“There is little need for many words in order to prove that,” I replied with a mirthless laugh. “We have spent the night in showing your brother that the Minute Boys are not to be trusted out of his sight, and from this on we had best content ourselves with doing sentinel duty around the encampment.” “No, no, lad, it is not so bad as you would paint it,” Master Sawyer cried as, hearing my words, he spurred his horse alongside us two. “The fault lies with me, and it is I who will tell the story of this night’s blunder. You have done as well, under all the circumstances, as could the best troopers the general has in his command; that I maintain stoutly. I question if any man lives who would not be forced to confess to a mistake now and then, and yet you are not required to do even that, since it was I who urged you to what I dare venture to say was against your better judgment. The whole amount of this night’s work is that you failed to capture those who set a trap for you, and verily in that there can be no great crime.” Master Sawyer said very much more in the same strain, so bent was he on taking all the blame, and trying to convince us that after skulking the whole night under the guns of such Tories as Seth Hastings had been able to gather from out the mass of fugitives, we had done gallant work. We knew the facts only too well, however, and when we rode up the lane to where we had encamped the afternoon previous, the dullest person on the plantation could have told by the expression on our faces that matters had gone awry. Our words were pledged, however, to Master Sawyer, that he be allowed to make the report, and once in camp we set about feeding and grooming our horses, that we might be ready for whatsoever change of base the commander counted on making. We were soon to learn, however, that General Marion considered himself in a fairly secure position here on the Davis plantation, for before we had good opportunity of speaking with him concerning the misadventure of the night, it was whispered around among our men that word had been brought in regarding one of Colonel Wemyss’s officers who was encamped near Lynch’s Creek, having proceeded there with a considerable body of Tories under orders to force our people to a battle at all hazards. Those who brought such word also gave the welcome news that several squads of patriots were on their way to join us. By remaining where we were it would be possible, not only to yet further recruit our force, but make such preparations as might enable us to meet with a reasonable hope of success those renegades who believed they could whip us in a fair fight. Therefore it was that we settled ourselves down to the hospitality which Master Davis so freely bestowed, for he was one of those patriots who stood ready to give up all he possessed with the hope of aiding the Cause, and had it been necessary I dare venture to say he would have been the first to apply the torch to his own property.