nd the clamor that broke upon the night might have baffled the
slumbers of a mind less anxious and wakeful than his own.

The party of troopers and militia sat at the door to take advantage of
the coolness of the night, and as they plied the busy flagon, and with
heavy draught grew more noisy, scarce a word fell from their lips that
was not distinctly heard by Butler. It was with intense interest,
therefore, that he listened to the conversation when it led to a topic
that greatly concerned himself; and that he might not alarm the
suspicion of the speakers he affected sleep.

"Sumpter has been hovering about Ninety-Six," said the lieutenant; "and
if one could believe all the stories that are told about him, he must be
a full cousin at least to a certain person that it wouldn't be right to
mention in respectable company; for, by the accounts, he is one day on
the Wateree, and the next, whoop and away!--and there he is, almost over
at Augusta. It seems almost past the power of human legs for a mortal
man to make such strides as they tell of him."

"Who says Sumpter is near Ninety-Six?" inquired one of the party; "I can
only say, if that's true, he is a ghost--that's all. Here's Harry Turner
will swear that he saw him, day before yesterday, in North Carolina, on
his march towards Burk."

"Indeed did I," responded Harry, one of the militia-men.

"There is no mistake about it," interposed the lieutenant. "A vidette of
Brown's came scampering through here this morning, who reported the
news; and the man had good right to know, for he saw Cruger yesterday,
who told him all about it, and then sent him off to Wahab's plantation,
near the Catawba fords, for Hanger's rangers. It was on his way back
this morning that he stopped here five minutes, only to give us
warning?"

"This is only some story that your drunken head has been dreaming about,
Gabriel," said Habershaw. "There is not a word of truth in it; the
rangers went down to Camden three days ago. Who saw the vidette besides
yourself?"

"The whole detachment," replied the lieutenant. "We talked to the man
and had the story from him--and a queer fellow he was--a good stout chap
that liked to have been caught by a pair of reconnoitring Whigs, a few
miles back between this and Pacolet; they pushed him up to the
saddleflaps. But you must have seen him yourself, Captain Habershaw;
for he told us you were on the road."

"From towards Pacolet!" exclaimed the captain with sur