and the opiate juice, down they sunk, deliciously beastified, to the ground.

Just as the cock had winded his last horn for day we approached the house
in perfect concealment" target="_blank" title="n.隐藏，隐瞒">concealment, behind a string of fence, within a few yards of it.

But in spite of all our address, we could not effect
a complete surprisal of them. Their sentinels took the alarm,

and firing their pieces, fled into the yard. Swift as lightning
we entered with them, and seizing their muskets, which were all

stacked near the gate, we made prisoners of the whole party,
without having been obliged to kill more than three of them.

Had Washington and his whole army been upon the survivors,
they could hardly have roared out louder for quarter.

After securing their arms, Marion called for their captain;
but he was not to be found, high nor low, among the living or dead.

However, after a hot search, he was found up the chimney!
He begged very hard that we would not let his men know where he had

concealed himself. Nothing could equal the mortification of the British,
when they came to see what a handful of militia-men had taken them,

and recovered all their prisoners.
Marion was at first in high hopes, that the American regulars

whom he had so gallantly rescued, would, to a man, have joined his arms,
and fought hard to avenge their late defeat. But equally to HIS surprise

and their own disgrace, not one of them could be prevailed on
to shoulder a musket! "Where is the use," said they, "of fighting now,

when all is lost?"
This was the general impression. And indeed except these

unconquerable spirits, Marion and Sumter, with a few others
of the same heroic stamp, who kept the field, Carolina was no better

than a British province.
In our late attack on the enemy, we had but four rounds of powder and ball;

and not a single sword that deserved the name. But Marion soon remedied
that defect. He bought up all the old saw blades from the mills,

and gave them to the smiths, who presently manufactured for us
a parcel of substantial broadswords, sufficient, as I have often seen,

to kill a man at a single blow.
From our prisoners in the late action, we got completely armed;

a couple of English muskets, with bayonets and cartouch-boxes, to each of us,
with which we retreated into Britton's Neck.

We had not been there above twenty-four hours before news was brought us
by a trusty friend, that the tories, on Pedee, were mustering, in force,

under a captain Barfield. This, as we learnt afterwards,
was one of the companies that my uncle's old coachman

had been so troubled about. We were quickly on horseback;
and after a brisk ride of forty miles, came upon their encampment,

at three o'clock in the morning. Their surprise was so complete,
that they did not fire a single shot! Of forty-nine men,

who composed their company, we killed and took about thirty.
The arms, ammunition, and horses of the whole party, fell into our hands,

with which we returned to Britton's Neck, without the loss of a man.
The rumor of these two exploits soon reached the British

and their friends the tories, who presently despatched three stout companies
to attack us. Two of the parties were British; one of them commanded

by major Weymies, of house-burning memory. The third party
were altogether tories. We fled before them towards North Carolina.

Supposing they had entirely scouted us, they gave over the chase,
and retreated for their respective stations; the British to Georgetown,

and the tories to Black Mingo. Learning this, from the swift mounted scouts
whom he always kept close hanging upon their march, Marion ordered us

to face about, and dog them to their encampment, which we attacked
with great fury. Our fire commenced on them at but a short distance,

and with great effect; but outnumbering us, at least two to one,
they stood their ground and fought desperately. But losing their commander,

and being hard pressed, they at length gave way, and fled
in the utmost precipitation, leaving upwards of two-thirds of their number,

killed and wounded, on the ground. -- The surprise and destruction
of the tories would have been complete, had it not been

for the alarm given by our horses' feet in passing Black Mingo bridge,
near which they were encamped. Marion never afterwards suffered us

to cross a bridge in the night, until we had first spread our blankets on it,
to prevent noise.

This third exploit of Marion rendered his name very dear to the poor whigs,
but utterly abominable to the enemy, particularly the tories,

who were so terrified at this last handling, that, on their retreat,
they would not halt a moment at Georgetown, though twenty miles

from the field of battle; but continued their flight,
not thinking themselves safe, until they had got Santee river

between him and them.
These three spirited charges, having cost us a great deal of rapid marching

and fatigue, Marion said he would give us "a little rest".
So he led us down into Waccamaw, where he knew we had some excellent friends;

among whom were the Hugers and Trapiers, and Alstons; fine fellows!
rich as Jews, and hearty as we could wish: indeed the wealthy captain,

now colonel William Alston, was one of Marion's aids.
These great people all received us as though we had been their brothers,

threw open the gates of their elegant yards for our cavalry,
hurried us up their princely steps; and, notwithstanding our dirt and rags,

ushered us into their grand saloons and dining rooms,
where the famous mahogany sideboards were quickly covered

with pitchers of old amber colored brandy, and sugar dishes of double refined,
with honey, for drams and juleps. Our horses were up to the eyes

in corn and sweet-scented fodder; while, as to ourselves,
nothing that air, land, or water could furnish, was good enough for us.

Fish, flesh, and fowl, all of the fattest and finest, and sweetly graced
with the smiles of the great ladies, were spread before us,

as though we had been kings: while Congress and Washington went round
in sparkling bumpers, from old demijohns that had not left the garret

for many a year.
This was feasting indeed! It was a feasting of the soul as well as

of the sense. To have drawn the sword for liberty and dear country's sake,
was, of itself, no mean reward to honest republicans; but, beside that,

to be so honored and caressed, by the great ones of the land,
was like throwing the zone of Venus over the waist of Minerva,

or like crowning profit with pleasure, and duty with delight.
In consequence of the three fortunate blows which he had lately struck,

Marion, as before observed, was getting the enviable honor
to be looked up to as the rallying point of the poor whigs; insomuch,

that although afraid as mice to stir themselves, yet, if they found out
that the tories and British were any where forming encampments

about the country, they would mount their boys and push them off to Marion
to let him know. Here I must give the reader an instance on the spot.

We had just got ourselves well braced up again, by rest and high feeding,
among the noble whigs of Waccamaw, when a likely young fellow

at half speed drove up one morning to the house, and asked for general Marion.
Marion went to the door.

"Well, my son, what do you want with me?"
"Why, sir general," replied the youth, "daddy sent me down to let you know,

as how there is to be a mightygathering of the tories, in our parts,
to-morrow night."

"Aye indeed! and pray whereabouts, my son, may your parts be?"
"Heigh, sir general! don't you know where our parts is?

I thought everybody knowed where daddy lives."
"No, my son, I don't; but, I've a notion he lives somewhere on Pedee;

perhaps a good way up."
"Yes, by jing, does he live a good way up! a matter of seventy miles;

clean away up there, up on Little Pedee."
"Very well, my son, I thank your daddy, and you too, for letting me know it.