Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-04-17
HORSE SHOE
ROBINSON
A Tale of the Revolutionary Struggle In
Upper Carolina.
By JOHN P. KENNEDY

now" said Horse Shoe, with alacrity
"Dick Peyton and Bob Wingate botf
belong to your party. Am right? We
are friends to Marion"
And therefore friends to u.s. said
the patrole. Your name, sir, and the
number you have in company"
Take us to the general, and we viii
answer that replied Horse Shoe
"The Tories have set upon Wingate's
house and burnt it to the ground. It's
like we may be able to tell something
worth hearing at headquarters. Your
man Bloody Spur gave us in charge to
report him, and to say that he would
soon follow upon our track. wonder
that he isn't here before now"
81 will remain" SAID one Of the SOL
diers to his companion: ''you shall take
lcharge of the travellers"
The trooper accordingly turned his
horses head and commanded Horse
Shoe and his party to follow.
The scout conducted our adventures
along a by-road that led round the
head of a marsh and through several
thickets which, in the darkness of the
night, were penetrated with great diff
fculty: during this ride he interro-
gated Horse Shoe as to the events OF
the late inroad of the Tories. He and his
comrade had been stationed upon the
path where the sergeant encountered
them. to direct the outriding parties of
his corps to the spot of Marion's en-
campment, the policy of this wary off,
Ger being to shift his station so fire.
quently as almost equally to defy. the
search of friend and foe. Peyton and
Wingate were both expected; and the
trooper who remained behind only
waited to conduct them to the COM
manding officer, who had, since the
disappearance of daylight, formed a
bivouac in this neighborhood. Marion's
custom was to order his reconnoitring
parties to return to him by designated
roads, where videttes were directed to
repair in order to inform them of his
position,-a fact which, as his move
ments were accomplished with wonder
full celebrity and secrecy, they were gen.
orally unable to ascertain in any other
way.
At length, emerging from the thick
ct, and crossing what seemed, by the
plash Of the horses feet morass, the
1.-The Black River hawks are flying,
Of ha
came upon a piece Of thinly-timbered
woodland, which, rising by a gentle
slope, furnished what might be called
an island Of dry ground, that seemed
to be only accessible by crossing the
circumjacent swamp Upon this spot
were encamped, in the rudest form of
the bivouac. a party of cavalry, which
might have amounted to two hundred
men. Several fires, whose ruddy glare
had been discerned for the last half
mile of the journey, were blazing forth
from different quarters Of the wood,
and threw a bold and sharp light upon
the figures of men and horses, impart-
ing a feature of lively, picturesque
beauty to the scene. The greater por-
tion of the soldiers were stretched be-
! meath the trees. with no other covering
than the lGafy bowers above them. The
horses were picketed in the neighbor-
hood of their riders: and the confused
array of saddles, sabres muskets, rifles,
and other warlike instruments, that were
hung upon projecting boughs. or leant
against the trunks, as they caught the
flashes of the frequent fires, seemed to
| be magnified in number equal to the
| furniture of thrice the force. Sentinels
were seen pacing their limits on the
outskirts of this company, and small
bodies of patriots on horseback moved
across the encampment with the regu-
larity of military discipline. Here and
there, as If regardless of rest, or await
ing some oon-eXpected tour of duty,
small knots of men sat together anus
ing themselves. by torchlight. at cards
and, more appropriately, others had
extended their torpid frames in sleep
upon their grassy pallets and knapsack
| pillows.
I'VE have seen war in its horrors
exclaimed Mildred, with an involuntary
vivacity; "and here it is in all its ro-
mance!"
Sister, | wish you were at home,
said Henry, eagerly, land Steve and
had the Rangers on this field tonight
| would undertake to command pick
ct with any man here!"
To Horse Shoe these were familiar
scenes, and he could not comprehend
the source of that sudden interest
which had so vividly aroused the ad-
miration of his companions; but ask
ing the guide to conduct them immedi-
ately to General Marion, he followed
the soldier across the whole extent OF
the bivouac, until they halted beneath
a large tree, near which few officers
were assembled. One of this grouT
was seated on the ground; and close
by him, planted in the soil, blazing
pine -fagots flung a broad light upor
a saddle. the flap of which the Officer
had converted. for the occasion, into &
writing desk.
Make way for a squad of traveller:
picked up on the road tonight" sait
the scout i'm loud voice. "They wist
to see General Marion
In a moment our party was sur
rounded by the officers; and HORSE
Shoe, unceremoniously dismounting
addressed the person nearest to him.
"A lady, sir, from Virginia, that
started with from her fathers house, t.
fetch to Carolina; but who has beel
most audaciOusly unhoused and unbed
ded i'm the very middle of the night b!
a hellish pack of Tories"
My name is Lindsay. sir" said Hen
ry. riding to the front; my sister anC
myself were travelling south. and have
been obliged to fly, tonight, before ;
detachment of horse -stealers."
From Bob Wingate's," said HOrs,
Shoe. las | should Judge some 81!
miles back. want to report to Gen
eral Marion: the lady, likewise, is tired
as she has good right to be-"
The officer to whom this was ad
dressed, directed a soldier to seek Gen