I
was hunting up a little physic for her in the woods, a gang of your
people came across me and fotch me here--and that's about all that I
have got to say."

A series of questions followed, by which the sergeant was compelled to
give some further account of himself, which he contrived to do with an
address that left his questioners but little the wiser as to his real
character; and which strongly impressed them with the conviction that
the man they had to deal with was but a simple and rude clown.

"You say you don't know the name of the person at whose house you
stopped?" inquired the commander.

"I disremember," replied Horse Shoe; "being, as I said, a stranger in
the parts, and not liking to make too free with axing after people's
names."

"A precious lout, this, you have brought me, Lieutenant Munroe," said
Tarleton, addressing the officer who had hitherto had the custody of the
sergeant. "You don't _disremember_ the part of Virginia you lived in?"
he added, pursuing his examination.

"They have given it the name of Amherst," replied Horse Shoe.

"And the father of Miss Lindsay, you say, resided there?"

"Sartainly, sir."

"There is a gentleman of that name somewhere in Virginia," said
Tarleton, apart to one of his attendants, "and known as a friend to our
cause, I think."

"I have heard of the family," replied the person addressed.

"What has brought the lady to Carolina?"

"Consarning some business of a friend, as I have been told," answered
Horse Shoe.

"It is a strange errand for such a time, and a marvellous shrewd
conductor she has chosen! I can make nothing out of this fellow. You
might have saved yourself the trouble of taking charge of such a clod,
lieutenant."

"My orders," replied the lieutenant, "were to arrest all suspicious
persons; and I had two reasons to suspect this man. First, he was found
upon a spot that couldn't have been better chosen for a look-out if he
had been sent to reconnoitre us; and second, his horse showed some
military training."

"But the booby himself was stupid enough," rejoined the commander, "to
carry his passport in his face."

"I have a paper, sir, to that purpose," said Horse Shoe, putting his
hands into his pockets, "it signifies, I was told,--for I can't read of
my own accord--that I mought pass free without molestification from the
sodgers of the king--this is it, I believe, sir."

"_To three suppers at the Rising Sun, four and six pence_," said
Tar