Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-11
CHAPTER Ii.
CHAPTER LII.
Mildred Turns Her Steps Homewards.

have seen a generous and brave
boy defied to some enterprise Of terror,
such as, peradventure, to Chamber In
the dark night alone, up many wind
ing bout of staircase to the garrett
and he has undertaken the achieve
ment, although sore afraid of goblins
and gone forth upon his adventure with
a lusty step and with bold tardi-
ness, whistling or singing on his way
his eyes and ears all the time fearfully
open to all household sights and
sounds, now magnified out Of their ma
tural proportions; and when he had
reached the furthest term of his travel,
have known him to turn quickly about
and come down three steps at leap,
feeling all the way as If some spectre
tracked his flight and hung upon his
rear. Calling up such a venture to my
mind, l am enabled, by comparison
with the speed and anxiety of the boy,
to show my reader with what emo
tions Mildred, her mission being done,
now turned herself upon her homeward
route. The excitement occasioned by
her knowledge of the critical circum-
stances of Butler. and the pain she had
suffered in the belief that upon the
courageous performance of her duty
depended even his life, had nerved
her resolution to the perilous and
hardy exploit in which We have seen
her. But now, when matters had taken
such a suddenly auspicious turn, and
she was assured of her lovers safe
ty, not even the abrupt joy which pour
ed i'm upon her heart was sufficient to
stihe her sense of uneaSiness at her
present exposed condition, and she ca
gerly prepared to betake herself back
to the Dove Cote.
The scenes around her had wrought
upon her nerves; and, although she
was singularly fortunate in the cour-
tesy which she had experienced from
all into whose hands she had fallen, yet
the rude RIGHTEOUSNESS of the camp
and the revolving acts of barbarity
which We're ever present to her obser-
vation. appalled, and distressed her
Besides, she now saw the fixed purpose
with which CORVALLIS was preparing
| to march forward in his course of in
vasion. and thought with alarm upoI
the probable event of soon having the
theatre of war transferred to the
neighborhood of her native woods.
RubinsOn's advice seconded her OWL
alacrity. 1t was to hasten, with al
despatch, i'm advance of the invading
army: and as this body was now
about taking up it's line of march, nc
time was to be lost. Accordingly, but
a brief delay took place after Cornwall
| lis and his suite had departed from
headquarters before our party set for
ward, accompanied by the small guarC
of cavalry that had been ordered tC
attend them. The troops were JUS
wheeling into column on the ground
where they had been lately reviewed
when Mildred and her attendants gal
loped past. and took the high road
leading To the town of Charlotte, II
North Carolina, towards which it was
understood the invaders were about
to direct their journey. In less thar
an hour afterwards they had left be.
hind them the line of baggage wagons
and the small military parties of the
vanguard. and found themselves rap
idly fastening towards a district occu'
pied by the friends of independence.
The sergeant had now occasion fol
his utmost circumspection. In pursu'
ing the destined route of the invasion
he had reason to expect an early en-
counter with some of the many corp:
of observation, which the opposite
party were certain to put upon thu
duty of reporting the approach of thei
enemy. And so it fell out; for, to-
wards the middle of the day, whilst th'
travellers We're quietly plying thei
tourney through the forest, the dis
charge of a pistol announced the pres
ence of a hostile body of men; anC
almost instantly afterwards a smal
handful of Whig cavalry were seel
lowering upon the road, at the distance
of some three or four hundred PAGES II
front. Robinson no sooner recognized
this squad than he took the lady!
handkerchief and hoisted 1t on a rod
as a flag of truce, and, at the sam'
moment. directed the escort to retreat
apprising them that their presence wa'
no longer necessary, as he had nov