Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. II, No. 14 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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he could not bear a master, but he turned and went for his men. The first of the party who made his appear- ance was Hon Yost, evidently anid 9 a good load of the “ardent” on board, and carrying a bottle of the same in his hand. “Goot nicht, great Mister Var-Eagle. Vil ou have atrink mit me? Ve are goin’ on a eetle valk for de olt general ?” “Yea! I will take it all /” said Thayendan- egea, as he took the extended bottle and dash- it against a rock near by. Hon Yost for a wioment stood aghast. He looked first at the fragments of the bottle, and then at the chief, paused a moment, and then, handing him his pipe, said: “ Yust preak mine shmoke-pipe, too, if you please, Mister Var-Eagle !” ** Your head, too, if you want it done !”’ said the chief, as he dashed the pipe alongside of the bottle. “No, no-—Mister Var-Eagle, you have pe mine heart ven you preaks mine prandy ttle und mine shmoke-pipe—I vil keep mine head for anodder time!’ Thayendanegea now gave a low call, and @ subordinate chief appeared, whom he di- revted to pick out fifteen men, true and trusty, foy the expedition. “Am I to go as one?” asked the newly- adopted brother. “ We are but one, and I name you Niscayu- na!” said Thayendanegea, and, as he armed himself for the expedition, he shrew over Niscayuna’s shoulder a belt of the royal wam- um, such only as was worn by himself, and sanded him a tomahawk precisely like his own. He examined Niscayuna’s rifle, and said : “ This is not sure—there is a better!” and handed him one like his own, with its accou- trements. Butler now made his appearance with his men, and, as Hon Yost was quite sobered with his loss, the party started. CHAPTER XXXIX. About two miles above Fort Dayton, stood me of those old-fashioned Dutch houses—of which few specimens are now to be seen in the Mohawk Valley—large gabled structures, as full of windows as an ancient village maid- en is of gab—ne offence venerable virgins, but I must have a comparison, even if it is at your expense—and, at the time of which I write, «t was pretty well filled with a purty of ories, sr of those who, sedused by the specious pro- slamations of General St Leger, a.d the fom that their property would be destroyed by the advancing foe, were being inclined to take the side of King George. They were a higglepiggled set, Scotch, Dutch, but—to their credit be it said—in that day there were very few Irish disinclined te our patriot cause. The proprietor of this mansion was a regular-built, full-rigged, old tory Hessian, by birth and nature. His name was Diedrich Schoomaker, yet so careful had he been to conceal his sentiments, that the yon County Committee had not shipped him off, or looked to his actions sufficiently to de- tect him in his evil deeds. His house, being back from the main road and in an out-of-the- way situation, suited the tories excellently for a rendezvous, and as such it had been used since the commencement of the war. It was full midnight, and the great kitchen and dinner-room-—both being one in such houses—was pretty nearly crammed with men of the class which I have named. Diedrich Schoomaker was in his glory, for he presided over a puncheon of rum in one corner, from which he measured half-pinte as fast a8 they were called fer, and that was about as fast as they could be drawn by him. “ The health of King George,” was the only toast allowed to be drunk, and “ success to his eause” was the general addition after the drink- er had recovered his breath. Though most of those present seemed very {well eontented with their cheer and their com- pany, some there were who exhibited great impatience, and cursed more than 8 little somewhat as the army is said to have done in Flanders—because some person or persons ex- pected did not make his or their appearance. It was, perhaps, an half hour after mid- night, when a person hastily entered from withoat, and immediately one of the loudest of the grumblers cried out : * Geptlewen, eome tu order and make room, Thayendanegea, the Scourge. ee ee ee ee Sneeeetineen for the deputation from the eamp of General St. Leger has just arrived, and will enter the room in one moment !” “Yes! and yust make room from pefore mine rum parrel, for Gey pe sure to be dry,” cried the hospitable and most loyal Diedrich A moment later, and Thayendanegea, who allowed no man to precede him, either in war or peace, strode into the room, followed by fourteen of his fierce-looking warriors, Wihbet dai being close by his side. Walter Butler, headed by Hon Yost, and followed vy fourteen of his men, came next. There was no need to say make room. When the people glanced at the great War-Eayle and his followers, they fell back like sheep be- fore a pack of wolves, and he moved to the upper end of the room, near where Diedrich Schoomaker was, through a broad avenue. “Creat Mr. Injun, vil you und yeur mene have a trink ?” cried Died~ich, wishing at eros to make favor with that party, and he ad- vanced with a gallon measure of rum in his hand. ‘‘ Curse your fire-water—Mohawks are not beasts !” said Thayendanegea, indignantly, as he struck the measure from the astonished Diedrich’s hand, and spilled its contents upon the floor, which needed washing with some kicd of liquid. “Mein Cot in himmels, vat a vaste!’ roaned Hon Yost, who was, as if by scent, finding his way to the rum-puncheon with all haste. “Tt is late, and this meeting will at once come to order, to hear the proclamation which I have the honor to offer in the name of Genera] Barry St. Leger,” said Lieutenant Butler, mounting a very appropriate stand for a spirited address, it being the head of Died- rich’s rum barrel. “ But before I read the proclamation, copies of which I have for gen- eral distribution, I will say,” continued the lieutenant, “that, in the troops of both classes which I have brought here, not as a guard, but a3 a speciinen, you see only a few out of thou- sands just like them who must—” “ Surrender to the arms of the Continental Congreas !* shouted an officer, at the door, who was dressed in the uniform of the Ameri- canarmy. “ You are surrounded—resistance is useless—he dies who tries to escape !” With a wild bound, and Niscayuna by his side, Thayendanegea sprung through the pas- sage by which he had entered. His warriors would have followed, but the terrified crowd closed in, and cut them off from their leader, All was terror, shouts, confusion | One breath, nota second, and the War-Eagle, brandishing his tomahawk in his hand and ut- tering his terrible yell, which was known but too well, was at the door—out of it, upon the soldiers who were placed before it. Two fell before his blows, another dropped beneath Niscayuna’s hand, and they were clear; for the line was broken, and they were speedin off like deer in the gloom beyond pursuit. A few scattering shots were fired after them, but they were far wide of their mark. Soon the forest was gained, and then Thayendanegea paused, and said : ‘* My brave brother, we are safe!” “The Great Spirit protects the brave and the good!" said Niscayuna, as he pressed the hand of the War-Eagle. Ther were safe; but where were their late companions? Let us go back and see. Searcely had Thayendanegea and Niscayu- na escaped from the room, when, from every avenue, Continental soldiers entered with fixed bayonets; at every window glittering steel was seen. Those within saw but too plainly how mad and useless it would be to resist. Even the Indians were panic-stricken, and stood quiet and waited for the result. “ Surrender, sir !” said an officer, approach’ mg t Land Butler * to whom ?” said Butler, turning palo, for he knew the pci generally awarde to a spy, or an enemy who sou inci ei a J ght to incite a people to “ Colonel Weston, of the Continental oar P cried the officer, reaching his hand for Butler’s sword, which was delivered. “Cot in himmels, I surrender, too !” anid Hon Yost, as he bent down before Diedrich s rum puncheon, and surrendered himself to full a ee of 7 contents. _+he soldiers and Indians were all speedil disarmed ; such of the persons present ag an A known tories were secured, while the rest were dismissed, with the information that General Arnold, with a pewerful force, was at Fort 23 “neo - Dayton, and would not only sweep the enemy from the land, but severely punish all who were recreant to the cause. And as the young hero. then, of St. Johns, Montreal, the passage of the Kennebee and Chandierre, was in the zenith of his fame, and known to be as severe as he was brave, the cheek of Butler paled ; for he knew that of all others, he would be one who, from his position, pust and present, it would be desirable to make an example of The prisoners, properly secured, were soon marched off to Fort Dayton; and, as might have been supposed from what Arnold was then, an immediate court-martial was ordered. Its result must be the subject of another chapter, while we turn off for a brief space to a scene, which it were @ mortal gin in me to fail to describe. CHAPTER LX After the fatal victory of Oriskany General Herkimer was abnveved upon a litter to hie residence, which still stand upon the lovely banks of the Mohawk, about two or three miles below the now beautiful and thriving village of Little Falls, modernized in aome parts, yet in the room where he died, and in another favorite reom of his, left nnchanged. He bore without @ groan the exquisite pain coped nents upon his removal with a limb so dreadfully shattered; his only thoughts of agony being for the loss of so many brave friends and neighbors, among whom were the Bellingers, Secbers, Saumons, Davis, Helmers, Petries, Deggerts, Snells, and many others. Upon his arrival at home, had his old medi. eal adviser Doctor Patrie been left to his own judgment, there is no doubt in the minds of all cognisant of the case, that the old hero’s life might have been saved for years, at least. But a young French surgeon in General Arnold's army—pity it is that we have not his name to hand down tothe realms of “dlasted memory,” insisted that amputation was necessary. The old general bore the operation as he had all other pain, without a murmor; but the opera tor—most accounts say that he was intoxicated —did his work unskillfully ; the arteries were not properly taken up, and from that hour the ivro knew he had to face ayain that grica master why exacts obedience from all It is not hard—scarcely does it require any heroism to die upon the battle-field—one scarcely feels the pain of a wound there, amid its wild excitement, and the spirit leaps from its shattered tenement almost exultingly, seem- ing to think that it has plenty of company in its way to the other world.” But it Boss re- quire bravery to calmly face the hour when one must leave all that he loves, and all that he knows of, to step into that world which can only be seen dimly by the eye of faith, and from whence no traveler has ever return- ed to give us a chart to steer by—to die so, in & quiet, only disturbed by the sobs of weeping friends, and to bid them be still and see how a man can die, does require true courage. When death was very near, the heroic Her- kimer, who had calmly arranged his affairs, bade his friends bring him the Bisuxr. He was done with the sworp. He was familiar with the only two weapons necessary to sus- tain American freedom. Reading aloud, the thirty-eighth Psalm, so that all about his bed might hear it, he continued until the rapid lons of blood so weakened his voice that it died away into a whisper. Oh. look with me at that bed-side—be still, for Death stands at the door. Look upon those gray hairs clustering around that pale, but massive brow—look at that eye which etl shone so bright in the lurid glare and sulphurous smoke of the battle-field—see those lips slowly growing cold and blue, from whence came the words: “ March on, I will face the foe”—those lips last blessed with the words of sacred inspiration—look at the front of dissolution slowly Whitening over those manly features—those white hands so lately sword-elutching, now crossed in peace upon his broad breast—look—but atop, he breathes not—he is gone! The unseen spirit has pasn- ed invisibly from our eyes, fled away from the ower of Death, who now coldly sits upou what was only mortal of his vietim! * + * * * More than seventy, or nearly seventy, years ago—I am not to a year or two certain of the date—Congress passed a resolution requesting the governor and council of New erect & monument, at the expense of the ork to United States, to coat five hundred dollars, ta GEomicbooks.co EE