my good sir, which I should right
gladly exchange for the buff and blue, but that I can serve the cause
better in this."

He dropped the Queen's-arm, took the child from me and bade me welcome
to his cabin and all it held. But I was not minded to make him a sharer
in my private peril.

"No," said I. "Tell me how I may find Gilbert Town and Major Ferguson's
rendezvous, and I will ride whilst I can see the way."

He looked at me narrowly. "Ferguson left Gilbert Town some days since.
If 'tis the place you seek, you are gone far out of your way; if 'tis
the man--"

"'Tis the man," I cut in hastily.

The patriarch shook his head.

"If you be of our side, as you say, he will hang you out of hand."

"So I can make my errand good, I care little how soon he hangs me."

"And what may your errand be? Mayhap I can help you."

"It is to bring him to a stand till the mountain men can overtake him."

The old man trembled with excitement like a boy going into his first
battle.

"Ah, if you could--if you could!" he cried. "But 'tis too late, now.
Listen: his present camp is but three miles to the westward on Buffalo
Creek. I was there no longer ago than the Wednesday. I--I made my
submission to him--curse him--so that I 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 soon be marching to his relief.

"I stole away when I could, and that night took horse and rode twenty
miles to Tom Sumter's camp at Flint Hill--all to little purpose, I 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
mountain men to set them straight. I should have gone myself, but--"

"Stay, my good friend," said I; "you go too fast for me. If Ferguson is
still out of communication with the main at Charlotte, we may halt him
yet."

The old man made a gesture of impatience.

"'Tis a thing done because it is as good as done. The major will break
camp and march to-morrow morning, and he can reach Charlotte at ease in
two days. What with their losing of his trail, the mountain men are
those same two days behind him."

"None the less, we shall halt him," said I. "Have you ever an inkhorn
and a quill in your cabin?"

"Both; at your service, sir. But I can not understand--"

"We may call it the little mai