ead and face in a shawl, opened
the door slowly, and asked in a feeble voice who it was that wanted to
pester a sick, lone woman. The Tories said they had been pursuing a man,
and had traced him near her house. They wanted to know if any one had
passed that way. "I told 'em," said Aunt Nancy to the listening Tories,
"that I had seen a man on a sorrel horse turn out of the road into the
woods a little ways back. So they went back and took to the woods, and
my Whig boy got off safe and sound."

Naturally this story, boldly told, did not please the five Tories who
heard it; but something in the War Woman's eye prevented them from
offering her any personal injury. Instead, they ordered her to give them
something to eat.

"I never feed King's men if I can help it," she replied. "The scamps
have fixed me so that I can't feed my own family in a decent manner.
They have run off with all my pigs and poultry except that old gobbler
you see in the yard there."

"Well, you shall cook the old gobbler for us," exclaimed one who seemed
to be the leader of the party. Suiting the action to the word, he raised
his musket and shot the gobbler. One of his men brought it into the
house and gave it to Aunt Nancy, with orders to clean and cook it at
once. This, of course, made that stanch patriot very angry, and she gave
the Tories a violent tongue lashing.

It is probable that while she was dressing the turkey for the pot, the
Tories let some hint drop about the outrageous murder of Colonel John
Dooly, who was a warm friend of Aunt Nancy's. At any rate, she suddenly
changed her tactics. She ceased to storm and quarrel, the scowl left
her face, and she soon seemed to be in high good humor. She went about
getting the meal ready with great good will. She sent her little girl
to the spring after water, but told her to sound on the conch shell the
signal to "keep close," so that her husband and his neighbors who were
with him might know there were Tories in the cabin.

While the daughter was gone after water, one of the Tories volunteered
to take her place in helping to get everything ready. Aunt Nancy
accepted his services, and joked with him with great freedom and
familiarity. Like all women of spirit and independence, Aunt Nancy
possessed a considerable fund of humor, and it stood her in good stead
now. She contrived to thoroughly interest the Tories, and it was not
long before they were in the most jovial frame of mind imaginable. They