Part 22 (1/2)
But, finding he was dropping astern very fast, he slyly cut the straps of his o by the run, over his horse's rump Captain Snipes, who led the chase, found no difficulty in passing the keg: but his ; for they could nomonkeys could pass a basket of apples
Snipes cursed and raved like a madman, but all in vain: for they swore theyways and ood distance ahead, ca that their pursuersThe result was, the very joyful discovery, that the owners of the keg were good whigs coeneral Marion Thus, to aof brandy wasiven two cases of brandy, the one good, the other bad, I will now give a third, which the reader, if he pleases, may call indifferent, and which runs as follows
General Marion, still encaetown, ordered captain Withers to take sergeant Macdonald, with four volunteers, and go on the ene the town, they met an old tory; one of your half-witted felloho, and therefore suffered him to stroll when and where he pleased
The old ot near enough to recollect him, he bawled out, ”God'sthis course?”
”Going, old daddy! why to the devil, perhaps,” replied Withers
”Well faith! that's like enough, captain,” said the old er But before you go any further, suppose you take a pull withup a stout tickler of brandy, ””
”With all 'd the tickler to the tune of a deep dra'd it, ”and To'd it, and so they all twigg'd it” In the mean time the chat went round very briskly, and dram after dram, the brandy, until the tickler was drained to the botto into their noddles, worked such wonders, that they all began to feel the as field officers
Macdonald, for his part, with a face as red as a coan to pitch and prance about, cutting and slashi+ng the empty air, as if he had a score of ene out -- ”Huzza, boys!
dae!” cried all the rest, reining up their horses, and flourishi+ng their swords
”Where the plague are you going to charge?” asked the old tory
”Why, into Georgetown, right off,” replied they
”Well, you had better have a care, boys, how you charge there, for I'll be blaet yourselves into business pretty quick: for the town is chock full of red coats”
”Red coats!” one and all they roared out, ”red coats! egad, that's just ant Charge, boys! charge! huzza for the red coats, da spurs to their steeds, off went these six young ing at full tilt, into a British garrison town of three hundredthat this was only our advance, and that general Marion, with his whole force, would presently be upon them, fleith all speed to their redoubt, and there lay, as snug as fleas in a sheep-skin
But all of them were not quite so lucky, for several were overtaken and cut down in the streets, areasy felloho strove hard to waddle aith his bacon; but Selim was too quick for him: and Macdonald, with a back-handed stroke of his clayhost to join the MAJORITY
Having thus cleared the streets, our young troopers then called at the houses of their friends; asked the news; and drank their grog with great unconcern
The British, after having for soan to seance
Our adventurers then, in turn, were fain to scamper off as fast as they had h hundreds of ot clear without receiving a scratch
But nothing ever so mortified the British, as did thisrebels,” they said, ”should thus dash in a the king's troops at this rate And after all, to gallop aithout the least harh ti the cows”
Chapter 20
History of captain Snipes -- wanton destruction of his property by the tories -- his own ro driver Cudjo
Captain Snipes, who ure in the wars of Marion, was a Carolinian, of uncoreat good will, against the British and tories; froh a choice soldier, he was no philosopher
He did not consider that to fight for duty, people must love it; that to love it, they must understand it; that to understand it, they ion: that the British and tories, poor fellows! possessing neither of these, were not to have been expected to act any other than the savage and thievish part they did act; and therefore, nothe canary birds