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Yet now, as when we had stood together at the bar of Colonel Tarleton's court, I saw her pass from mood to mood in the turning of a leaf, her natural terror slipping from her like a cast-off garment, and a sweet dignity coming to clothe her in a queenlier robe, making her, as I would think, more beautiful than ever. "I thank you, Sir Francis for myself and for poor Jeanne," she said.
"If Patrick Henry had been in Albemarle," was the stranger's comment, "the British dragoons never would have passed over the Rivanna River." The tongue of tradition, at last grown quite reckless, perhaps, of its own credit, still further relates that even at Staunton these illustrious fugitives did not feel entirely sure that they were beyond the reach of Tarleton's men.
They have fought Tarleton's Legion once or twice in skirmishes, and they say the red-coats are rather shy of them." Just at this point the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Billy, bearing a peace-offering in the shape of a huge waiter of luncheon.
There was much smoke, and the thick, suffocating gloom was lighted only by streaming sparks, so that in the confusion and explosion of muskets it was difficult to manoeuvre successfully and at the same time keep clear of Tarleton's overwhelming main body.
The two British forces pressing forward with as little delay as possible, united at Torrence's, ten miles from Cowan's Ford, where a considerable body of the Whig militia had hastily assembled; but having no one to assume command, and greatly discouraged by the death of General Davidson on the approach of Tarleton's cavalry, poured in one effective fire, killed seven of the British horsemen, wounded others, and then dispersed in all directions with a small loss.
Yet by riding abreast of the moving main we did resolve the uncertainty; heard the orders passed from man to man, and later saw a small feinting detachment split off to take the road for Beattie's, whilst the main body held on for Macgowan's; all this before we were discovered in the gloaming of the dawn by some of Tarleton's men.
Then, before the priest or I or any one could stop her, she ran to throw herself upon her knees at Colonel Tarleton's feet to kneel and plead for me as I would gladly have died a thousand deaths rather than have her plead; for life for me, or if not that, at least for some brief respite that the priest might shrive me.
But now he's gone vanished like a straw bailee, and all because that damned understrapper of Colonel Tarleton's must needs turn up his nose at a bit of sheriff's work. Curse him!" The candle was burning brightly now, and he crept catlike around the cask to peer into the bin beyond it.
Thus he makes the war with the Cherokees take place in 1777, instead of '76. His explanation of Tarleton's defeat at the Cowpens must be accepted with much reserve. At King's Mountain he says the Americans had fifteen hundred men, instead of twenty-five hundred, of which Allaire speaks.
As soon as the alarm was given of his departure, Tarleton's terrible dragoons pursued him, but he succeeded in making good his escape into the densest part of the cane-brake thicket.
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