Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-12-28

once more upon the soil of my native
Carolina was still another year.
Charleston had fallen. The first sight
which greeted my eyes when 1 rode
into Queenstown was the familiar
trappings of my old service. and was
made to know that in spite of Mr.
Jefferson's boldly written Declaration
of Independence, and that earlier cast
ings of the kings yoke by the patriotic
Mecklenburgers themselves, my boy
hood home was for the moment by
sword-right a part of his Majesty's
province of North Carolina.
OF all the vast demesne of Appleby
Hundred there was no roof to shelter
the son of the outlawed Roger Ireton
save that of this poor hunting lodge In
the mighty forests of the Catawba.
overlooked, with the few runaway
blacks inhabiting 1t. in the intaking
of an estate so large that l think not
even my father knew all the metes
and bounds of IL.
l shall not soon forget the Interview
with the lawyer in which was told
the inhospitable truth. Nor shall for
get his truculent leer when he limited
that l had best be gone out of these
parts, since it was not yet too late to
bring down the sentence of outlawry
from the father to the son.
1t was well for him that l knew not
at the time that he was Gilbert Stairs
factor. For / was mad enough to have
throttled him where he sat at his writ
ing table. matching his long fingers
and Sinking at me with his evil smile.
But of this man more in his time and
place. His name was Owen Pengarvin.
/ would have you remember 1t.
For a week and a day 1 fingered on
at Queensborough. On one of my gall
lops farthest afield I CHANGED upon the
lodge in the forest depths. Tracing
the path to it's end among the naples
1 found the cabin. so lightly touched
by time that the mere sight of 1t car
ried me swiftly back to those happy
days when my father and 1 had stalk
ed the white tailed deer In the hill
glades beyond. with this log-built cab
in for a rest-camp l spurred up un-
der the low-hanging trees. The door
stood wide, and thin wreath of blue
smoke curled upward from the mouth
of the waited chimney.
Then and there I had my first well
come home. Old Black Darius was one
of the runaways who made the forest
lodge a refuge. He had been my faith
er's body-servant. and, notwithstand-
ing all the wears that lay between, he
knew me at once.
Thereupon. as you would guess.
came Immediately into some small por-
ton of my kingdom. Though Darius
was the patriarch, the other blacks
were also fugitives from Appleby Hun
dred and for the son of Roger Ire
ton there was instant vassalage and
loyal service. But best of all, on my
first evening before the handful of fire
In the great fireplace, Darius brought
me a package swathed in many wrap
pings of Indian-ta tanned deerskin. 1t
contained my fathers sword and, more
precious than this, a message from the
dead. My fathers farewell was writ
ten upon a leaf torn from his journal,
and was but hasty scrawl / here
transcribe it.
MY Son:
81 know not If this will ever come
into your hands, but it and my sword
shall be left in trust with the faithful
Darius We have made our i'll timed
cast for liberty and it has failed, and
tomorrow 1 and five others are to die
at the ropes end. l bequeath you my
sword tbs all the tyrant hath left me
to devise-and my blessing to go with
1t when you, or another Ireton, shall
once more bare the true old blade in
the sacred cause of liberty.
Thy father, ROGER IRETON"
You may be sure conned these few
brave words till l had them well by
heart. The next day. all ipdecision
gone, / rode to Queensborough TO as
certain. IL so l might. how best to
throw the weight of the good old An
drea into the patriot scale. meaning
to push on thence to Charlotte when
| had got the bearings of the nearest
patriot force.
Twas none so easy to learn what
needed to know; though. now l sought
for information. a curious thing or two
developed. One was that this light
horse outpost in our hamlet was far in
advance of the army of invasion-so
far that 1t was dangersomely isolated.
and beyond support. Another was the
air of secrecy maintained. and the
holding OF the troop in instant readi-
ness for fight or flight.
Why this little handful of British
regulars should stick and hang so far
from Lord CORVALLIS main. which
was then well down upon the wateree.
l could not guess. But for the secrecy
and vigilance there were good reasons
and sufficient The patriot militia had
been called out and was embodying
under General Rutherford but a few
miles distant. near Charlotte.
l had this Information in guarded
whispers from mine host of the tavern
when ! first saw Margery Stair. She
was riding. unmasked. DOWN the high
road. not on a pillion as most women
rode in that day. but upon her own
mount with black groom two lengths
in the rear. A blades length at my
right where / was standing in front OF
the tavern. three redcoat officers
lounged at ease; and to one OF them
my lady tossed nod of recognition.
half laughing. half defiant I turned
quickly TO look at the favored one. He
stood with his back to me: a man OF
about my own bigness. heavily built
AID well muscled. He wore a bog
wig, as did many OF the troop officers,
but his uniform was tailor-ine. and
the hand with which he was resettling
his hat was bejeweled-overmuch be-
jeweled 70 my taste
Something half familiar in the fig
ure OF him made me look again In
the act he turned. and then saw his
face-saw and recognized 1t. though
nine years lay between this and my
last seeing OF it across the body OF
Richard Coverdale.
Sol" thought l. My time has come
at last" And while was vet turning
over in my mind how best TO bait him.
the lady passed out OF earshot. and /
heard him say to the two, his COM
rades. that foul thing which would
not repeat to Iennifers a vile boast
with which may not soil my page