The Somerset reporter., 1897-07-01
MARION'S BRAVE MEN

The sound of horses hoofs was heard
coming down the long avenue of live
oaks From the appearance of the rider
it was evident that something very ex-
citing had happened. He was a mere
youth, not more than Is or II years of
age, but he was as tall, strong of limb
and supple as II young ash His body was
bent slightly forward in the eagerness
to urge his horse to renewed speed, but
his head was well up and his eyes keenly
on the watch. They glowed, too, with
the fire OF excitement, and his fingers
were twitching nervously as they han.
died the reins. He was both IN haste
and on the watch.
He turned suddenly from the avenue
and struck off through the myrtlcs to-
ward dense portion of tho woods He
had gone a half mile or SO, when, all of
a sudden, he stopped, threw back his
head and gave the boot of an owl
1t was answered.
Without further hesitation he plunged
on as fast as the underground would al
! low In "a few minutes he had passed
tIiAOuSH Ail1 AtlIiE IL anu iUNCIbu All Open
space As he did so he came upon what
seemed to be a camp of soldiers or
rather what had been, for the soldiers
themselves had disappeared, leaving five
or six youths the most of them no older
than the rider They were gathered
about a smoldcring fire watching some
ash cakes bake Like the young rider
they were dressed in the uniform of the
continental army, but so dilapidated it
could barely be recognized Indeed,
some of them had dispensed with their
coats and now Wore hunting shirts of
rough material with leather belts.
Boys, cried Jethro Pinkney, as he
dashed into their midst, where is Colo
mel Audrey and the rest of the menu"
"Gone for brush with the British
ers, y was the quick reply. "They We're
sent for by Marion. He is in tight
place and wants them to help him out
of it. They just left us to care for the
camp and the things they couldn't car
ry "
well, this is a go Imean, - he add
ed quickly, because the men are not
here Boys" he continued excitedly
"don't stop to eat. Get your horses at
once and your guns and come with me-
for if we don't act there S no one else
That wretch Balfour, down yonder in
Charleston, has ordered the execution of
old Colonel Rutledge. The British
claim that he hash t kept his vow of
loyalty to the mother country Il wish
the old colonel's tongue had been out
when he made itD, and that he has not
only been contributing to the needs of
our partisan soldiery, but that he has
actually joined Marion staff, and when
he was captured had ON the uniform.
! Very foolish of the old gentleman, l
must say, to venture back to his home
right under the noses of the guns of the
fort at Dorchester. But it was all on
account of his daughter, know. He
wanted to get her to place of safety
And now they have captured him and
are going to hang him for his disloyal-
ty, so they say. But there are many who
know it is because the colonel won't
tell where the family plate and other
treasures are hidden. He VOWS he will
die before King George or any of his
tools shall touch dollar of it.
But hurry, boys hurry, or the colo
mel will be past even our help He is to
be hanged at IL O'Clock at place a
mile west of the fort. This is done to
keep the matter from the knowledge of
our prisoners at the fort. There might
be lively scene if they found it out,
for the colonel is very popular. There
will be detachment of soldiers from
the fort in charge of the execution, but
not more than Is or 20, | have learned,
for it is supposed that none of our men
is hereabout, and they don't want to
take any more from the garrison of the
fort than they can help. Boys, mount
quickly We will station ourselves along
the road, and we must rescue the colo
mel There is no one else, and he will
be murdered if we don't get him. "
but, Jeth, what can a handful of
boys like as do:" asked Arthur Wallace
doubtfully. "Why, it would be folly to
even try against all those soldiers
They'd shoot our heads off before we
could turn around. -
1--WE have one to three, 80 declared
Jethro boldly Didn't Marion whip
! out that squad OF BrltlsherS up on the
Santee last week when he hadn't even
one to ten? That the way our soldiers
fight, proudly
Eyes, but we are not Marion, re
piled Arthur decidedly.
But we are Marion s men, declared
Jethro proudly, the fire of manhood in
his eyes.
The words acted like trumpet nall
Each young soldier buckled on his pls-
toll, seized his rife and sprang to his
horse shouting: "Marion's menl We
are Marion's mem"
Once through the thicket they halted
about 200 yards from the edge of the
public road for consultation 1t was
agreed that they were to divide them
selves into two squads. One squad was
to take up its position in small thichet
of pines, with a dense underground of
wild myrtle, about an eighth of a mile
from the scene of execution. The other
squad was to be concealed in a similar
thicket of scrub turkey oak and myrtle,