The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-07-20

was new tIOlu uSA OoS oJoeANs
engaged that by sunrise we should e
in sight of the Kings troops.
BY daybreak we stood on a ridge
above a hollow vale into which the
sun did not yet pierce, but passing over
to a high conical hill beyond, smote
level on line after lone of white tents
the prettiest sight! Twas the enemy
there encamped on the top and some
way down the sides, the smoke of their
trampled watch fires still curling
among the gorsebushes.
Looking down into the valley at ou1
feet, at first I saw no sign OF our OWL
troops-only the roofs Of a little town
with overmuch smoke spread above it
like a morning mist. But here 1 heard
the church bells clashing and a drum
beating, and then a regiment Of foot
moving westward along the base OF
the hill. 1t was evident the battle
was at hand, and we q%uickened our
pace down into the street.
It lay on the slope, and midway down
we passed some watch fires burned out
and then a soldier or two running and
fastening their straps; and last a little
| child, who seemed wild with the Joy
Of living amid great events and bid us
proceed straight to the sign of 1.-The
Tree"
It stood some way back from the
street. with a great elm before the
porch, where, by a stable. sat two
men with tankards beside them and a
small company Of grooms and soldiers
standing around. Both men were more
than ordinary tall and soldier like,
only the bigger wore a scarlet cloak
very richly laced and was shouting or
ders to his men, while the other,
dressed in plain buff suit and jack
boots, had a map spread before him,
which he studied very attentVely,
writing therein with a quill pen.
what a plague have we hereF cries
the big mar as we drew up.
Recruits, if it please you, sir" said
I. dismounting and pulling off my hat,
though his ~insolent tone offended me.
"Slid! The boy speaks as If he were
a regiment" growls he half aloud.
"Can'st fight?
THAT, with your leave, sir, is what
I am come to try"
He turned on Billy.
"And this rascal?" ..
Billy heard not a word, OF course
yet answered readily:
"Why, since your honor Is so pleas
antly minded, let it be cider"
Now the first effect of this, delivered
with all force of lung, was to make the
big nan sit bolt upright and staring;
recovering speech. however, he broke
into a volley Of blasphemous curses.
All this while the man in buff had
scarce lifted his eyes off the map.
| But now he looks up-and I saw at the
| first glance that the two men hated
each other.
81 think" said he quietly, my Lord
| Mohun has forgot to ask the gentle
mans name"
my name is Marvel, sir-John Mar
VEL" I answered him with q bow.
"HeyG'-and dropping his pen ne
starts up and grasps my hand-"Then
It's you I have never thanked for His
Gracious Majesty's letter"
1.-THE General Hopton?" cried /.
even so, sir. My lord" he went on,
still holding my hand and turning to
his companion, "let me present to you
the gentleman that in January sav'd
| your house Of Bocconnoc from burning
| at the hands Of the rebels-whom God
confound this day" He lifted his hat.
amen" said I, as his lordship
bowed, exceedingly sulkily. But I did
not value his rage, being hot with JOY
to be so beprais'd by the first captain
las I yet hold on the royal side. Who
now, not without a sly triumph, flung
the price of Billy's cider on the table,
and, folding up his map, ADDRESSED me
again:
Master Marvel, the fight to-day will
lie but little with the horse-or so /
hope. You will do well, if you wish to
serve US best, to leave your mare be-
| hind. The troop which my Lord Mo-
hun and I command together is below.
But Sir Bevill Grenville, who has seen
and is interested in you, has the first
claim; and I would not deny you the
delight to fight your first battle under
so good a master. His men are, with
Sir John Berkeley's troop, a little to the
westward; and if you are ready I will
go some distance with you, and put
you in the way to find him. My lord,
may we look for you ~presently?
The Lord Mohun nodded, surly
enough; so, Billy's cider being now
drunk and Molly given over to an
ostler, we set out down the hill to-
gether, Billy s%houldering a pike and
walking after with the groom that led
Sir Ralph's horse. Be sure the Gen.
erals courtly n Of speech set
my blood tingling. I seem'd to grow a
full two inches taller, and when, in the
vale, we parted, be directing me to the
left, where through a gap l could see
Sir Bevill's troop forming at some five
hundred PAGES distance, I felt a very
desperate warrior, indeed; and set of
at a run, with Billy behind me.
'Twould be tedious to tell the whole
Of this long fight, which, beginning
soon after sunrise, ended not till -four
in the afternoon. or thereabouts; and
indeed of the whole my recollection is
but a continual advance and repulse.
But at 8 o'clock we, having been fol
the sixth time beaten back. were pant
ing under cover of q hedge. and Sir