This main door itself had a church-like character, and was battened or
built in half, so that the upper part could be thrown open like a
window, and yet the lock on this upper part was a foot and a half long,
and the key weighed a pound.
This ponderous door, in elaborate carpentry, opened upon a flight of
steps and on a flower-yard surrounded by elms, firs, and Paulownia
trees, the latter of a beany odor and nature. A lower servants' part of
the dwelling, in two stories, stretched to the fields, and had a
veranda-covered rear.
Van Dorn called to a negro:
"Buck Ransom!"
"Politely, Captain," the negro's insinuating voice answered.
"Go to the front door and knock. As you enter, see that it is clear to
fly open. Then, as you pass along the hall, throw the windows up."
"Politely, Captain;" the negro bowed and departed.
"Owen Daw!"
"Yer honor!"
"Climb into the big tulip-tree softly and take this musket I shall reach
you. Train it on the staircase window, and fire only if you see
resistance there."
The boy went up the tree with all his vicious instincts full of fight.
"Melson!"
"Ay yi!"
"Milman!"
"Ah! boy."
"Get yourselves beneath the two large windows on the hall and serve as
mounting-blocks to Sorden's party. I shall storm the main door. As we
enter there, Sorden, order your men right over Melson and Milman into
the windows Ransom has lifted.
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