age; her virtues, an unbounded love for her adopted country,
perfect honesty when dealing on certain known principles with the
soldiery, and a great good-nature. Added to these, Betty had the merit
of being the inventor of that beverage which is so well known, at the
present hour, to all the patriots who make a winter's march between
the commercial and the political capitals of this great State, and
which is distinguished by the name of "cock-tail." Such then was the
mistress of the mansion, who, reckless of the cold northern blasts,
showed her blooming face from the door of the building to welcome the
arrival of her favorite, Captain Lawton, and his companion, her master
in surgery.

[Footnote 79: falling into decay.]

[Footnote 80: outburst.]

[Footnote 81: quickness.]

[Footnote 82: jocosely.]

Lawton and his companion now entered the building. A long table, made
from boards torn from the side of an out-building, was stretched
through the middle of the largest apartment, or the bar-room, and on
it was a very scanty display of crockery ware. The steams of cookery
arose from an adjoining kitchen, but the principal attraction was a
demijohn of fair proportions, which had been ostentatiously placed on
high by Betty as the object most worthy of notice.

Lawton soon learned that it was teeming with the real amber-colored
juice of the grape, and had been sent from the Locusts, as an offering
to Major Dunwoodie, from his friend Captain Wharton, of the royal
army.

The group within were all young men and tried soldiers; in number they
were about a dozen, and their manners and their conversation were a
strange mixture of the bluntness of the partisan with the manners of
gentlemen. Some were endeavoring to sleep on the benches which lined
the walls, some were walking the apartments, and others were seated in
earnest discussion on subjects connected with the business of their
lives. All this time Dunwoodie sat by himself, gazing at the fire, and
lost in reflections which none of his officers presumed to disturb.

A loud summons at the door of the building, and the dragoons
instinctively caught up their arms to be prepared for the worst.

The door was opened and the Skinners entered, dragging the peddler,
bending beneath the load of his pack.

"Which is Captain Lawton?" said the leader of the gang, gazing around
him in some little astonishment.

"He waits your pleasure," said the trooper, dryly.