli difficulty. "The British will hear you, friends Our one hope is to surprise them. Fall them in, N'iinrod." Sopher drew his saber with a clang "Fall in, men I Fall In I Sergeant I'eirt I Where's Sergeant Peirt?" One ol the ancients of the company stepped clear of the confusioD and saluted with shaky smartness. "Muster the men, sergeant Col timn of fours." "And douse those torches," added Fellowes. Prompt ahedience plunged the group in darkness, and the confusion In creased until the Widow Rhodes appeared ap-peared with a lighted stahle-lanthron in either hand. "1 never see seen clumsy oafs." she snapped. "For land's sake, git agoin . Aimer Pcirt. I've heard yer tell haout Sarntogy for thirty years. S'pose ye show us a hit o' sojerin' for a change " "We will. M'randy, we will." quavered quav-ered I'eirt. "The Fencibles ain't Con tinentals. hut they knaow lhar drill. Fall In. men I Slope Hrms! Right dress!" His old voice took on a ghostly ring of virility. "By fours column right for'ard !" fTO BE CONTINUED) 00KKKKK)O0OX0O)XO0O0X , , i fr STORY FROM THE START Capt. Lion Fellowes' American merchant ship Is sunk by a Bi ll- 1 lsh frigate oft Portugal in the War of 1S12. The crew surrenders, surren-ders, but Fellowes reaches shore I exhausted. His life Is saved by an English-speaking girl, who . conceals her Identity. She Is ' about to set out for Lisbon. Fel lowes goes to Lisbon where he meets an actiualntance, Capt Chater of the American ship True Bounty, who offers him a berth as a mate, but knowing Chater is disloyal In trading ; with the enemy, he refuses, lie meets the girl who saved his life, Cara Inglepin, daughter of the owner of True Bounty. She is bound for home and Induces Fellowes to sail as mate. He Is t In love with Cara. The vessel is Btopped by the British frigate. Badger, Captain Colllshawe. Despite De-spite his claims to American citizenship, Fellowes is taken aboard the Badger a "pressed' man. Maddened at what he believes be-lieves Is Cara's and Chater's treachery he strikes Colllshawe, who orders him a hundred lashes with the "cat." Fellowes' hatred of the three becomes an obsession. obses-sion. Off New York Fellowes escapes es-capes from the Badger. He scen's a plot in a meeting to be held at Chater's home. CHAPTER VI Continued 9 ' "Saul Chater!" Mrs. Rhodes' lips clamped In a tight line. "Ye moan that skunk" "That's what we want to find out I've sent Joe Doak and Paris Eaches to rouse Sopher and the Fencibles We'll catch the English, and overhaul the farm." He hesitated, strangely re luetant to name Cara Inglepin. despis lng himself for his embarrassment "Chater has visitors " "Mr. Benjamin Inglepin from New lork, 'n' bis daughter," corrcboruted Irs. Rhodes, her jaw still very square. "An arrant Federalist knave, by all accounts." "Are the Inglepins the only stran gers at Chater's?" Jeff Riggle answered him. "Right now, they be; but Saul's had B passel o' comp'ny sence he come borne from PortygaL Mr. Inglepins be'n out afore, and a dozen fellers off 'n' on most o' em from New Eng land, by the way they talked." Fellowes experienced a rush ol suv age exultation. "There's a mess oi treason brewing on Sampawams creek but we'll upset the pot" be said "And that reminds me: Jeff, will you wake the Fencibles, who live od Main street?" "I'll whip 'em out o' bed, If I got to," Riggle assented. "M'randy, I want to borrer that air musket o yer's. I'm goin' to have a shot at the feller poked his pistol In my stum mlek." "I'll b'lieve It when some one else tells me," she retorted as he departed "One o' squire's men 'd do my powder 'd' lead more Justice." She leveled an admonitory forefinger at Tom. "Now. that hairy, leettle feller, he looks like he'd be better at shootin' than hackin' '' "Axin' yer pardon, ma'am," replied Tom, shuffling his brown feet, "but I'm no hand with a gun. If ye had a cut lass or a boardin' ax " "Thar's a wood ax ye're welcome to. What about the nigger, squire? He don't look decent in that naked slate He's welcome to the gun. but I can't come by a shirt let alone a coat, to cover him." "Cuffee can get along as he Is," re Joined Fellowes. "But he'll be grateful for a musket, Mrs. Rhodes." The negro favored her with a view of his entire mouthful of filed teeth. "Cuffee plenty lub fo' shoot." he said. "Heavens, what gibberish." she protested. pro-tested. "And Is he a canny bal with all them wicked teeth?" "No more'n ye be, yerseif," growled Tom before Fellow- could answer "H'ltey t'itey I" snapped the widow "Keep a civil tongue In yer head, mj Dian." "1 ain't yer man," roared Tom "And I'll thank ye to mind as how Cuffee's my nigger." "A pressed man own a nigger?" "The negro would serve with his - master, you see," Fellowes Intervened "I don't see," scoffed Mrs Rhodes "If that makes sense. I'm a fool." "le said it yerseif." jeered Tom The widow grabbed a pewter Jack from the table. "And if ye think to talk back to me. ye lettle, hairy vermin. I'll try the weight o' yer skull," she threatened. But Cuffee thrust his enormous body between them. "Cuffee him b'long fo' Tom," he said In his curiously soft soothing . voice "Tom him b'long fo' mars'r Fellowe' Cuffee plenty lub blm bofe. Yo' don hit Tom." She regarded the negro with nnwill lng respect. "Why, ye talk like a Christian which Is more'n that Tom does." "Tom him no lub woman," ex plained Cuffee, grinning "Oh. my aunt, him plenty fraid fo' woman." "Land's sakes. so 'hat's the kind o ' critter he Is I" Mrs Rhodes smiled upon the pair ot them. "Waall. it's time he learned what a respectable woman's like. Poor feller! Thar's naught nearer to a habby than a sailor in this world." Tom started to retreal toward the door. "Tom! You. Tom!' "Yes. ma'am?" he answered meekly "What's yer name?" otn Grogan, ma'am o' Phllydel phy, P. A." "Who Is the Guiding-Hand In the Plot!" Flared Fellowes. extraordinary deliverance 1 A veritable Odyssey, 1 doubt not You'll have much to tell us, yes, yesl But we have not been idle at home. And you'll find the Manor all In order. I've had some trouble with Chater, who gave me to understand 'twas your pleasure be should be permitted to buy the 'swamp tract' east of the creek ; but I fust I've not merited rebuke In resisting his persuasions." "Chater lied to you," rasped Fellowes. Fel-lowes. "He and an accomplice of bis betrayed me to Coilishawe to silence me lest I reveal their intercourse with the enemy. Coilishawe, as Eaches must have told you" "Ah, but my dear Lion, how can you prove this British officer comes with the Intention of proposing a commerce In treason?" "That's why I had your Fencibles roused. We must catch the scoundrels in the act." "Scoundrels?" Sopher was dis tressed. "A libelous phrase, my friend. And it occurs to me that Chater has visiting him Mr Benjamin Inglepin, a reputable merchant of New York city as well as Mr. Inglepin's daughter" "Who Is the guiding hand In the plot !" flared Fellowes. "But. Lion 1 Mr Inglepin Is a rep utahle merchant !" "Say a wealthy merchant, and I'll agree with you. Grown wealthy od trading with the enemy A corrupt, conspiring Federalist, bent on restoring restor-ing allegiance to the Crown." Sopher was bewildered. "It passes comprehension," he said "And as your attorney. Lion, I must counsel you to tiave your proofs In order no-fore you undertake to prose cute your charges." "With your Fencibles to aid me, I'll have proof enough to hang the lot of l hem." "What? A woman?" Mrs Rhodes, who had stood by Us tening. arms akimbo, rapped sternly: "And why not. If she deserves it?' "Why not?" echoed Fellowes. Sopher wagged his head foreboding ly. "1 like It not Lion, and that's i tie trt.th "As your attorney" " "J" Is not as my attorney, but as captain of the Fencibles I've called on q,ckhoo-cco |