Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-06
CHAPTER XIII.

Robinson having thus succeeded In
his enterprise, now found himself In
circumstances of peculiar perplexity In
regard to the disposal of his prisoners.
Here he was, in the neighborhood or
the British posts-in district OF coun-
try Of which the enemy might be said
to have, at this moment, complete pos
session-(for Horse Shoe himself was
almost the only belligerent in the field
against them)-and more than that ne
was but a few miles distant from
camp whose scouts had chased him
almost to his present place OF refuge.
It was scarcely probable therefore,
that he could hope to retain his cap
tives long under his control, or prevent
the enemy from receiving intelligence
of the capture. He was however,
Notwithstanding these embarrass-
ments, as usual cheerful, confident,
and self-possessed. He had no wish
or motive to detain the private SOL
diers as prisoners of war, and would
at once have dismissed them, II he
could have assured himself that they
would not make the earliest use OF
their liberty to convey information or
their misadventure to the first corps OF
loyalists they should meet, and thus
get up a hot pursuit of him through
the whole district. But he had cogent
and most important reasons for hold
ing the ensign, st. Jermyn, In close
custody. 1t occurred to him, that this
officer might be used to control the
procedure that should be adopted by
those who meditated injury to Arthur
Butler; and he therefore, at once FORM
ed the resolution Of communicating
with the nearest British authorities, In
order to assure them that he would re-
taliate upon the ensign any pain that
might be inflicted upon his late COM
rade. His plan was speedily formed
1t was to keep his prisoners until
niehtfall. move off under cover OF the
darkness to some remote and conceal
ed spot with st. Jermyn, and release
the others. on their parole or pledge
not to take up arms until regularly ex-
changed.
Whilst the sergeant was celebrating
over these arrangements, the prisoners
were allowed to shelter themselves
from the rain under q shed near the
door of the dwelling, where Andrew
with all the pride and Importance or
his new station, marched to and fro,
before them, like trained sentinel.
There was a small log building In the
yard of Ramsay's mansion, which mad
been recently erected as storehouse'
and which being we'll secured at the
door by a paddock, Robinson determin-
ed to convert for the nonce into pris-
on. 1t contained but one room, not
above twelve feet square, with an earth
en- floor, and received no light except
such as was admitted under the door,
and through a few crannies about the
roof Into this narrow apartment the
soldiers were now marched: a bundle
of straw was thrown upon the floor;
sundry flitches Of bacon, that hung
upon the walls, were removed; and
few comforts, in the way Of food ana
drink we're supplied to render the ac-
commodation as tolerable to the In
mates as was compatible with their
safe custody. This being done, our
friend Andrew was posted in the pas
sage-way of the dwelling In full view
of the door of the storehouse, which
was carefully locked, with a musket
in his hand, and with orders to make
a circuit every five minutes round the
little building, to guard against any
attempts at escape by undermining the
foundation.
AS noon approached the weather be-
gan to clear up. and with the first
breaking forth of the sun came David
Ramsay, the proprietor of the farm
which was the scene Of the present
operations. His recognition of Horse
Shoe Robinson was accompanied by
hearty greeting, and with an expression
Of wonder that he should have ventur-
ed, In hostile guise, through country
so beset as this was by the forces of
the enemy: but when he heard the
narrative Of the exploit Of the morning
and saw the trophies of Its success
in the weapons piled against the WALL
and, more especially, when he received
from the lips of his wife a circum-
stantial account of the part which had
been performed In this adventure by
his son Andrew, his delight seemed al
most to be absorbed by his astonish-
ment and incredulity. The proofs,
however, were all around him; and af-
ter assuring himself, by an actual in
spection of the prisoners through one
of the chinks of the storehouse, ne
came into his own parlor sat down, and
laughed outright.
Ramsay was a staunch friend or the
independence of his country; and al
though he had not been up in arms IN
the cause. he gave it all the aid ne
could by the free expression OF opln-
ion, and by a resolute refusal to COM
ply with the acquisitions of the royal
lists. His eldest son had Joined Sump-
ter, and had already been active in the
field: and he himself looked, with an
almost certain expectation, to see WIS.,
tied upon himself that prescription
under which thousands were already
suffering and which he had only es-
capped as yet by the temporizing de-
lays of his opponents, or by their neg
lect. arising out of the incessant hur-
ry and pressure of their military opera
tions in the organization of the new
dominion which the royal forces had
but lately acquired. He was a man OF
sturdy frame-now only in the prime
of life-brave, thoughtful and intelli-
gent, and firmly resolved to stand by
his principles through whatever ad-
verse chances. The present aspect ol
affairs was, to his mind, almost deci-
sive of his fate; the capture of these
prisoners, made from information de-
rived from his own family, and ir
which his own son had been princi'
pal agent; their confinement, too, In his