The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-11-19
CONVINCED.
Continued from last week.


Athol, having been taken before the
officer commanding the British troops,
was searched, and n bit of paper
crumpled into a hard ball was taken
from his pocket 1t was opened and
found to be n statement of the British
forces in South Carolina Ii was of
course more of surprise to Atho
than the British officer, who had been
informed by Pinckton that If he would
conceal his men on the Charleston
road that day he would be likely TO In
tercept a man passing with lnrorma.
ton for General Marion.
The first impulse of the officer was
to hang Athol without even a trial by
'rumhead court martial. Then it oc
Cured to him that the man should
have some time to make preparation
for death. and he concluded to 20
through the form of a trial and leave
the time of his execution to the court
The command was a small one. and
there were but half dozen officers
connected with it. These were all con.
yened 10 Il court, and Athol was
brought before them. There was no
doubt that he had been caught carry.
ing information, the penalty for which
was death. but ~he was permitted to
make an explanation. He said that
he was on his way to Charleston when
in answer TO a summons he
had received from there; that he was
neither Tory nor rebel; that he had no
idea how the communication had come
into his pocket. He asked TO see ii
and was permitted to inspect it, The
was very like his own.
which added to his establishment Not
q suspicion that his friend Pmcktou
had put it there entered his head.
OF course the case was plain 10 the
court that tried him. though since they
were convened To convict him this
made little difference. They brought
in verdict of guilty and sentenced
him to be hanged the next morning.
Meantime Mrs. Athol was riding to
the camp of the Continental troopers
she had heard of Reaching the place
where they had been, she found that
they had moved. No one knew where
for troops IN war time are not accus.
toned to tell where they are going
But the direction they had taken was
known, and Mrs. Athol started after
them.
While riding she thought Of the trap
that it was evident her former sutton
had laid for her husband and wonder
in the latter's pocket. THIS she could
not divine. She had no idea of the
depth of degradation into which riuck-
ton had sunk. the treachcry to one
who trusted him implicitly and consid-
cred him a bosom friend. Tears came
into her eyes as she thought Of her
husbands unjust speech to her when
she had warned him.
Along the route she took she made
inquiries from time to time of the
troopers she was chasing and learned
that she was gradually drawing nearer
to them. Then they We're but few
miles ahead, then mile, and at last
she came upon them as they We're
about going into biyouac for the night.
She sought the officer in command and
told him of his proximity TO the Brit
lsh troops,
The officer knew OF this force and,
having superior numbers. was after
them to attack and capture them, but
he had been misinfOrmcd as TO their
and was moving in the
wrong direction. Mrs. Athol offered to
pilot him to their camp, but begged
him to send few men to PinCkton's
to arrest him. To this the
officer assented, and 1t was agreed that
after supper and a rest the command
would saddle up with view to sur.
the BritisherN before day.
1t was 10 o'clock when they started
lighted by half moon and piloted by
Mrs. Athol. She described the l0ca
ton Of the enemy so that the Ameri
,an force might be divided and ap
Droach from different directions. BE
fore they reached the vicinity Of the
British camp il was near moonset, aud
the night had become dark from clouds
On reaching the place where her hus
band had been captured Mrs. Athol
described three different routes by
which they might come upon the Brit
sh. The separate bodies started and
were each given an hour TO get into
position. The signal for attack was 10
be two shots in quick succession from
the troops accompanied hy the com
officer.
When those two shots rang out on
the still night the British scntrles gave
m alarm, and the redCoatS sprang to
late They were hcmmed
In and II did not require a long time
for their commanding officers 10 real
he the fact He was called on to sur
render and did SO without firing shot
'NthoI not only found himself llberat
ed. but by his wfc's fundamentally
She said nothing of PinCktOn's treach
cry, but in the morning the latter was
brought into camp. and Mrs Athol
made charge against him and re-
luested the American commander to
court martial TO try him
The officer was not slow In granting
the request of one who had given him
a victory, and tie court was convened,
BY this time all knew that forged
document had been placed In Atho's
pocket. and Pinckton WAS charged with
having placed il there lie broke down
under Mrs. Athors testimony and con
fesSed his crime