A heroine of 1812

by Amy Ella Blanchard

Jubal.

The next day the two girls parted, not to meet again for many a long day. Aunt Martha had received a letter from her husband, in which he begged that she would leave the plantation and return to Baltimore. He had heard of the depredations along the Chesapeake, and was filled with anxiety for her. Therefore she concluded to follow his advice, and made ready to go back to her city home. Betty, likewise, vowed that she could not remain, for these late scenes had completely unnerved her, and she decided to pack up and go to her father in Kent County, and Lettice agreed to go with her, after receiving the approval of her brother Tom as to the step.

“I will hunt up William,” he said, “and will report to him of your movements.”

Before he left, he told them of how he had been picked up by a British vessel, on that day, so long ago, when he had fallen overboard, and how he had fallen into the captain’s humor when he pretended to believe he was one of his own men, and he had joined the service, determining to escape when he had enough of it. Later on he found himself on board a vessel on which were his old acquaintances, Pat Flynn and Johnny Carter. The three put their heads together and laid plans by which they might manage to get away. Tom was the first to make the attempt, and one dark night dropped overboard. He had not given his true name to any one during all this time, nor did he do so when he was picked up by an American vessel.

“I shall never forget,” he said, “how bravely a young lieutenant stood by me. He was taking in a prize when he sent out a boat to pick me up, and after I told him my story, he swore he would never give me up, though he died for it. He had a chance to prove his words not long after, and stand by me he did, to such an extent that a fight was on before I knew it, and we carried in two prizes instead of one. But as ill luck would have it, on my way home I was taken prisoner just outside our own bay, for the vessel on which I was returning had a little set-to with a British cruiser, and I was nabbed and brought in. But home was too near for me not to make desperate efforts to get to it, and so I did, with what result you see. I hope Pat got away. Poor fellow, he was bent on it, if chance offered.”

“He did then,” Lettice was able to tell him, and she gave an account of him; then begged Tom to continue his story.

“As I was making for shore,” he went on, “swimming up the little creek I knew so well, whom should I see at the old landing where we always kept the boat, but some one else getting ready to row across; and who should it be but Jamie. I did not know him, for he was only a little chap when I last saw him, but he recognized me, and was overjoyed to see me, in spite of all my misdeeds, and we started off, when pell-mell came a party of British after me. The best thing we could do was to try to cut across and reach home the long way, instead of coming over the creek. So we landed, and at first got along very well, but the wretches, piloted by some one who knew the way, caught sight of us just before we reached here. Jamie kept encouraging me, and said if we could but get to the house it would be all right, and he reminded me of our old hiding-place; but I tripped and fell over the roots of the old locust tree, and Jamie, never thinking of saving himself, stopped to help me up. I cried out to him to go on, but he would not, and he was hit just as we reached the steps. I didn’t even know it, for he called out, ‘I’m right behind you, Tom’, and—” he stopped short and could not go on. Lettice was sobbing, her face against her brother’s broad shoulder.

Betty’s tears were falling fast, and she said unsteadily, “Greater love hath no man than this.”

“Go on, Tom,” said Lettice. “Our dear one is safe; oh, so safe.”

“God grant that when my time comes, I shall not forget his example!” said Tom, brokenly. He was silent for a moment, and then went on with his story. “I had the wit to blow out the candle, and I ran upstairs to the little closet under the eaves at the end of the garret, that was struck by lightning and boarded up afterward; you know the place, and how it can be reached from the roof by going down the scuttle on that side.”