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14 “S THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY.
. tion.
“Good eventide, fair sir,” said the stranger. ‘Is there an inn
not far away on this road? Tam a stranger, and a long ride
: /makes me anxious to find a resting-place.”
‘‘There is an inn about a mile farther on, where I shall stop
for the night,” said Mr. Maynard.
by a loyal man.”
“Tt am glad to hear it, for one knows not where to trust him-
self nowadays,” said the stranger. ‘In my part of the country
one hardly dare say ‘God save the King,’ for fear of having his
“ ears cut off. Iam even now going to Lord Dunmore to consult
4 - him about things there.”
t _ “I joy to hear it, for I amon my way to see his lordship,”
| said Mr. Maynard, delighted to tind one of his’ own way of
thinking in- the stranger. ‘‘We shall sup together, and talk
over our grievances at the inn. From what part of the Old Do-
‘ minion (lo you come?” ' .
: “From King George,” replied the stranger. _
‘ ) “That should be a loyal section, if no more than in honor. of
4 its name.”
“It is a good house, kept
5
: = “Yet it is not.
j - Tent.” : .
: “Even as they are in Culpepper. But I hope after counsel
Gi with Lord Dunmore to see him take, measures to drive them
“ from the land. ‘That is the main errand I have in my visit to
if ¢ him.”
“How singular, that meeting thus, our objects should be the
same,” said the stranger. ‘My name is Blunt, sir.”
‘And mine Maynard—-Maynard, of the Cedars.”
“Ah, yes; I have heard of you.
ahead?”
| . “Yes; the old Crown Inn, kept by Jonas Hardeastis—as I said
y
The Sons of Libeaty are strong and inso-
before, a loyal mau. We will fiud good cheer and a warm wel-
come, for old Jonas knows me.”
Their speed had now brought them into close proximity to the
house, and in another minute their horses were drawn up before
the open dvor.
“Light, Mr. Maynard—'light, sir. Here, Jumbo—Jack—
’ Sam! Where are all them cussed darkies? Never around when
y they’re wanted!” shouted the landlord, a burly, six-footed statue
of good humor.
‘Here we is, sah! here we is!’ shouted a half-dozen at once.
“Take the gentlemen’s horses to the stable; runb’em down, and
. give ’em fodder and corn,” said Mr. Hardcastle, sternly. ‘Then
’ snayely to his guests: ‘Walk in, gentlemen! Walk in.”
at The two entered the house, where Barbara Hardcastle, the
|| wife of the landlord, presided in all the dignity of two hundred
t pounds in weight, and forty years of experience, seconded by a
4 daughter of sweet eighteen, blonde in face, golden in hair, blue-
j eyed, and fairy in form. . .
“Be seated, gentlemen,” she said, waving her fan toward
two chairs. ‘The weather is warm—very! Jones, send for
ice. Jessie, open the windows. ; Or, stay; call Chloe to do it.”
Mr, Blunt excused himself, on the plea that he liked to see in
person to the rubbing down of his horse, and Mr. Maynard was
left alone with the ladies, whom he endeavored to interest by a
long account of the deplorable state of the country through the
rebellious spirit that seemed so rife in-:many parts of it.
To his surprise they seemed to pay very little interest to his
tirade, and seeing a smile on the face of the young lady who was
looking out of the window, he glanced in that direction himself.
and saw Mr. Blunt engaged, apparently in earnest conversation
with the two stalwart, and fine-looking sons of the landlord.
“Your brothers, miss, would make fine-looking soldiers,”’ said
Mr, Maynard.
Miss Hardcastle merely bowed as a reply.
“Lord Dunmore told me, when he was my guest at the ‘Ce-
. dars,’ that he intended to raise a regiment among the loyal young
gentlemen of Virginia,” continued Mr, Maynard.
Azain a slight bow was his only reply.
_ My traveling companion seems to get acquainted with your
brothers quite easily. He told me he had never been in these
parts before,” continued the old gentleman, determined to keep
up his end of the lever of conversation.
“He looks like a stranger,” said Mrs. Hardcastle. ‘There isn’t
much travel nowadays.”
“All on account of this rebellious feeling, madam.- As I said
to my friehd and relative, Lord Dunmore, when he was my guest
at the ‘Cedars,’ if we do not hang the Sons of Liberty now,
they’ll hang us by and by.”
“And what said Lord Dunmore, to that, sir?” asked Miss
Hardcastle, this time breaking silence.
“He said yea. It would have to come to that, and be was
sorry he had not commenced with Patrick Henry long ago.””
willing to let him come up alongside and euter into conversa-
Is that the inn we see|’
“What is that about Patrick Henry?” asked Mr. Blunt, who
now came in and joined the circle. .
“I was saying that Lord Dunmore was sorry he had not hanged
Patrick Henry long ago?” ~
“I suppose he is. ‘The words of Henry—give me liberty or
give me death—have been echoed all over the land,” said Mr.
Blunt. : :
“And will continue to echo until.what is a whisper now be-
comes thunder it’the ears of the oppressor!” said Miss Hardcastle,
earnestly. > ,
‘Silence, Jessie!” said. Mrs. Hardeastle. ‘‘In an inn, there
must be no politics“discussed by those who earn their bread be-
neath its roof. If you differ with others at least keep your —~
thoughts to yourself.”
“So young and fair, with aloyal father, and yet a rebel!’ mur-
mured Mr. Maynard.
And then he thought of his own home, and of Fanny, whose
heart he knew leaned toward the patriot cause.
But a servant announced supper, and that ended the matter
for the time.
All the white members of the family sat atthe table and joined
in the general conversation. Mr. Blunt appeared perfectly at
hom), especially with the young people, and Mr. Maynard
hardly had a chance to get a word in edgeways on his favorite
topic, while Mr. Blunt told funny hunting stories, and kept the
young people lavghing half the. time.
; Meantime Mr. Maynard did justice to the broiled bacon, the
cold venison, and the corn-cake, as well as to a cup of good
coffee. Hisride had given strength to an appetite that was sel-
dom poor. .
After supper whist was proposed, and Mr. and Mrs. Hard-
castle, as partners, handsomely carried off the honors of the even-
ing from Mr. Maynard and Mr. Blunt.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FIRE RAFTS.
When our hero, Rattlesnake Ned, reached Salem on his re-
turn from headquarters, he found the people of the town terribly
excited. Quite a fleet of large British vessels had run in close
to the harbor, with the evident intention of attacking and at-
tempting to take the Rattlesnake and her prize. _The batteries
on both points commanding the narrow channel had been
manned, and on board the schooner and her prize Ned found
quite an array of volunteers willing to risk life in defending the
vessels against the British. SO
He was saluted with cheers as he first inspected the prize, still
under charge of Clewline, and then boarded his own craft, where
the pilot, Josi Hopkins, had everything ready for action,
‘‘Darnation glad to see you aboard, cap’n!” said Hopkins,
“TJ cale’late we’re goin’ to have an all-fired mussy time here afore
long! Them Britishers thought they’d come a stayin’ right in
here; bnt I reckon they’re scarce o’ pilots or else don’t like to.
put big hull in a narrow channel with batteries at Lalf musket
shot on a plungin’ height. They might never get out where
they came in.” .
“You think they'll attack in boats?” asked Ned.
“Sartin of it, cap’n—sartin of it, and they'll wait till dark,
too. to commence. Their decks are crowded with men, and
they’ve extra boats towing astern of every ship. But if they
think to eatch us in the dark, they’re woeful mistaken creetors!
Look over our side.” .
Ned looked in the direction Hopkins pointed, and saw a half-
dozen rafts on which barrels of tar and combustible material were
iled. ;
p «When it begins to grow dark the tide will just be turning
ebb!” continued Hopkins, ‘“Ihen we'll start a fire raft out, and
while it makes them ships back off to a decent distance, it’!
light np the water far and near, and give our gunners a fair
chance to shoot at anything coming in.” mo,
“Youare right. It isa bright idea in a double sense,” said
Ned, laughing. ‘And now have our boarding-netting triced up,
ready to let fall.should the enemy even get alongside.”
«Aha! If zey come where I-can reach zem wiz aqnafortis, I
sink zey will find it worse zan ze sword or ze ball of lead!” cried
Doctor Le Berte, as he exhibited ahuge syringe as his weapon
of defense.
“Heavens! will you throw aquafortis in their faces?” exclaimed
Ned. : Z
“Certainement, messieur le capitaine. In war everysing is
fair, If I touch an eye it will see no more. Wherever it fall it
will burn worse zan ze melted Jead.”
“Tt will indeed be a terrible weapon,” said the young captain,
with a shudder. :
.
“Below I lave three more full charge iike zis,” said the doc-