PACIFIC TREE AND VINE 



21 



heart and courage of WashiiiKton 

 they would have given up in utter 

 despair. But things are looking 

 brighter now. Congress has sent 

 them money, and General Greene 

 has had some splendid victories in 

 the South; and Edward says there 

 are still more to follow." 



"You don't say so !" cried the 

 farmer in a ringing voice, and his 

 bent form straightened, and his blue 

 eyes flashed. "Now, may the Lord 

 be praised ! How many times have 

 I told you, Mother, that we'd cer- 

 tainly win in the end." 



"But these victories cost so. 

 Father!" said Molly, throwing her 

 arm over the horse's neck and hid- 

 ing her face against his glossy 

 mane. "O Duke, Duke, when will 

 your master come back to us ?" 



Duke had been champing his bit 

 uneasily, but at the sound of his 

 mistress' voice he became instantly 

 quiet. He turned his full, bright 

 eye on her and lowered his head 

 until his nose rubbed against her 

 hand. 



"Justlookat the critter, Mother!" 

 cried Farmer Holley. "I think he 

 actually knows what the girl is say- 

 ing." 



"Edward wrote that there was a 

 great scarcity of hores in the army, 

 and asked me, in case Duke was 

 needed for Washington, if I would 

 be willing to give him up." 



"It would be rather hard to give 

 up Duke. Eh, Molly, girl?" 



"I would even part with him, if 

 necessary. I will do anything and 

 everything that I can, for the sake 

 of our country," said Molly. "And 

 dear old Duke is fit to carry even 

 so good and great a man as Wash- 

 ington." 



In a few moments the family was 

 seated at the table, and opening the 

 big, leather-bound Bible, Farmer 

 Holley read a short chapter, fol- 

 lowed by the simple evening prayer. 



The next morning, after break- 

 fast was cleared awaj', Molly said 

 to her father : 



"I believe I'll ride down to Mid- 

 dlesex church. I don't like to miss 

 one of Parson Mather's sermons. 

 They are a great comfort to me. 



And I can see, too, whether the 

 house is all right. I can get there 

 in time for the afternoon service, 

 and I'll take Ruth with me for 

 company." 



Shortly before noon, Duke was 

 brought to the door, and so impa- 

 tient was he, that he could hardly 

 wait for Molly and Ruth to mount. 

 Off they went at a rapid pace, 

 through the gato anil down the old 

 posl-road, and Canaan Parish was 

 soon left far behind. 



After a few pats and a little coax- 

 ing, Duke settled down to a sober 

 trot. A ride of six miles brought 

 them to Molly's house, and a glance 

 told them that all was snfe. Then 

 they came in sight of the wooden 

 meeting-house, with its stiff little 

 belfry. On one side was a dense 

 swamp l)ordcring the road. As 

 they parsed it, Ruth glanced care- 

 lessly back, and her heart gave a 

 great thump, as she thought she 

 saw a bit of red color and a glitter 

 as of Min-hine on burnished steel. 

 She looked again, hut there was 

 nothing bnt an unbroken wall of 

 green leaves, so thick was the 

 growth of bushes and tangled vines. 

 Her first impulse was to tell Molly. 

 Then she laughed at her foolish 

 fears. "I'm but a silly girl." she 

 thought, "it was all imagination " 



The bell was still ringing, and 

 Molly went behind the church, 

 where the horses were fastened and 

 tied Duke to a tree. Then she took 

 Ruth by the hand, crossed the 

 porch, passed through the little en- 

 try and walked up the aisle to a 

 square, high-backed pew. 



The young girl heard but little 

 of the service. She could not get 

 that hit of red color and the glitter 

 in the swamp out of her mind. The 

 windows were open, and she found 

 herself listening intenth' for every 

 little sound, but she heard nothing 

 except the .singing of birds and the 

 rustling of the leaves, as the warm 

 south wind gently stirred the 

 branches of the trees. But when 

 Mr. Mather, from his high pulpit 

 perched beueath the great sound- 

 ing-board, began to read the hymn, 

 suddenly the words died away on 



his lips. He closed his book and 

 remained motionless, with his eyes 

 riveted on the open door. 



"Surrender or die !" called a loud 

 voice. " Esc.ipe is impossible, for 

 both doors are guarded." 



Tiiree or four young men climbed 

 out of the windows, but the shots 

 fired after them warned others of 

 the dangers of flight. With clank- 

 ing irms a number of British sol- 

 diets, led l>y some of the Middlesex 

 Tories, rudely entered the church, 

 and proceeded to plunder the con- 

 gregation. Silver watches were 

 taken, s her buckles were torn 

 from knee breeches and shoes, and 

 ear-rings were roughly snatched 

 from women's ears. 



Molly started up indignant, as a 

 trooper pointed to the gold beads 

 on her neck. "I'll thank ye for 

 those geegaws. ma'am," said he. 



'Softly, .softly, Misire.-s Pidgin," 

 exclaimed a neighbor; "resistance 

 is of no use." And .Molly gave up 

 the necklace. 



Then she whispered to Ruth ; 

 "Keep close by me. Little Sister ! 

 Do just as I do — keep getting near 

 the door — a step at a time — with- 

 out attracting attention. If I can 

 only save Duke!" The British 

 tied the men, two by two, and, 

 amid the soldiers' jeers and hoot- 

 ing, the gray-haired minister was 

 dragged from the pulpit. 



' Let the rebel parson lead the 

 march," cried one; "and hark ye, 

 sirrah, step lively, or you'll feel the 

 prick of my bayonet — we must make 

 haste, or the whole town will be 

 alter us," he added in a lower tone, 

 addressing one of hi.s comrades. 



In the meantime, Molly and 

 Ruth had reached the door without 

 being seen, and Mistress Pidgin 

 peejied out cautiously. The guard 

 had left his post to lead the horses 

 to the front of the church. Most of 

 them had been taken, but Duke 

 was still standing under the tree. 



The two sisters darted down the 

 steps, climbed upou a stone fence, 

 untied Duke and mounted, but had 

 gone only a few yards when they 

 encountered two men. 



"Stop!" cried one of them, seiz- 



