Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-02-08
son. and, as you will perceive, is in

said the Colonel, tartly. He was an.
noyed at the great interest which the
lady had shown the newcomer.
MY business must be my excuse,
Colonel" said the young man, re-.
spectfully. II am the bearer of a
letter from Maj. Gainey, and my Or
derS are to lose no time in delivering !
it. have ridden hard all day, sir,
and, upon reaching your headquarters,
learned of your presence here. This
lady being my cousin, had no hesita-
ton in coming here at once, trusting
for pardon to the urgency of my mis-
sion"
As he spoke he handed to the Colonel
sealed letter. Watson took it hastily
and broke the seal. AS he read it
smile of satisfaction overspread his
features.
'.This is very good, he said glee.
fully. 'Gainey is picking up recruits
by the hundreds. Wants 400 rifles,
fifty sabers, and some ammunition at
once. Will send them? To be sure
I will. Have you wagons, Lieuten-
ant -
mo. sir;'' replied the young man.
Maj. Gainey was afraid to send
them down. There's no knowing
when or where one may meet that
Swamp Fox and his sneaking cut
throats.''
"Very good,'' said the Colonel.
'1'll furnish you with four wagons,
and a guard of fifty mounted men.
You will start at sunrise in the
morning, Lieutenant. Call at my
quarters at midnight, and you shall
have the necessary orders. Now, sir,
you had better take rest, rs you will
need it,
"First let me offer him some re-
freshments, said the widow, quickly.
"He is tired and hungry, I know, and
no guest must leave my house in such
a state.''
''Return quickly, Them said the
Colonel. 81 shall be miserable while
you are gone.''
The young man offered his arm to
the lady, and they left the ballroom !;
but instead Of going to the dining
room she led him straight to her
chamber. and then, locking the door,
said anxiously:
'For heavens sake, Charles, what is
the meaning of this p
The young man did not answer
verbally, bat catching her to his
! breast, kissed her passionately, and to
be frank the young widow did not re-
| sist him.
"It means,'' he said at last in re
ply to her repeated questions, "that
we want arms, and have come for
them.''
What else they said matters not now;
but before they separated Mrs. Garden
seemed very we'll satisfied with the
young mans explanation. They then
repaired to the supper room, where the
Lieutenant found ample refreshments,
and the lady returned to the ball room
where Col. Watson was impatiently
awaiting her.
At midnight the Lieutenant called
at headquarters, and faithful to his
promise. Colonel Watson was there.
The necessary orders for the delivery
OF the arms, ammunition and wagons
to Lieut.. Thomas Wilson, of the "loyal
legi0n,' were made out, and the
Colonel also placed in the young man s
hand a sealed letter of Instructions to
Major Carney. The rest Of the night
was spent in procuring the desired
articles, and the next morning at
sunrise, Lieutenant Wilson with his
wagons and their contents, escorted
by guard of fifty men, set out for
the "High Hills of Santee," where the
Tory Majors headquarter, s. were locat-
ed.
The wagons and their escort made
good time, and by sunset were forty
miles from Charleston. The sun was
scarce half an hour high when Lieut..
Wilson ordered a halt for the purpose
of camping for the night. The mount.
ed men fastened their horses to the
trees and removing their saddles pre-
pared to cook their evening meal; the
teams were unhitched from the wag
Ons and the command busted them
selves in preparations for comfort
able night. Every one was busy, and
no one noticed that while these ar
engagements were in progress Lieut.
Wilson had drawn off from the party
and disappeared in the woods that Dor
dered the road. Suddenly there was q
cracking in the brushwood, which
caused the British troopers to spring
to their feet in alarm. AS they did
so voice, which sounded not unlike
that of the young Lieutenant, shouted
loudly:
"surrender, or you are all dead
men!''
Gen. Marion secured his prisoners
together with the arms, ammunition,
wagons and horses, and set out, after
rest of few hours, for ''Snow ISL
and.' At the request of the bogus
Lieut.. Wilson, he sent back one of the
red-coats to Charleston with note tC
Col. Watson, informing him of the
trick that had been played on him by
the young officer-whO, so far from
being lieutenant in the Tory legion,
was none other than the famous
Charles Hampton, a Captain in Ma
rion's Brigade, who planned and car
ried out the affair successfully-thank'
ing the Colonel for the excellent wea.
pOns and other material he had sent
him, and promising to do good service
with them.
The British commander was furious
when he read the note, and saw the
hoax of which he had been made the
victim. He went In haste to Mrs.
Garden, but the fair widow had sailed
for England. He was compelled to
swallow his modification in silence,
and few years later, when the war
was over, his chagrin was not a little
increased by the tidings which reache d
him that Mrs. Garden had married the
young officer who had tricked him out
| of his rifles.
The Great Wall of China.
From the Blackwoods Magazine.
Kalgan commands one the passes
through the Great Wall of China. It
is there built of large stones cemented
together with mortar. It tapers
toward the ton. heinz tWenty.ona feet