had arrived. The space between the
travellers and the river was a fertile and comparatively thickly-peopled
region, of which the inhabitants were almost entirely in the Tory
interest. The broad daylight having overtaken them on the confines of
this tract, exposed them to the greatest risk of being questioned. They
had nothing left but to make a bold effort to attain the river by the
shortest path; and thence to pursue the bank towards the rendezvous.

"Courage, John," said Horse Shoe, smiling at the new garb of his
comrade; "you may show your pretty feathers to-day to them that are fond
of looking at them. And you, my young clodpole, ride like an honest
Whig, or I mought find occasion to do a discomfortable thing, by putting
a bullet through and through you. Excuse the liberty, sir, for these are
ticklish times; but I shall ondoubtedly be as good as my word."

Our adventurers soon resumed their journey. They had come within a mile
of the Saluda without interruption, and began to exchange
congratulations that the worst was passed, when they found themselves
descending a sharp hill which jutted down upon an extensive piece of
pasture ground. One boundary of this was watered by a brook, along whose
margin a fringe of willows, intermixed with wild shrubbery of various
kinds, formed a screen some ten or fifteen feet in height. As soon as
this range of meadow was observed, our cautious soldiers halted upon the
brow of the hill to reconnoitre; and perceiving nothing to excite their
apprehension, they ventured down, upon the track of an ill-defined road,
which took a direction immediately over the broadest portion of the
field.

They had scarcely crossed the brook at the bottom of the hill, before
they heard the remote voices of men in conversation, and the tones of a
careless laugh. On looking towards the upper section of the stream, they
were aware of a squad of loyalist cavalry, who came riding, in the shade
of the willows, directly towards the spot where the travellers had
entered upon the meadow. The party consisted of seven or eight men, who
were, at this instant, not more than one hundred paces distant.

"They are upon us, sergeant!" exclaimed John Ramsay. "Make sure of the
prisoner: retreat as rapidly as you can. Leave me to myself. Make for
the Block-house--I will meet you there."

With these hasty intimations, he pricked his courser up to full speed,
and shaped his flight directly across the open field, in full v