posed to them, and the advantages gained by the latter were those chiefly of surprise. While they fought, the guard divided; a portion of them carried Colonel Walton, with such other prisoners as had been subjects of special judgment and particular care, to the cover of the savannah, while the rest, now unencumbered, continued the fight valiantly enough. But the troops of Marion now rushed in, fresh men, and falling upon the enemy's rear, they soon finished the contest. The fight had lasted, however, for an hour at least before its conclusion; and the loss of the British was severe. The partisans not only rescued all the continentals, one hundred and fifty in number-all of the Maryland line-but they took besides twenty-two regulars of the 63d regiment, including their captain, and sundry other prisoners. But the small guard, carrying with it Colonel Walton, and the other South Carolina prisoners, had gone clear; and hurrying under good guidance to the Santee, while yet the fight was going on, they seized upon some of the boats of Marion, and were safe upon the other side of the river, and speeding upon their way, before the conflict was half over.

What was the horror of Singleton, when, at daylight, the released prisoners gave intelligence of the destiny of Colonel Walton, and the perfect escape with their charge of the guard having him in custody. He immediately rushed to his commander with the melancholy narrative.

"It is unhappy-dreadfully unhappy, Major Singleton," said the commander-" but what are we to do? It is now scarcely possible that we should overtake them; they have the start too greatly to leave us any hope of a successful pursuit, and beyond that, I see nothing that can be done. If they do indeed execute our citizens, we shall only be compelled to retaliate."

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"That of course we must do, Colonel Marion," was the rejoinder; " and I am willing, sir, that my name should be the first on the list which pledges our officers to the practice, and incurs the risk which such

pledge involves. But, surely, we must do something to save, not less than to revenge, our countrymen. believe, Colonel Marion-nay, I am sure, I can overtake the detachment. Give me, sir, but twenty menthe men I brought with me from the Cypress-they will volunteer in the service, they will risk their lives freely in behalf of Colonel Walton."

Marion regarded the earnest speaker with a melancholy glance. He shook his head mournfully as he replied

"They are too far on the start-some hours the lead upon you. It is impossible, Major Singleton, that you

should overtake them."

"Our horses are superior-"

"But not fresh-no, no! It is a bad business; but I fear we cannot mend it."

"You will not suffer a brave man, a good citizen, to perish! Pardon me, sir-pardon me, if in my earnestness and anxiety I seem to overstep the bounds of propriety and privilege. Pardon me, sir; but hear me. Permit me to make the effort-let me save him if I can. Think, sir, he is a man of great influence in his parish, one highly valuable to our cause; he is brave and virtuous-a good citizen-a father!"

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"All-all these I grant; but look at the prospect, Major Singleton--the great risk to all-the little hope. After this defeat of the continentals, this region to which you propose to go, will be one of certain doom to you. We shall now ourselves have to hurry farther from the Santee; and I have already prepared the orders to march our little brigade back to Lynch's creek, though I leave you and the force you propose to take to certain destruction."

"Not certain, not even probable, Colonel Marion; for, believe me, I will do nothing rash."

Marion smiled.

"Your blood even now is boiling, Major Singleton; the veins rise upon your forehead-your cheek burns -your lips quiver. You are in a feverish impatience which will hurry you into fight, with the first oppor tunity."

"Oh no, sir-no! I am fevered, I am thirsting, I grant you, to strike the enemy at all hazards; but I know the risk. I have estimated the danger. The section to which I go has been exhausted of troops to supply the army of Cornwallis at Camden. A small force, scarcely superior to the little one I brought with me, is all the garrison at Dorchester. The army of Cornwallis will press the pursuit of Gates into North Carolina; the results of so great a victory will not be neglected by the British commander. This movement will leave the country free for some time; and they have not men enough below to find me, or rout me out of the Cypress."

But Marion thought differently as to the probable course of Cornwallis. He knew the weakness, not only of the British army, but of the footing upon which their cause stood in the country. He knew that Cornwallis had quite enough to do in South, without exposing his army in North Carolina; and he shook his head in reply to the arguments of Singleton, as he suggested his own doubts of their validity.

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But, I know you, Major Singleton," he continued; "and your claims to serve and save your relative if you can, should be considered. What force will you require for this?"

"Twenty men, sir; twenty will do."

"Take thirty, sir, if you can get as many to volunteer from the force brought with you. I give you no instructions. I will not fetter your courage or good sense with any commands of mine. But I counsel you, sir, not to forget, that neither your own, nor the lives of your men, are at this period your or their property. You belong to your country, Major Singleton; and it is only as one of her sons and defenders, that I am now willing to save Colonel Walton. Proceed now with what speed you may; and if safe and successful, you will seek me out, with the old signals, somewhere near Black Mingo. Go, sir; and God speed and prosper you."

The acknowledgments of Singleton were hearty,

VOL. II.-X

though made in haste. He hurried to the men of the low country, and in few words made known the circumstances. Humphries, Davis, Porgy, the two Framptons-indeed, all of the original party from the Cypress -volunteered instantly. He could have had a dozen more for the enterprise. Black Tom was permitted, after some difficulty, to attend the party; the obstinate negro swearing he would not be left: and with this addition to his limited number, Singleton was soon in saddle, and pushing fast in pursuit of the enemy.

CHAPTER XXVI.

"Then bring me to him. He shall hear from me,
How much I fear-how much I dare to hope."

THE chase was so far unsuccessful. The pursuers reached the Cypress without having overtaken the enemy. There, however, having discretionary power, Singleton proceeded earnestly to do what he could towards the rescue of his uncle. The good sense, the skill, and partisan qualities of Humphries, all came into excellent exercise, and were found immensely important at this crisis. With him, Singleton conferred closely, and immediately after his arrival. The result of the conference was the departure, that night, of Humphries, for the village of Dorchester.

Meanwhile, the individuals of the party in the Cypress resumed their old places and habits. Porgy was quite at home, and not the less pleased that the eelloving Oakenburg had forborne to volunteer. He soon set the peculiar talents of black Tom in requisition; and a little foraging furnished the scouts with a sufficient supply for the evening feast. Of this we need scarcely say that Singleton ate but little. He was eminently wretched; and as he wandered gloomily

along the edge of the island, he was not unpleasantly aroused at hearing the wild laugh, and at meeting the wolfish visage of the maniac Frampton immediately beside him.

"You are come," said the wretched man-" you are come to see him. You shall see him; he is there," pointing with his finger. "I have put him to watch her grave, and he watches well; he never leaves it. The owl and him—they watch together, and one hoots when the other sleeps. Come-you shall see."

Singleton could only conjecture the meaning of his speech; the scattered rays of reason illuminating the vague obscurity of his language, as a faint flickering of twilight unveiled imperfectly the crowding blackness and the strange cluster of objects around them in the swamp. The firelight fell on the cheek of the madman, and showed Singleton its squalid and miserable, not less than maniacal expression. He had evidently suffered from hunger as well as wo.

"Come with me, rather," said the partisan, losing for a moment the feeling of his own wretchedness in that of the unfortunate being before him. The man followed quietly enough, and he led him to where the rest were busily engaged at supper. Porgy in an instant made room for him on the log on which he himself was sitting at the same time he broke the hoecake before him, and gave orders to Tom, who stood conveniently by, to produce the remnants of some chickens, in the procuring of which, one of the neighbouring plantations had suddenly suffered assessment. But the wild man did not for a moment notice the invitation. He seized Singleton by the arm, and with a gentle pressure, carried him through the circle to the spot where his young son was sitting. The elder rose at his approach; but him he did not regard for a moment. But when he looked upon the younger, and beheld the sword at his side, he burst into one of those dreadful laughs which seemed to indicate, as they invariably accompanied, every occasional symptom of his mental consciousness. The boy stood up before him,