The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-25
Nv.

It was some minutes before, having
brushed the dust from my eyes and
shaken myself together, l recovered
my full senses, for Travers' cruel blow,
and the jolting / received had dazed
me much, so that by the time / could
see and think clearly, Travers' fright
ened horse was out of sight. While
watched the clouds of dust raised by
his maddened fight settling slowly.
there appeared on the crest of hill
over which the animal had gone body
of horsemen, whose red coats and bright
accouterments were plainly visible,
even at the distance of the mile or so
between us. If Travers still lived and
could speak knew well he would send
them in quick pursuit of me and my
precious dispatches, and, while i de-
bated what was best to do standing
the while foolishly in the middle of the
road, / saw several of the horsemen
detach themselves from the main body
and speed down the hill toward me.
at once plunged into the wood on
my right, for in that direction lay the
James and Lafayette army. j made
what haste / could, in a line parallel
with the road toward the hill which
the British had left, for by this ruse /
deemed II would be most easy to evade
the pursuit. l had gone some two hun
dred yards in the direction from which
they came, when ! heard my pursuers
clatter past me, and with light heart
but legs somewhat shaky and breath
much spent, / kept on. In a short time
! reached the hill, and clambering up
ha
underbrush, approached as near as 1
dared to the road, and heard the voices
of the soldiers whose comrades had
gone in pursuit of me- but was not able
to distinguish what they said. There
/ lay for some minutes, until I heard
with no small satisfaction the whole
troop go down the hill after the first
squad
My short rest having strengthened
me, went on for half a mile through
the wood, and then, feeling safe, drew
out upon the road where could make
so much better headway. Fortune was
with me, for soon came upon a brook,
and there drank and bathed my
bruises, which much invigorated me,
and then sat me down at a safe dis
tance within the wood to look at my
dispatches, which l had thrust hastily
into my breast pocket.
They were intact. and, to my sur
prise and no small delight, / found
had snatched with them from the
traitors grasp some dispatches ad-
dressed from Lord Corvallis to the
traitor General Arnold. These l had
no compunction in opening, and there.
by learned much. They told me first
of the full treachery of the traitor
Travers, who, it appeared while hold
ing a lieutenant's commission on his
Excellency's staff, was a spy in the
British pay. I learned, further, that
the dispatches l carried were instruc
tions from his Excellency, ordering La
fayette to keep CORVALLIS closely en-
gagged, and, if possible, to force hin
back upon the coast, and there tC
hold him while the army under his Ex,
cellency's command was hurried to hi!
assistance. How Travers learned al
this / know not.
There was a second dispatch, too
which was of immediate Importance
for it detailed the plans of an attacl
upon Lafayette that very night-Gen
eral Arnold with his division to attacf
upon the north, and CORVALLIS upol
the east, and, getting Lafayette's arm,
between two fires, In the confusion
drive it back upon the James and cap
ture or destroy it. A most excellen
plan, to be sure, but which / by tn,
grace of God would Illustrate. Gen
eral Arnold was also informed tha
Captain Hollister, the same with whom
had the encounter at Dorothy's house
had orders to dash into camp with hi
cavalry in the thick of the fight ant
endeavor to carry off the Marquis d.
Lafayette. Together with these was
rough sketch of the country, and b,
1t l learned that Lafayette's army wa
much nearer than l expected, and, s,
far as / could judge, 1 was some 81!
miles from the James and half wa,
between the two armies-that of Corn
wallis lying with its left on the live
and its back to the sea, and the Ameri
can army, with it's right on the river
facing the British and some twent,
miles away.
Truly had / made an important can
ture, and heartily did ! wish that tn
villain TraVers was still alive, that h
might suffer the discontinue of know
ing that his treachery had gained hin
naught but a sore body and an uneas
mind, The plan, too, roughly draw
as II was, was most valuable to me
for it set me right in my bearings an
convinced me l could reach the Ameri
can camp in full time to apprise La
fayette of his danger and give him op
portunity for a counter-movement
still the plan held force.
Nor did /, as may well be supposed
waste time in idle thought, but n
sooner had my mind digested the fu
importance of the dispatches than
was up and away, straight as an AFRO,
through the woods for the James, alon
whose banks l was sure to see the wei
come sight of Continental uniform.
BY this time 1t was full daylight
and, as l judged, close upon O'Clock
On trudged through the heavy WOO
until, by good luck, l came upon
small path and made good progress fo
perhaps balf mile, when l was al
rested by the whinny OF a horse. Bac
j jumped into the wood, and, with n
desire to lose my direction, cautiousl
pushed forward to investigate. quick
ly found myself on the edge of a sma,
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