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Under the Storm by Charlotte Mary Yonge
page 35 of 247 (14%)
"Father."

He was answered with a rude shout of derision, and poor Croppie was
pricked with the sword's point to turn her away. Jeph was wild with
passion, and struck back the sword with his 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, when Kenton dashed forward, thrusting himself
between his son, and the uplifted arm, and had begun to speak, when,
with the words "You will, you rebel dog?" a pistol shot was fired.

Jeph saw his father fall, but felt the grasp upon himself relax, and
heard a voice shouting, "How now, my men, what's this?"

"He resisted the King's requisition, your Grace," said one of the
troopers, as a handsome lad galloped up.

"King's requisition! Your own robbery. What have you done to the
poor man, you Schelm? See here, Rupert," he added, as another young
man rode hastily up.

"Rascals! How often am I to tell you that this is not to be made a
place for your plunder and slaughter," thundered the new comer,
rising in his stirrups, and striking at the troopers with the flat of
his sword, so that they fell back with growls about "soldiers must
live," and "curs of peasants."

The younger brother had leapt from his horse, and was trying to help
Jephthah raise poor Kenton's head, but it fell back helplessly, deaf
to the screams of "Father, father," with which Patience and Rusha had
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