Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-01-29
3}liscellaueol,&
MARION AND HIS MEN.
McDONALD'S RESCUE.
BY II. &. ClIIFMAN.

Oul ulbli lilC tu, a. ooiitt'y 'Ao'S
rode along the banks Of the Santee river
and took his way in the direction of the
farm house of Elihu Hunter. He was
about twenty-five years of age, and was
dressed in the uniform of Marion's men
He rode tall coal black stecd, and was
completely armed for offensive opera
tions.
He had evidently been belated, and
was now wishing to make up for lost
time, for his noble stced was urged for.
ward at rapid gallop, and his eye wan.
dered anxiously and warily around him
suddenly a bright red light broke the
forest and far down the stream he saw
the lurid sparks ascend into the air, and
behcId "a red glow painted upon the
cloud, by the conllagration below. Has.
tily raising in his Stirrups, he gazcd for
an instant upon the scene, and then ex'
claimed
My God! it is the house Of Hunter
Away!
He.stuck his spurs deep into the side
Of his horse, who giving a wild snort,
sped like an arrow from powerful bow
through the wids of the forest.
The red flames of the fire cast an un.
earthly glare upon the surrounding OBJ
iccts, and revealed with fearful distinct
ness the features of strong man who
had emerged from the depth of the wood
and stood leaning upon the rifle, gazing
at the glowing cmbers. His lips quivered
with emotion, and a tear started involun-
tarily to his eyc-but brushing aside this
evidence of his weakness, if weakness it
may be called, he strolled to where the
form of a female lay stretched upon the
earth, and STOPPING down he scrutinized
with one deep long glance, those pa!ld
features. and parted the mattcrcd locks
from her CORY brow, where the fatal mis-.
sile had forced its entrance and deprived
her of life; and then raising himself to
his fullest Height, he grasped his rife
with a spasmodic clutch, and breath
cd forth in fervid tones the single word
" Vengeance
And turning around, was about leaving
the spot, rs the sound Of Il horses gallop
fell upon his car.
"Poor McDonadw he muttercd; he
comes but to find his afiinanccd brides
house in ruins, and her in the hands Of
his most impacable foe"
The rush of the stccd was heard, the
parted in twain, and with a
bound Il horseman bolted in front of the
burning mansion, and glanced with an
stare around him.
1t was EcDonald! the affianccd of
Marion Hunter!
His lofty brow was as pallid as that of
the dead female that lay beneath his
horses hoof, and his cheek as pale as the
white rose of Sharon, while every limb OF
the strong man trembled like an aspen
leaf, and his bosom hcaved almost to
bursting with the force of his emotion, rs
he shouted forth in the agony of his
heart
"My Marion my Marion where art
thou p'
eco seek the enemy Of our land, that
human demon of Tarleton's, Captain Ell.
lerslic, and you will find her whom you
Seek" and the hunter strodc to his side.
"Elihu, my friend, how long since this
deed happcned?"
"Not an hour since"
"Thcn, by the souls of my forcfathers,
she shall yet be mine" and turning his
steed, he dashed rapidly from the spot
followed by the hunter, after taking one
lingering look at the scene of ruin left
behind him.
The beams of the morning sun glded
the tree tops and glanced redly from hill
to hill, as Captain Ellerslie and his party
issued from the black forests, and entered
upon the more open country around it
In the centre of the group rode the pri
soners and the eye of the officer often
rested with gloating admiration upon the
fair features Of the defencelcss Marion
as she silently and with downcast eyes
rode along with a sturdy trooper upon
each side, to prevent any sudden resolu
ton she might form to escape. The
live long night the party had travelled Oh
with unwearied vigilance, and now thai
the terror of the forests, known as the
haunt of Marion and his men, were pass
ed, the captain resolved to hault to pro
euro some refreshments, and from the
ardent glanccs he had so often cast upor
her, Marion was led to believe he medi
tated some act of violence, towards her
aud secretly resolved, if an opportunity
presented to escape.
The party halted before the gate at {
large tory farm house, and one of thu
men dismountcd-threw it open, and the
cavalcade entered the enclosure one atte
another; the space not being wide enough
to admit of more than one going in at ;
time. Their long ride had so weariet
the men that they hurried in as fast a