Under the Storm

m dead at the

he headl

t him lying

moor an

RT

gay as that first troop. Some of the feathers were as draggled as the old cock's tail after a thunderstorm, some

iked to spend all his time on the hill-side where he could see the tents round the town, and watch bodies of troops come ou

hbours told his father that these troops were bad paymasters, and that there were idl

ng the long lines of soldiers drawn out from the camp, and seeing the smoke of the guns, whose soun

strayed into the lane where the grass grew thick and rank, and the others followed her. Jeph had turned her back and was close to the farmstead when he heard shouts and the clattering of trappings. Half-a-dozen le

rdily replied Jeph, and

stick so unexpectedly that it flew out of the trooper's hand. Of course, more than one stout man instantly seized the boy, amid howls of rage; and one heavy blow had fallen on him,

asp upon himself relax, and heard a voice

, your Grace," said one of the troo

u done to the poor man, you Schelm? See here, Ruper

hter," thundered the new comer, rising in his stirrups, and striking at the troopers with the flat

er," with which Patience and Rusha had darted out, as a cloud of smoke began to rise from the straw yard. Poor children, they screamed again at what was before them. Rus

If they take our cows, the bab

ng be done?" cried the youth, with a face of grie

o endeavour to extinguish it, themselves doing their best, and making the men release Steadfast, whom they had seized upon as he was trying to t

it was soon plain that the house could not be saved, and the elder remoun

n asked Prince Maurice. "This i

many such sights, I fear, ere we have done; tho

. They were all made to go out of the farm yard, and ride away before him, and then the two princes halted where the poor children, scarce knowing that their home was burning behind t

" asked Prince Mau

l," muttered Jeph betw

y no command of the King or mine. The fellow sha

prince, in much slower, and more imperfect English. "It

while setting spurs to his

after the shock, not even feeling that a heavy shower had begun to fa

dead, and he would die," in broken words. Steadfast then laid a hand on her, and

down under the rain, and had not touched the stable, the

r-we can't

rm between them and bore it into the stable, the baby screa

t! I can'

would run to the next cottage and get help. People

to quiet little Ben, she recollected Rusha, and besought him to find her. She could hardly sit still and feed the little one while she heard his voice shouting in

father, still with that vain hopeless hope that he might revive, all could not have been over in such a moment, and her terrible an

. Then she heard voices and feet, and in a fresh fright was about to turn again, when she knew Jephthah's call. He had the child in his arms. He had been coming back from the village with some neighbours, when they saw the poor little thing, c

ll Elmwood loved and trusted her, and the feeling of utter terror and helplessness almost vanished when she kissed and grieved over the orphans, and took the direction of things. She straightened and composed poor John Kenton's limbs, and gave what comfort

ation, it was decided that the burial had better take place th

ame case," said Harry Blane, the smit

or has the prayers said over him," added Goody, "though 'tis pity on

the pious captai

n Kenton what he was. Would that the good old times were back again; when

in the narrow wooded valley with the river between it and the camp, had not yet been visited by any of the Royalist army, but a midnight toll might have attracted the attention of some of the

taken home by kind old Goody Grace, while t