Now it was I understood why Master Sawyer had thus taken command. He counted on atoning for his blunder by remaining behind until we were safely off, when he would have taken his own chances alone but for Archie, who guessed at the plan and was determined to share with the gentleman some portion of the danger. I could not have halted even if I would, because of those behind me, and during two or three minutes we lads rode on at our best speed, leaving in the rear those two brave hearts who were ready to sell their lives if needs be so that ours might be preserved. It was a brave thing for Master Sawyer to have done, and yet braver for Archie Gordon to bear him company. The man was experienced in such work, but the lad green to the business; the one had a well-earned reputation to sustain, the other was making his--had made it that morning so far as we Minute Boys of South Carolina were concerned. When our company had ridden so far that it seemed certain we were beyond musket-shot distance from the shack, Gabriel shouted for us to halt, and when we pulled up our steeds every fellow’s face was turned to the rear, while I dare say all hearts were beating as was mine when we watched for the coming of those comrades whom there was every reason to believe we might never see again. And yet they came through the danger safely. Within sixty seconds after we halted there sounded from the rear a shout of triumph, and immediately afterward we saw the two riding toward us at full speed, Archie yelling like a red Indian with the joy of having sat side by side with such a man as Master Sawyer at a time when death lurked near at hand. Gabriel gave the word for us to ride on, when the two appeared in sight, and as we spurred the horses forward every fellow cheered for Archie, forgetting, in the pride which was felt because of a comrade’s heroism, that Master Sawyer had also voluntarily staked his life for ours. Ten minutes later we were halted in front of the forge, but the place was abandoned, and Master Sawyer said, after he had dismounted and ascertained beyond a question that the smith was not in sight: “When the opportunity affords it is our business, lads, to overhaul this Master Reuben Rowe, and if he still be of the mind to take neither one side nor the other, then will we give him a taste of what colorless people in such times as these deserve.” Again we rode on, heading directly for the Davis plantation, our faces lengthening as we drew nearer to it, for the time was rapidly approaching when we must confess to such as General Marion and Captain Horry that we had proven ourselves simples of the most simple type, and such prospect was not pleasing. “There is but one way out of it,” Gabriel said to me when he had slackened pace that we might ride side by side, and he spoke as if it had been the continuation of a previous conversation. “That is to own up at once, before there is opportunity for much question, that we have been fools.”