The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-10-15
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! A Real Daughter
of the Revolution
BY CAROLINE GEBHARDT.
Copyright, 1909, by ]. B. Lippincott Company
VII.
A REVELATION.

Once on the road, Bessemer and
his men put spurs to their horses
and galloped at a lively rate. Scouts
had reported that the enemy was
resting not far off. Bessemer, riding
at the head of his mounted dragons,
the perspiration streaming down his
red face, his eyes sparkling with an
ticipation of victory, his well-knit
figure held erect in the saddle with
British military stiffness. looked
what he was-a combination of force
and fire.
A turf in the road brought them
in sight of a stream. The troopers
gave a shout of triumph, broken by
Bessemer's ringing command. In the
water were nude men, bathing and
swimming and sporting; along it's
edge, on the opposite side, were
others, stripped to their waists,
doing their family" washing; while
farther up the bank. under such shade
as the sparse cottonwood trees gave,
were yet more, smoking Or mapping
0 eating. Most of them had their
rifles beside them and their horses
close by, but it availed them little.
Their cry of astonishment, chagrin
and terror beat the hot air ere that
of Bessemer's men died away. The
naked wretches in the water were
cut down before they could escape.
Across the stream with eager haste,
yet with perfect order, went the
British, carrying all before them. In
vain did Sumter start from his nap
under one of his baggage-wagons,
seize the nearest horse by it's name,
saddleless and bridleless as it was,
and try to rally his soldiers. The
day was lost, and though the Eng
.-lish colonel did not capture the "bri-
~gand," as he had boosted he would,
he failed in little else he set out to
do: and, indeed. few save Sumter
himself escaped; not enough to war
rant pursuit in that appalling heat.
p. The British returned the way they
had come, eXulting. Ever thoughtful
of his troops, though he was himself
most anxious to get back to the e.
-lery plantation and make that his
stopping place for the night, Besse-
mer perceived that the heat and the
. sharp, hard ride since dawn had put
considerable strain upon his men.
Noting a large, comfortable-looking
house setting some distance off the
=, road, surrounded by a fine grove of
trees, he asked, Can you tell me,
Edward, who lives yonder? Methinks
it is q good place for an afternoon
rest. Be they rebels or tories, we
shall become their unlimited guests.
but I should like to learn which they
are, that I may know whether to re-
quest or command"
"They are tories" the boy an
swered eagerly, "as loyal to our king
a my own family; and they will
. make you a gladly welcome, I am
sure, as my people have" Bessemer
perceived that under the summer
flush which already covered his cheek
"Aha, a sweetheart residing there
he thought, and with a sympathetic
feeling turned his horse off the road
and entered the gate, which stood
conSAnfently open.
The house was not. the imposing
mansion the Ellery homestead was.
but there. was a warm southern wei,
: ..conetf awaiting: the intruders and a
: ,pisceGpf news nightly to Bessemer's
liking as well. A courier, riding hard
to oveEtake the British commander
had likewise stopped there for rest
and scarce had the English colonel
dismOlnted ere he handed him a dis.
: patch from CORVALLIS conveying the
! news of Gates defeat. -
There we're three daughters of the
house, all of them vivacious young
women, as Bessemer soon discovered
"Oh. how delightful" they exclaimed
when the contents of the dispatch be.
came known; 1.-TWO great victories in
p day; think of it,"
y: Not in one day, ladies'" Bessemer
reminded them. Gen. Cornwallis
WonThis on the sixteenth" ~
st does not matter; we hear OF
them the same day." the youngest
persisted. ""We assuredly should dc
sometning-lto celebrate so great a
piece of fortune. If we could only
have Il Dance" she added, with a sug.
gestive look in the direction OF her
mother. Mamma, why can't we in