blous time.

The Revolution was at its height, and the British, who had a short time
before disembarked their army near Elkton, Maryland, were now encamped
near White Clay Creek, while Washington occupied the country bordering
on the Brandywine. His force, however, was small compared to the extent
of the country to be guarded, and bands of the British sometimes crossed
the Brandywine and foraged in the fertile counties of Delaware and
Chester. As Betty's father, although a Quaker and a non-combatant, was
known to be a patriot, he had to suffer the fortunes of war with his
neighbors.

Thus it was with many forebodings that Betty's mother watched the slight
figure under the spreading branches of a great chestnut, which seemed to
rustle its innumerable leaves as if to promise protection to the little
maid. However, the sun shone brightly, the swallows chirped as they
circled overhead, and nothing seemed farther off than battle and
bloodshed.

Betty skipped merrily into the house, and snatching up some broken
corn-cake left from the morning meal, ran lightly out to the paddock
where Daisy was kept, her own horse, which she had helped to raise from
a colt.

"Come thee here, Daisy," she said, as she seated herself on the top rail
of the mossy snake fence. "Come thee here, and thee shall have some of
thy mistress's corn-cake. Ah! I thought thee would like it. Now go and
eat all thee can of this good grass, for if the wicked redcoats come
again, thee will not have another chance, I can tell thee."

Daisy whinnied and trotted off, while Betty, feeding the few chickens
(sadly reduced in numbers by numerous raids), returned to the house, and
getting her sampler, sat down under a walnut-tree to sew on the stint
which her mother had given her.

All was quiet save the chattering of the squirrels overhead and the
drowsy hum of the bees, when from around the curve in the road she heard
a shot; then another nearer, and then a voice shouting commands, and the
thud of hoof-beats farther down the valley. She jumped up with a
startled cry: "The redcoats! The redcoats! Oh, what shall I do!"

Just then the foremost of a scattered band of soldiers, their buff and
blue uniforms and ill-assorted arms showing them to be Americans,
appeared in full flight around the curve in the road, and springing over
the fence, dashed across the pasture straight for the meeting-house.
Through the broad gateway they poured, and forcing open the door of t