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THE. LOG CABIN LIBRARY. .
“From some of my prisoners. I took between thirty and
forty last night, and some of them had been here,” said Ned,
laughing. ‘‘Dearest Fanny, have you no welcome for me?”
‘These last words were to Fanny, who stood, blushing and
trembling, on the threshold. “
“Oh, yes,” she cried, blushing all the more as she returned
his fervent salute. ‘Iam so glad you yet live after the many
. terrible dangers you have passed through. We have heard of
your having been in battle so often.” :
“Well, it is true that I’ve smelled some powder. But, darling,
T have a surprise for you.” ~ :
“For me? A surprise for me?”
“Yes. Are you a good nurse?”
“Oh, Ned! Who told you? I was kind because he was dying,
and he had a mother and sisters.far away, but no one here to
soften his last breath.”
“Why, Fanny, what are you talking about?”
“Why, the officer that Mande killed—Lord Markton. He was
dying, and I wrote a letter for him.”
“Well, well! All this is news tome. But we will talk of that
by and by. There is an old gentlemen coming here—he will be
here in about an hour, or perhaps two—who will require your|-
tenderest care, and I think, dear, you can make a patriot of him
before he gets well, for it will be many months before he can
get around much.”
“Why this mystery, dear brother? Why can’t you speak ont?
Can it be Jack Clewline is hurt?”
“No, Maude; and if he was, you should be his nurse. There,
‘there; don’t blush. Girls never have a secret, you know. Jack
is coming on with the wounded man,”
“Who or what is he?” exclaimed his father.
“One who would not come here willingly, yet, under the cir-
cumstances, this is the only place for -him. He was badly
wounded last night, in an attack on me set afoot by Lord Dun-
more, who fled like a coward when. his creatures were
whipped.” _
“It is my father!” cried Fanny, turning white, and trembling
from head to foot. ‘He went to join Lord Dunmore.”
“Yes, dear girl. It is your father, badly, but not dangerously | tw,o
hurt, and rather sorry for the part he has taken, .I think. At
any rate, he says he is sure the Lord fights on our side.”
Ned's father frowned when he heard who it was that was com-
ing; but Maude laid her hand yently on his arm and looked in his
face, at the same time glancing toward poor Fanny. In asecond
the stern man softened. :
“Ned is right,” he said. ‘This is the place for Mr. Maynard,
and Fanny shall nurse him back to health. By-gones shall be
by-gones, and he shall receive nothing but kindness here.”
“Oh, you are so good!” eried Fanny, impulsively throwing her
arms about his neck and kissing him. ‘‘My poor father has
many faults, but-he is my father, and I love him with them
all.’ - -
“You shall cure him of the worst of all—his lack ~of patriot-
ism,”’ said the good old man, as he kissed her fair brow. ‘‘Now,
you and Mande hurry and liave a nice room fixed up cheerily
for him, and then get ready for dinner, for I have a fearful ap-
petite.” :
Mr. Pemberton now had Ned all to himself, and he plied him
with questions in regard to his cruise, what Washington said,
how he looked, did the Rattlesnake sail well, and everything
else that came crowding on his mind. ,
But he held up as he saw a party coming slowly up the- lane,
with a man borne on a litter in the midst.
“There comes Jack with poor Mr. Maynard along. On my
soul, I pity the poor fellow!” he cried.
Mr. Maynard was carried into the largest and most pleasant
chamber in the mansion; flowers were on the mantel, and in the
windows, and when aided by Jack Clewline and 4 servant, he
was carefully disrobed and put to bed; the same surgeon who
had softened the dying hours of Lord: Markton, arrived and
earefully examined his wounds.
“Right shoulder, very badly shattered and flesh wound in
thigh. Yon’ll be laid up some time, sir—but with proper sur-
gical care and good nursing, there is no danger in your case,
sir.””
“How long will I be kept down?” asked Mr. Maynard.
“If you would not be a cripple for life, you must remain per-
fectly quiet for weeks, perhaps months.”
Maynard groaned. He conld not bear to thus trespass on one
whom he had injured both in thought and deed.
After the surgeormleft, Fanny came in. She told her father
that she was to be his nurso. The surgeon had told her just
what to do, and he would call every day so long as he was at
home, though he expected soon to bo called away.
So Fanny went to work to make her father comfortable. A
negro servant brought up ice, water, lemons and sugar, and
6
made him a cold lemonade, which was delicious in his hot and
fevered state. pO
Then Maude came in with some gruel and toast, prepared by
her own hands, and as kindly as if he had never meditated a
wrong to her, urged him to take it for it would give him
strength.
He wanted to be peevish, ugly, and hateful—yet how could
he? He determined to conquer his unmanly spirit, and in a
grateful tone he thanked the fair girl while he strove to swallow
the food, though he almost choked as he thought how he had
already outraged her kindness and friendship. .
Then the two girls sat near him, took out their embroidery,
and in silence went to work, and the old gentleman closed‘ his
eyes and slept, . When he awoke, hours afterward, the girls were
gone, and Mr. Pemberton himself was by the bedside. ‘
‘You were to have a glass of wine when you woke—a glass of
port. You have lost a good deal of blood, and this will bring it
back,” said Mr. Pemberton, filling the glass and coming to raise
the invalid’s head.
“Basil Pemberton, I am a brute, and you—you are a gentle-
man and a Christian,” stammered Mr. Maynard. .
“Tut! tut! Don’t call yourself names. I'll not permit it.
We are friends and neighbors, and should be kind to each other
in the hour of trouble,” ' said Mr. Pemberton. ‘Come, old
friend, drink the wine; the doctor orders it.” .
* Tears were in Mr. Maynard’s eyes while he drank the wine.
«Where is Fanny?” he asked, when his head again sank on
the downy pillow. 2 .
“She and Maude are lying down to rest.. The doctor says you
must be watched constantly for a few days, lest inflammation
sets in unnoticed. If it does, he is to be called instantly, night
or day. So you see, old friend, we three—that is, Fanny,
Mande, and I—have divided off into watches. Fanny and
Maude will take one turn, and I the next, and so let it come,
turn and turn about.” . .
“You are very good, better than I deserve,” said Mr. Maynard.
“‘Has your son gone back to the schooner?”
“No,‘not yet. He wants to stay and visit old friends a day or
“Tell him for me that it will be very dangerous for him to
stay up the river long. The English fleet below’is large and
strong, and if they know he is up this way, they’ll move heaven
and earth to capture him.’? \
= ‘And yet he will escape,” said Mr. Pemberton. ‘Heaven
favors the right. But your warning is meant kindly, and I will
give it to him as coming from you.”
me. .
**As I hope he will ever be to those who are in alike condition.
But don’t talk much, old friend. Try and sleep now. I will
wake you when Fanny comes, for her turn will commence in an
nour.”
“Thank you,” said Mr. Maynard, and he closed his eyes to
think, rather than sleep.
After his watch was over, and Fanny, and Maude entered the
chamber of the invalid, Mr. Pemberton sought out his son and
told him what Mr. Maynard had said. .
Meantime, there came startling news from below. The British,
not satisfied with a mere blockade of the mouth of the river,
were evidently preparing a boat expedition to move up the river
in search of the cruiser which had done such fearful damage to
the royal cause.
“JT cannot stay an hour longer,’ said Ned, when this news
came, ‘My post is my vessel, and if there isn’t a sick lot of
Britons before they get out of the river, I’m not Rattlesnake
Ned. That’s what’s the matter!” .
And within the hour he was off at. full speed on his father’s
best horse, steering for his vessel. :
CHAPTER XXXI.
RUNNING THE BLOCKADE, |
“Jerusalem, cap’n, but I’m all-fired glad to see you!” .
This was the exclamation of Josi Hopkins when Ned Pember-
ton hurried on board of the schooner. y
“Where is Clewline?” was the first question Ned asked.
“Gone down the river in our fastest boat to watch the tarnal
Britishers!” replied Hopkins. .
“And are you ready here?”
“Better believe we are, sir; everything loaded and fixed. There
are two batteries just below us, manned by Sons of Liberty, out
of our range though. And the doctor here has been fixing up lots
of that hell-fire of his to squirt on ’em!” :
In a few minutes Jack Clewline returned with his boat’s crew
pretty, well tired with rapid rowing.
“‘How is it? What is the news?” cried Pemberton.
“Thank you. He isa brave young man, and was very kind to
oa