University of Virginia Library

VI.—HARPER'S FERRY, NEAR THE ARMORY.

Brown, his Sons, and Others.
Brown.
Stevens and Cook, you hear? You are assigned
To take the prisoners, hold them as hostages,
With servants such as ye may find at hand;
First to Washington's and Allstadt's, then Byrne's.
Kagi, you and your men, Copeland, and Leary,
March on the rifle-works, secure the watch,—
The bridge is guarded.

All.
“For truth and freedom.” We have the password.

[They go out.
Brown.
My children, this is the crisis of our plan;
Be forward, then, to meet it as becomes
Those who are pledged to die in freedom's cause.

Oliver.
We shall, dear father; 't is a desperate deed;
This town, in truth, is taken for the hour,
But our small force is scattered far apart.

Brown.
Yes, dear Oliver; not by our number
Are we strong; the God of justice aids the right;
A principle avails more than a host;—
And soon the slaves must rise.

Watson Brown.
None do rise yet.

Brown.
They have not heard our news; but fast, at once,
On learning of their brothers flocking in,
From Washington's, and elsewhere, they will join.
Watchman! watchman! hark ye, open this gate!

Watch.
I will be hanged if I unlock that gate,—
My God, don't shoot! four guns across my chest,—
Well, if you kill me, 't were no better then.
Come on, but on your peril, not on mine;
And now, I say, what is this fuss about?

Brown.
We come to free the slaves,—no more, no less;
We hold the armory and rifle-works,
The town is at our mercy. In God's hand
Our cause is firmly set; he will support
Our forces on this march, furnish supplies,
And cause the guiding light that fell
O'er Israel's pathway, in her darkest hour,
Thus to illume our road.

Watch.
That may be so; my lantern is put out,
And my employers look to me.
Captain, how many men along with ye?

Brown.
You long have been a watchman at this yard,—
How many are the negroes in the town?

Watch.
Just a small sprinkling to the whites.

[A shot is heard.
Brown.
Who fired that shot?—quick, Oliver, and learn!
I would not harm a hair of any head,
Save I were forced upon it.

Oliver.
Father, a cruel stroke,—a negro's slain!
A porter of the road, oh, sad mischance!
This man was killed unarmed.

Brown.
That was a sorry deed! but in this strife,
The conflict between races, and within
The narrow boundaries of this close-walled town,
Chance shots might kill. Our men cannot stand fast
As targets for the enemy, nor halt
While they bring in the prisoners; the best place
For them will be the watch-house,—a strong post.

Oliver.
Father, will not these hostages delay
And menace all our motions? 'T is much
If we may save ourselves; nor this, unless
We move, by early morning, for the hills.

Brown.
My son, in war there is a measured course.
The lives of others must become a shield
Between the outside foe and us within.

Watson.
Yes, if we had a force. We are too few.
They have a store of arms outside the armory
Secured against the freshets.

Brown.
Children, we are alone; no other ear
Might list a word of this, except your own.
To you, my sons, dear as my eyes,—the life
By which I live,—I frankly own our bark
May not be shipped upon a sea of oil.
Remember Kansas! think of your brothers' fates.
It may be in our family that blood
Descends, leading us forth to sacrifice.
Perchance our plans may fail for one short hour;
Yet 't is the vast design of God, who leads
A cause to victory by ill precedents.
Failure must prove success!

Oliver.
I hear the wagon!

Watson.
Cook is returned.

Brown.
These men must pass within the watch-house.
[To the prisoners, who enter.
'T is cool this early air, and fire is welcome;
Walk in. Your name, I hear, is “Washington,”—
I thought as much. As soon as the dawn breaks,
You will oblige by sending off a line,
By which your able-bodied negroes haste
To take your place. We come to free the slaves.

Allstadt.
Your force, doubtless, is large.

Brown.
We call upon a host that cannot fail.
No harm can come to you; as hostages
We guard you here.

Cook.
Captain, I'll make another move for Byrne's.
The morn's so chill, I am completely froze.
Stevens I do not need, while you may get
Hot work before you march.

Brown.
That's well; we shall not linger long.
Our plans are all destructive to delay.

Washington.
And do you think to make us march with you?

Brown.
No doubt for that you are brought here.

Washington.
Without our will, four men full-armed to one.
Had I my sword,—see, that is it you hold.
You do not know the history of that sword.
Frederick, of all the Prussians Great,
This sword to him whose name I bear once gave;
And if I had not been four times outmatched,
Its blade had cut your hirelings to the ground.

Brown.
You are a brave man, sir; we all see that.

Stevens.
Yes, it is true; brave as a slaveholder.

Brown.
Pardon their temper, Colonel.

Oliver.
Father, their scouts are active. One just passed
Mounted,—he flies to raise the neighborhood.

Brown.
Let none go by whom you can stop!

Oliver.
And of the train, the passengers are timid.

Brown.
Has that not gone? You then mistook my order.
It should have gone long since.

[They go out.
Washington.
What do these madmen mean?

Allstadt.
Fanatics, abolitionists, all doomed!

Washington.
And holding us as pledges of their safety.

Allstadt.
It is their trick of speech.