Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-03-01

ton slew the other two ct Fishing
Creek A month since band Of row.
ing savages, armed with King Georges
muskets, mind you, sir. came down up
on US at Northby. and this little maid 8
mother"
He chopped and choked; and the
child looked up into my face with her
blue eyes full of nameless terror. "Oh,
want my nanny" she said. Wont
you md her for me. Cappy Jack?"
L slipped from the saddle, still clasp
Ing the little one tightly in my arms
Enough, sir" I said, when / could
trust myself to speak. This same
King Georges minions have made ne
a homeless outcast. too live but to
give some counter stroke. If 1 may"
Hal" said the old man, starting
back; then you are for our side? But
your uniform"
Is that of an Austrian officer, my
good sir. which / should right gladly
exchange for the buff and blue, but
that can serve the cause better In
this"
He took the child from me and bade
me welcome to his cabin and all Il
held. But | was not minded to make
him sharer in my private peril.
NO" said 1. Tell me how 1 may
find Gilbert Town and Major Fergu-
sons rendezvous, and 1 will ride whilst
l can see the way"
He looked at me narrowly .Ferg;i-
son left Gilbert Town some days since.
If tits the place you seek you are gone
far our of your way; If it's the man
-"
IT'S the man." cut in hastily.
If you be of our side, as you say,
he will hang you out of hand"
so / can make my errand good. l
care little how soon he hangs me-"
And what may your GRAND be:
Mayhap 1 can help you"
1T is to bring him to stand till the
mountain men can overtake him"
The old man trembled with excite
ment like boy going into his first bat
tie.
'Ah, II you could-if you could!" ne
cried. But AS too late, now. Listen:
his present camp is but three miles 20
the westward on Buffalo Creek. | was
there no longer than the Wednesday. I
4 made my submission to him-so
that l might mayhap learn of his
plans, He told me all; how that now
he was safe; that the mountaineers
were gone off from the fording of the
Broad on a false scent; that Tarleton
with four hundred OF the legion would
seen be marching to his relief. I stole
away when 1 could, and that night
took horse and rode twenty miles to
ne -
to little purpose. fear. Poor Tom is
still desperately sick of his Fishing
Creek wounds, and Colonel Lacey was
the only officer fit to go after Shelby
and the mountaip men to set them
straight. 1 should have gone myself,
but"
Stay. my good friend" said L; you
go too fast for me. If Ferguson is still
out of communication with the main at
Charlotte. we may halt him yet Have
you ever ar inkhorn and a Quill in
your cabin? l am the bearer of a let
ted from Lord CORVALLIS to this same
Major Ferguson"
'You?-a bearer of Lord Corvallis
despatches?" The old man put a
blades length between us and held the
little one aloft as If he feared 1 might
do her mischief. l laughed and ba6c
him be comforted.
TITS long story and I may not
take the time to tell it now. But a
word will suffice. Like yourself, ma de
my submission-and for the same pur-
pose. My Lord accepted 1t and made
me his despatch bearer because ne
thought l knew the way to Ferguson
when no one else knew 1t. But enough
of this; time presses. Let me have ink
and the quill"
The old man led the way into the
cabin and put his writing tools at my
disposal. Left to myself, should have
broken the seal of the packet; but my
wise old ally, cool and collected now.
showed me how to split the paper be-
meath the wax. Opened and spread be-
fore us on the rude slab table, the let
ter proved to be the briefest of mill
tary commands: peremptory order to
Ferguson to rejoin the main body at
once, proceeding by forced marches II
needful. and Gil 10 account to risk en-
gagement with the over mountain men.
How to change such an order to re-
verse 1t In effect, l knew no more than
yokel: but here again ny ancient ally
showed himself man of PARTS. Dress
ing the pen TO make IL the fellow Of
that used by my Lord CORVALLIS. he
scanned the handwriting of the letter
closely. made few practice pothooks
TO get the initiative hang of it, and
wrote this postcriptum at the bottom
of the sheet.
Since writing the foregoing l have
your courier and his dispatches. Lieu
tenant Colonel Tarleton. with four hun
bred OF his legion. will take the road
for you tonight If battle is forced
upon you, make stand and hold the
enemy in check till reinforcements
come. CORVALLIS"
The old man sanded the wet pen
strokes and bade me say If II would
serve. Twas beautiful forgery. Ny
Lords grabbed handwriting was copied
TO a nicely. and OF the two signatures
doubt IL the earl himself could have
told which was his own.
Capital" said l. Now II the light
ming would but strike these pursuers
of mine. we should have the Scotsman
at bay in hands turn"
How 7" said the patriarch: ARE you
follower"
told him l was; told him OF my
Lords plot within a plot-that three
lighthouse riders. one of them a lieu
tenant bes ring duplicate dispatches.
had been hard upon my heels all the
way from Charlotte. At this the old
warhorse-I learned afterward that lie
had fought through the French and,
Indian war-wagged his heard and mis-
eye flashed.
we must stop them he said.
Three OF them. do you say"
Three white men and an Indian
trailer"
''Ha, II 1t were not for the little
maid Let me think"
He fell to pacing up and down before
the fire on the hearth. and I took the
small one on my knee to let her chat
ter to me Twas FIVE fsll minutes be-
fore my ancient gave me the worth OF
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