The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1856-07-31

brother on the gaiows, and ever followed
him with fierce anxiety. 81 bar .5aboh
| While the girlspoke to tho villains, the
culprit'taking advantage of tile darkness
and confusion, dropped through |, hole in
the flooring into the space below the mill
and escaped. Nell informed the infuriated
lnarandcls that their Weapons had been seiz-
ed by her own armed party, then close at
hand and watching them; bade then, re.
main motionless on peril Of their lives, till
the bugle souxded thrice.
0n the return of the outlaws to the cabin
at the sigaal, they found their weapons and
the money part,nanteau restored by the in
trepil Nell, in spite Of the anger of her COM
panions. Watkins and his gang started in
pursuit early in the morning, but encounter
ed party of Marion's troops, who charged
upon, cnt them down, chased them towards
Orangeburg, aud were themselves attacked
by IN army Of British soldiers Immediately
afterwards. The squad of Rhodes, now Join
ed by Mat Floyd hastened TO plunder car
| riage left in the road by tie uoop, and find
ing IN is two ladies apparently worth rich
ransom, seized tlic,n rs prisoners, and com.
PEELED the negro driver to take the carriage
through the swainn m oHfa 4NI
! Nelly, who had returned TO her home i'm
! the cottage Of Mother Ford, by the mysteri-
Gus seersl,ip she possessed, became uneasy at
her brothers danger in the company Of old
Rhodes and learning from some of Marionis
horseinen who Glanced to stop at the cottage
! that two ladies left near the mill had been
I probably captured 10y some outlaw, resolved
To go in search of them and Mat. These
capiives were Mrs. Travis and her daughter
! Bertha, with their female attendant and ne
! gro coacllman, Cato. Their compulsory
: .oo,.c was III one or two rude huts in the
depths Ola. pine forest, close to an almost
/ impenctratle thirket. Hc:c they were i'm.
!, / :..n.d alIl guarded, while others of the
gang went aud came on their cxpeditions-
,M;d. having been dispatched To demand the
! r'nsom from Capt Travis, Of his wife and
child. isf..4ss.-i-l tiaa
The poor Captain mcanN lille, was not in
better hands. He and his son had fallen
into the power of his acknowledgement a
i Captain Of Ofioyalist rifles. 1his urncrupdlous
villain was in lovewith i,er,ha Travis, whom
he wi,lIetEto marry; also fer the purpose OF
securing his own safety IN tue event of the
patriots s,icress. A famous scout of Snclair's
I'brigade of swamp toxcs'- lone Jim i,allou -.
hal been sent 10 find Travis by his friends.
4 These scouts arc prominent feature in any
picture of, the times. There were several
skilifu ones in the Tory interest; two of
nhom--'Thc Trailer and II terrible ,es pera-
do called Hell fire Dick, or Dick q! Tophet,
in the pay Uf Inglehardt, were characters of
influence in this history.
! Eallou traccl the prisoner, 10 n hovel in
the Four llnlcs' Swamp, where le heard
Trayis anu his son Henry. both handeuffed,
inparlry with their brutal captor, Inglehaidt.
The latter offered to release and aid them
To escape af.oin the !oyalistS, on condition
ftliat the captain would write tu his daughter
Bertha, enueat her To come lo him, md per
,feshade her to become the wife of lis foe
The ofcr was scorlfuliy rejected. Tie
wreiched father thensaw his son iorn from
him, to 90 to a separate prison, under the
charge Of Dick OF fuphcI. Balm, who had
climbed to the top "f the chimney spoke n
word Of encouragement la l.im, anil depart
ed 10 report his progress TO Willie Sinclair,
young American officer, to whom Bertha
Travis was bctroihcd. f..tE .f .tg..9.
The guardian siSier, Nelly. meanwhile fell
= IN with her ,recreant aud drunken brother
Mat, and falling to persuade him to leave
Rhodes party. followed him 10 the den OF
the outlaws. The cabin in which Mrs. Ira
Wis aud her daughter was imprisoned was
raised some four feet from the ground, ac-
cordipg 10 the s.ill prevalent custom in Car
olina. Kneeling under the floor, Nelly spoke
to the ladies' 10 comfort anu promise them
succor. Suddenly she was seized aud drag.
ged cut by old Rhodes, furious at her intru-
z sion into. his cabin to cross bis designs; he
WIS about to stab her, when Mat. Floyd,
summoned by her shrieks, rushed to the spot
in time 10 save her. l,ut no, danger could
que!l her lion spirit She boldly demanded
the surrender of the captives, and warned
her brother Of the .nurderous intentions OF
old Rhodes ISafied in q second attempt
: on the spy girls life, the outlaw resolved to
make bargain for ransom with his prison
. ers and removed them.
This Was done the neyt day. Mrs. Travis
promised TO pay 100 guineas, IL conducted
IN safety TO Nelson's Ferry, On the road
they were joined by tile indefatigable Nelly;
), Rhodes enragcd at tho pasley With the pris.
} oners, orslered the carriage driven back to
the camp Nelly opposed him, bpt the strife
was ended feartully for the outlaws, Lord
Bawdon and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, with
mounted escort Of 100 men, on thoir way
; TO the basony of Sinclair, encountered and