ave journeyed hither under Tarleton's
own pledge of passport."

"Captain," replied Cornwallis, "mount and seek the party. Conduct them
to me without delay. What toy is this that brings a lady to my camp?"

The aide-de-camp mounted his horse, and galloped off with the dragoon.
He was conducted far beyond the utmost limit of the line of soldiers,
and at length arrived at a small outpost, where some fifty men were
drawn up, under the command of an officer of the picquet-guard, which
was about returning to join the main body of the army. Here he found
Mildred and Henry Lindsay, and their two companions, Horse Shoe and old
Isaac, attended by the small escort furnished by Tarleton. This party
had been two days on the road from Mrs. Markham's, and had arrived the
preceding night at a cottage in the neighborhood, where they had found
tolerable quarters. They had advanced this morning, at an early hour, to
the _corps de garde_ of the picquet, where Mildred preferred remaining
until Henry could despatch a note to Lord Cornwallis apprising him of
their visit.

When Captain Brodrick rode up, the travellers were already on horseback
and prepared to move. The aide-de-camp respectfully saluted Miss Lindsay
and her brother, and after a short parley with the officer of the
escort, tendered his services to the strangers to conduct them to
head-quarters.

"The general, madam," he said, "would have done himself the honor to
wait on you, but presuming that you were already on your route to his
quarters, where you might be better received than in the bivouac of an
outpost, he is led to hope that he consults your wish and your comfort
both, by inviting you to partake of such accommodation as he is able to
afford you."

"My mission would idly stand on ceremony, sir," replied Mildred. "I
thank Lord Cornwallis for the promptness with which he has answered my
brother's message."

"We will follow you, sir," said Henry.

The party now rode on.

Their path lay along the skirts of the late encampment upon the border
of an extensive plain, on the opposite side of which the army was drawn
out; and it was with the exultation of a boy, that Henry, as they moved
forward, looked upon the long line of troops glittering in the bright
sunshine, and heard the drums rolling their spirited notes upon the air.

When they arrived at a point where the road emerged from a narrow strip
of forest, they could discern, at the distance of a few hundred paces,