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HflflßipiG TWO REBELS
Trile Story of the Revolution,
* By Everett T. Tomlinson.
i.
E<l, do you reullv think Col.
Houk will hang us?”
«j- m afraid so, JamiP. Soi
many South Carolina Whigs
have bean served in that way.
I’m thinking we’ll he no excep
tion.
Young James McClure made
no reply to (be words of his
brother-inlaw, Edward Martin,
but peered out between the slats
o f the rude corn fib in which
the two were confined. On every
side he could see the scarlet
coated men, who had tethered
their horses and were new loung
ing about the place. The hot a’ri
of that afternoon of July 11,
1760, quivered in the sunlight,
and the sounds the locusts n-ade
were all that could be heard.
An hour previous, however,
it had not been «o. The two
voung men had heen interrupted
in molting the few remaining
pewter spoons into bullets by
the approach of Col. Houk and
his 400 redcoats, and Mrs. Mc-
Clure at once knew why they
had come.
Only a few days before shej
had encouraged her son. Capt.
John McClure to tak-e his band
of thirty men and fall upon the
British in the vicintv. Capi.
John already had seen active
service, and as he was as bold
as he was brave, he followed
his mother’s suggestions. The
sudden attacks upon the regu
lars at Ohl Field and Mobley’s
meet-ng house followed, and
the success they had had given
fresh courage to the faltering
Whigs in the region.'
The British had rallied, how
ever, and in bands set forth to
punish the rebels and secure
their captured horses, and Col.
Ilouk bad determined that the
widow McClure’s place should
be the first to be visited.
His anger, when he found
that Capt, John was in Sump
ter’s camp, thirty miles away
had been great, and he had
struck his mother with the flat
of hii sword, when he discover
ed the two young men and their
occupation in the kitchen. The
melting pewter was evidence
enough,and he roughly thrust
the two young rebels into the
corn crib, declaring that on the
following morning they should
(wing for their work.
James was thinking of those
things as he peered out from
his prison house. Edward had
become silent, and James soon
followed his example, although
he still steadily watched his cap
tors, vainly hoping that the
leader would relent ; but the
hours passed, the air became
Sl ’hry, the sun sank lower and
lo 'ver, and still no word was
brought.
Ihe hours dragged on. The
moon came slowly up, but James
did not note her appearance.For
an I,ollr he did not change his
position, for that awful threat
°f the British Colonel was all
the time sounding in his ears.
Jamie, are you awake !”
xh e young prisoner lifted his
IPad and listened. It was Ed
w»> J speaking in a low whisper.
' S, I ni awake,’’ he replied.
‘‘•t must be after midnight.”
1 ( -on t know. Ed, do you
t “I‘k Col. Houk will carry out
his threat?”
1 ‘im afraid so, Jamie, my
boy. Are you afraid?”
Janies nude no re. ly. Afraid?
\ cs. Never before had he expe
rienced such feelings. But above
the dull, helpless misery was the
thought of John and what he
would do when he first heard
the sal story. And would his
mother and sister be witnesses
of the awful deed which would
be done when morning came?
For the first time he realized
what war was. Before he had
gloried in the adventures and
brave deeds of his brother, but
there was a new view of it all
now. Still he kept his seat in
the corner of the corncrib, wait
ing in helpless, silent misery
for the morning lig.it to come.
11.
Meanwhile there had not been
an entire suspension of efforts
within the house. An hour after
the prisoners had been shut in
the crib, and when tho men had
given up their hopeless search
for provisions on the place and
had become quiet, Mrs. McClure
turned to her daughter mary, a
girl of eighteen, and said gently:
“John is only thirty miles
away.’'
“Yes, mother,” replied Mary,
looking keenly at her mother as
she spoke.
“And if he knew of the dan
ger he wouldn’t rest a minute.”
“What do you want me to do,
mother?”
Mrs. McClure was silent for a
moment before she said : “We
haven’t a horse left on the
place.”
“There’s one at Col. Batton’s
if the British haven’t taken it
tyday.”
For a fu’l minute the two
wo i.on sti d looking at each
other, but not a word was spo
ken. Mrs. McClure’s strong face
was strangely tender, while Ma
ry’s, who was her mother’s
daughter and proud that she
was a sister of John McClure,
was set and hard.
•‘l’ll go just as soon as it’s
safe,” said Mary at last, in re
ply to her mother’s unspoken
question.
Spartan mother though she
was, for a moment the widow
McClure clasped her daughter
passionately to her breast and
then departed to another part of
the house.
Mary watched the men about
the place for a time, and soon
noticed that they had not placed
a guard at the rear of the house.
That was the very direction in
which she wished to go, and at
last she ventured forth. Iler
breath came fast and hard and
her knees were trembling ; but
striving to appear as if she were
going on some simple errand
she glanc ed about her only to
see that the men still lay stretch
ed beneath the trees and were
giving no heed to her. Doubtless
they felt safe, knowing as they
did that no Whigs were in the
region and there was no danger
of an attack. Not once did Mary
McClure look behind her until
she had gained the shelter of
the woods, and then, perceiving
that she was not followed, she
broke into a run across the lots,
nor did she stop until she had
entered tbo lane which led to
Col. Bratton’s house.
The colonel she knew was
with her brother John in Sum
ter’s camp, hut his wife was at
home and it was to her she was
going.
“h’s Mary McClure! What
brings you here in such a plight 1
Have you bed any word from
the men? Come right in and sit
down and cool yourself. I’D get
a fan. What’s happened?” Mrs.
Bratton rapidly uttered her dis-
jointed questions as she looked
up from her work in the kitchen
and saw Mary standing in the
doorway.
For a moment the panting
girl was unable to reply, but
soon regaining her breath, she
said : “The British have come
and are going to hang Jamie and
Ed and I’ve got to get word to
John! 0. Mrs. Bratton, is Dob
bin still on the place? Don’t say
he’s gone. Don’t!”
“It’s a good thirty mile to
Sumpter's camp,” sai<l Mrs.
Bratton slowly.
“I know it! 1 know it! There’s
not a moment to be lost. Is
Dobbin here?”
“Yes, he’s out in the woods
for safe keeping; but if he’s
within hail, I’ll get him for
you,” said Mrs, Bratton, taking
a bridle from its hiding place
and at once starting for the
woods with the eager girl.
“Mary, you’re your mother’s
own girl,” she said as she ca
tered.
“Just now, I’m my brother’s
own sister. Hurry, Mrs. Bratton!
Please burry !”
“We’ll soon see now,” said
Mrs. Bratton as she gave a low,
peculiar call. A whinny quickly
followed, and in a moment Dob
bin appeared. The bridle was at
once adjusted, end Mary leaped
upon his back.
“Remember, it’s a good thir
ty mile. Save his wind all you
can,” called Mrs. Bratton, but
Mary did not even turn her head
to reply. Her long, desperate
ride bad begun. The woman
watched her until she disappear
ed. and then turned and entered
the house.
Nine o’clock, 10 o’clock came,
anc still no signs of Sumpter’s
camp appeared. Would the end
never come? Again she gave
Dobbin a brief rest, but as she
resumed her seat she groaned
aloud, for the horse was almost
stumbling in his weakness. Dob
bin must go on, chough his
breathing could be heard yards
away. He stumbled now, and,
just as Mary was about to aban
don him, the reaction came, for
suddenly she found herself in
Sumter’s camp
Her story was soon told, and
she was bidden to remain in the
camp, while Capt. John quickly
gathered a band of 150 men.
Mary witched them as they
rode swiftly out on the road and
soon disappeared in the dark
ness. Then she sought her br til
er’s tent and waited fur the
morning to come with its mes
sage of life or death.
HI
It was not yet daybreak when
John McClure and his band came
within sight of the camp fires of
Houk’s men. He called a halt, and
the men concealed themselves in a
thicket, while Bratton pushed on
alone to look over the situation.
When ne returned, he and Capt.
John made their plans. John,
with twenty men, was to attack
the British on the eastern side,
while the others were to fall on
the camps from the west and try
to cut the dragoons oft from their
horses. Just as the first streaks of
the dawn appeared, the word was
given, and with a yell that broke
in strangely upon the still morn
ing air, Capt. John McClure led
his men in a charge.
Meanwhile how fared it with
the prisoners in the corncrib? "The
long hours had dragged slowly on
and no word nt hope had come.
“There’s the morning,” said
at last, when he saw a faint
light in the east.
“The last we’ll ever see,” res
plied Edward, hopelessly.
Again Jamie became silent, No
one was stirring about the camp,
and he Cuuld not see that many of
the men bad been withdrawn.
Th-’ stillness was oppressive and
he had just, turned to take his
place in the corner again, when
suddenly a deafening yell broke n
upon the silence.
Too much startled to speak.
James turned quickly and off to
the east of the plantation he
could see a band of horse-men
sweeping down upon the camp. His
confusion was soon dispelled when
in the increasing light he recog
nixed his own brother as the lead
er.
“John! John!” he screamed
frantically, “hem I am! Here I
am 1”
The camp in a moment was a
B cene of confusion. The men were
trying to form, when suddenly
another yell was heard from the
western side, and Col. Bratton’s
men also charged upon the camp
“ They’re cutting ’em from their
horsesl” shouted the exci'ed boy.
as if be alone saw what wis going
ou in the yard. “There, Hiuk’s
down!' He’s down! No, hw’s got
to his horse i He’s mounted, and
so has Ferguson! No, John’s'got
him. John’s got him, now!”
“The men are trying to cut their
way back to their horses!” hi
shouted again.
“They’ve only got swords and
pistols, and our men have muskets '
Look at ’em! Just look at ’em”
His companion needed no urg
ing, for he, too, was watching the
straggle, upon whosi issue hung
his own life. For a few minutes
the contest continued, the British
doing their utmost to force their
way back to their horses, and the
Americans striving just ss hard
to keep them back. Shouts and
shots were heard on every side and
the suspense was almost too great
to be borne. Such desperate efforts
could not long continue, howev*r
and in a few minutes the excited
boy shouted: There, they’ve brok
en ! They’re making for the woods.
Hurrah, wn’ve got the horses, too!
They’ve left every h >rse bihind
them!”
“Are you coming out, of this
place, Jamie?”
The young prisoner turned quick
ly, and there in the open doorway
of the crib stood Capt. John, For
a mom int he said nothing as he
threw tiia arms around his broths
er’s neck, but soon recovering
himself he said: “O John, they
were going to hang Ned and me!
What cau I ever do to thank you?”
“You want to thank Mary not,
me,” said the young Captain quiet
ly, although there was a suspici
ous moisture in his eyes. “She’s
the one who has done it all. Come
on into the house and after we’ve
seen mother I’ll tell you a l l about
it. ”
And the three young meu hand,
in hand, leaped out of the crib
and started toward the house.
ered the most reckless of men \
who risks his life by putting jp '
his head into the mouth of
a savage lion. The men who perform this
foolhardy act are few and far between.
There are tens of thousands of men who
daily do a much more rash and dangerous
deed. They are the men who overwork
and neglect their health. No man can do
this with impunity. The inevitable result
is serious illness and premature death.
One of the most common results of care
lessness in regard to health is consumption.
There is one. and only one. unfailing rem
edy for this dread disease. It is Dr. Pierce’s
Golden Medical Discovery. It has a record
of thirty years, during which time it has
cured 98 per cent, of all cases of bronchial,
throat and lung affections It acts directly
on the digestive and nutritive organism. It
creates a healthy appetite for food, facili
tates the flow of digestive juices and pro
motes the assimilation of the life giving ele
ments of the food. It is the great blood-mak
er, flesh-builder and nerve-tonic. In cases
of nervous prostration it builds up the nerve
fibres and gives sound, refreshing sleep.
•• I took a severe cold with sore throat," writes
Mrs. A. S. Everhart, of Oard Spring, Scott Co.,
Ind. “Soon I began to cough. My right side
became sore so that when I coughed it seemed as
though my side would burst. The physician said
I had pleurisy. I took his medicine for some
time and got no better. All through the spring
and summer I used mustard plasters and flv blis
ters on my side and over lungs. Finally I began
to ache sb badly between mv shoulders that 1
could hardly endure it and at times almost
smothered. My breath was so short that I could
scarcely talk. Several of my near relatives had
died of consumption I thought I would try
Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery. I took
two bottles of it. and two of his ' Pleasant Pel
lets.' and am a new person. I would not take
any money for the benefit received."
Big Brown Jug Fil
ters for sale. Price
$2-00. Miss Julia
Steward
II School Supplies. !
M e are pioneers in the school books and school sup-
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thin? tha* should be kept by an up-to-date Bookstore.
»>$
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| H. A. SMITH, I!
THF OLD RELIABLE BOOK STORE. ||
To the People of ftotne. &
V|/ I WH ' l f ° announce that 1 have bought the Model
?!. Steam Laundry and propose to rearrange and add to it
VI/ so that you will have in your city a plant second tc none VI/
-a- in the south. -a-
I have had ye rs of practical ex, re tence, the paet
Vi/ th f H o J irs of wb cb I hare own iterated one of
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Hipiu? t> rao-sive a fair shire of your Jpatroaage, I am
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S H. PARKIN *
Proprietor Model Steam Liundry.
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