Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22

none OF the provisions and stores
promised them by the general at the
outset, came to their relief. In lieu OF
these, they had the long perspective
full of fertile promise, set before them
There was the Peedee river at hand
the banks Of which, they were told
exceedingly fertile, held forth the pros
pect Of abundance; but hour after
hour came and passed, without the
realization of these promises. The crop
of corn, along the road, had been long
since exhausted, and the new grain
was yet in the fields, unripe and unfit
for use But the necessity was too
peremptory, and not to be restrained.
The soldiers plucked the immature
ears, and boiling them with their lean
beef which herded in the contiguous
swamps, they provided themselves
with all the food available in that
quarter. Green peaches were the sub
stitute for bread; and fashion, too. be-
came a tributary to want, and the
hair powder, so lavishly worn by
all of the respectable classes OF
that period, was employed to thicken
the unsalted soups, for the more fas-
tidious appetites of the officers. Such
fare was productive of consequences
the most annoying and enfeebling.
The army was one of shadows, weary
and dispirited, long before 1t came In
sight of an enemy.
| 1t was on the third day of August
that the little army crossed the Pee
lee, in batteaux, at Masks ferry, and
were met on the southern bank
by Lieutenant Colonel Porterfield
of Virginia, with lean detachment
of troops, which he had kept together
with much difficulty after the fall Of
| Charleston A few hours after, and
while the army was enjoying Its usual
MONDAY halt, the little partisan corps
of the Swamp Fox rode into camp.
| His presence created some sensa-
ton. for his own reputation had been
for some time spreading: but the
| the miserable and wild appearance
If his little brigade was the object
Of immense merriment on the part OF
the Continentals. They are represent
/ ed by the historian as most mirth-
| full spectacle, all well mounted. but In
wretched attire, an odd assemblage OF
men, and boys. and negroes. with little
| or no equipment, and arms OF the
most strange and various assortment.
| Colonel Marion was at once intro
duced to the marquee of the general,
! but his troops remained exposed to the
unmeasured jest and laughter of the
Continentals One called them the
| crow squad, from their sooty outsideS;
| this name another denied them, al
| leging, with a sorry pun, that they had
| long since forgotten how to crow, al
though they were evidently just from
the dunghills. A third, more classical.
borrowed a passage from Falstaf, and
swore he should at once leave the
army, as he wouldn't march into Gov
entry with such scarecrows: but a
fourth said that was the very reason
| that he should stick to 1t, as Coventry
was the only place for them.
| The fierce low-countrymen did not
bear this banter long or with patient
temper. AS they sauntered about
among the several groups which
crowded curiously around them, sun
dry little squabbles, only restrained by
the efforts of the officers. took place,
and promised some difficulty between
the parties. Our friend Porgy him
self, though withal remarkably good
| natured. was greatly aroused by the
| taunts and sarcasms uttered contin-
ually around him. He replied to many
| of those that reached his ears, and
few were better able at retort than
| himself; but his patience at length
was overcome entirely, as he heard
among those engaged most earnestly
! in the merriment at his expense, the
frequent and boisterous jokes of Col
onel Armand, a foreign mercenary,
who. in broken English, pressed rather
rudely the assault upon our friend
Porgy's equipment in particular. Ar
| mand himself was lean and attenuat-
| ed naturally. His recent course Of liv-
ing had not materially contributed to
his personal bulk. Porgy eyed him
| with wholesale contempt for a few
moments, while the foreigner blunder-
ed out his bad English and worse wit.
At length, tapping Armand upon the
shoulder with the utmost GOODNESS and
| familiarity. Porgy drew his belt a
| thought tighter around his waist, while
he addressed the foreigner.
| Look you. my friend-with the
body of sapling, you have the voice
| that's unnatural and artificial. / must
reconcile these extremes in your case,
and there are two modes Of doing so.
| | must either increase your bulk or
| lessen your voice. Perhaps 1t would
be quite as we'll to do both; the ex-
tremes meet always most readily; and
| by reducing your voice, and increasing
your bulk at the same time, l shall
be able to bring you to natural and
| healthy condition"
Vat you mean?" demanded Armand,
with a look of mixed astonishment and
indignation. as he drew away from the
| familiar grasp which Porgy had taken
upon his shoulder
"I'll tell you: you don't seem to have
| had a dinner for some time back
Your jaws are thin, your complexion
mealy. and your belly-what there Is
Of it's gaunt as a greyhound's. I'll
help to replenish it. Tom, bring out
the hoecake and that shoulder-bone,
bov. You'll find it in the tin box
where l left it. Now, my friend, wait
| for the negro: he'll be here in short
order. and l shall then assist you. as
said before, to increase your body
and diminish your voice; the contrast
is too great between them-it is un-
natural, unbecoming and must be rem
edied.
Armand. annoyed by the pertinacity
not less than by the manner of Porgy,
who, once aroused, now clung to him
tenaciouSly all the while he spoke
soon ceased to laugh as he had done
previously: and, not understanding
one half of POrgy's speech, and at a
loss how to take him. for the .gour-
mand was eminently good natured in
his aspect. he repeated the question
Vat you sail say my friend|
Toms coming with ham and hoe
cake-both good. l assure you, for l
have tried them within the hour: you
shall try them also. | mean first TO
feed you-and by that means increase
your bulk-and then to fog you, and
so diminish your voice. You nave 100
little Of the one, and quite too much
of the other"
A crowd had now collected about
the two. of whom not the least ready
and reSolute were the men of Marion.
AS soon as Armand could be made to
understand what was wanted of him,
he drew back in unmeasured indigna-
ton and diSmay.
II sail fight wild de gentilmans and
de officer, not wild you, sir" was his
reply. with some show of dignity, TO
the application of POrgy A hand was
quietly laid upon his shoulder. as he
uttered these words, and his eye turn
ed to encounter that of Singleton.
IL am both, sir, and at your SER
vice. Colonel Armand, in this very
quarrel: though, in justice. you owe
the right to Mr.. POrgy, who just as
serted it. You waived your own rank,
| sir when you undertook to make mer-
rv at the expense of the soldier and
the simple ensign. and thus put your
self out of the protection OF your
enaulet But cOnceding you all that