rt baronets and their insolent soldiers?
Oh, how I wish women could fight! If the men can't drive them back,
let _us_ take the field, and Clinton shall never set his foot in the
streets of Charleston;" and the brave little beauty looked as if she
meant every word she said.

"The men cannot fail to be heroes when the eyes of such women are upon
them," exclaimed the gallant colonel, looking with amused admiration
at the lovely face all aglow with patriotic excitement. "But you must
let us do the fighting, Miss Elliott, while you cheer and support us
with your smiles and your prayers.--Peyton, what do you think would
be the result of a charge by a squadron of ladies upon Tarleton's
Legion?"

"I can't answer for Tarleton," laughingly replied the orderly, who had
just entered the room, "but I am afraid I should throw down my arms
and desert in the face of the enemy."

"You are an ungallant fellow, Peyton, to hint even that the ladies
could ever be your enemies."

"Oh, do look there!" cried Miss Stead with a silvery laugh, and
pointing through the open window: "shall we take the issue of that
struggle as an omen?"

The whole party rushed to the window and looked out on the lawn. A
brilliant redbird, the proximity of whose nest perhaps had fired his
timid heart with courage, had made a savage assault on a bluejay, the
colors of whose feathers were strikingly suggestive of the Continental
uniform. For a moment the two combatants fluttered in angry strife,
and the result seemed doubtful, when a female mocking-bird flew from
her nest in the shrubbery and drove them both ingloriously from the
field.

"That settles the matter," exclaimed Colonel Washington, laughing
gayly. "If Governor Rutledge calls out the ladies, I shall throw up
my commission at once, and retire in good order to the security of
private life."

"Perhaps then Lieutenant Peyton would succeed to the command?"
rejoined Miss Elliott, glancing archly at the young orderly.

"I am almost sorry that your corps has not been organized, miss, for
I might then consider myself gazetted for promotion, and claim my
lieutenant's commission over your signature." The young man spoke in a
tone of gay badinage, but a shade of annoyance came over his features
as he added with a slight bow, "I am only plain 'Mr.' Peyton as yet."

"I beg pardon," said Miss Elliott, "but I thought 'lieutenant' was an
ensign's proper title."

"If Peyton were the ensign of the troop, his off