The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LOVE AND PATRIOTISM. left dangling from the outer edge of the window-sill, was conclusive proof that by this mode a portion of the gang, at least, had found entrance. The open wardrobe and some scattered articles of dress seemed to indicate that the terrified victim had dressed herself before she was seized. Last- ly, the senseless form of the half-clad black wench, Jenny, was dragged from under the bed, which partly concealed her. She was stunned by a severe blow on the head, but a splash of cold water revived her. “Mass’r, Mass’r! Cunnel Cleaveland! Pompey! Cesar! help, help!” she began to squall with returning consciousness. “ Kick him in de jaw, Miss Ida! Wait till I get in his har! Help, help! Mass’r! Cunnel !” ‘! “Stop your howling, wench! Tell us What you know of this,” exclaimed her mas- ter. i From what could be gathered, the cham- ber had been forced in the midst of the storm, some of the gang entering by the window, others by the door, having forced the drawing-room windbw below. Hearing the sounds, but cut off from escape, Ida had hastily dressed herself, at the same time crying out loudly for help. .But the room had been immediately forced, Jenny knocked senseless with the but of. a pistol, and her mistress gagged and borne down the stairs, The ruffians reached the drawing-room be- fore they saw Godfrey, and were on the point of escaping by the window, when the old man entered, with his walking-stick in his hand, followed by his faithful coachman. The latter had been almost. immediately slain by a pistol-shot, and, although the old man fought hard, it was not. many seconds ere he was likewise laid low. The rest of the tale, after Cleaveland entered upon the scene, we are already acquainted with. To describe the heartrending anxiety Which attended and followed these develop- ments were a sorry and useless task. Noth- ing could be obtained as a clue to the yil- Jains, or to the place in which they had immured their victim. Another of the slaves belonging to the place had been killed at the barn, and two more wounded in en- deavoring to defend their master’s property. All the hands on the plantation were assem- bled, and questioned, but nothing elicited, The horses had all been stolen from their stalls. Nevertheless, Cleaveland led a party of armed negroes over 19 Jacob Gleason’s plantation in the vain 1 ope of extorting something from him; but without success. Nevertheless, they took him in custody, and roused the planters of the vicinity with the harrowing tale. At length, as the party were returning to Misty Mount, Cleayeland was much gratified to see a dozen of his own rough-riders galloping up to the house from the camp at Valleyton. ‘Now we will have a chance!” he joy- fully cried, to Gwin, who was moodily awaiting him. “TI will scour the entire mountain from summit to base with these hardy fellows, and with far better cheer, de- pend upon it !” But the colonel’s face fell as he read a paper which one of his men, dismounting, respectfully handed to him. * Good God!” he exclaimed to his host. “Imust go! Iam ordered off immediately to join Campbell and others in an attack on King’s Mountain. How can I leave you ?” “ How, indeed ?” replied Gwin. “TI will not leave you in this strait—by Heaven I will not!” exclaimed the colonel, warmly. “ Fifty orders shall not compel me to relinquish this search before I restore your daughter to your arms.” The old man covered his face with his hands for a moment, and his frame quivered with the deep emotion which possessed it. ‘But, in a few seconds he mastered his feel- ings, looked up, and said, firmly : “Colonel Cleaveland, ,your warmth is grateful to my broken heart; but you must, nevertheless, obey the call of your country. You must not even think of disregarding it. The welfare of my daughter, sir, is as a feather’s weight in the scale wherein our country’s safety is balanced. Farewell! I hope we shall meet again. Howsoever tha, be, may God-speed be with you now and hereafter. Farewell !” ' It was with feelings of scarcely con- trollable emotion that Cleaveland grasped the extended hand of the noble old man, whose sublime patriotism had thus tri- umphed over impulses as deep and strong as a father can feel for his only child. “You are right,” murmured the colonel, with a trembling lip. “Believe me, sir, I can appreciate your noble conduct which thus recalls me to a sense of duty. Oh, I can sympathize with you more than you imagine, sir!” | “Why ?” inquired the other, surprised at his guest exhibiting an emotion almost ag profound as his own Gomi elnaoolks (C(O)