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166 presence. In these prolonged absences, young Mary Slocumb took the entire charge of the plantation. She used to say laughingly that she had done in those perilous times all that a man ever did, except "mauling rails," and to take away even that exception she went out one day and split a few!

While her husband was away on one of his excursions, General Tarleton and a large division of the British army took possession of his plantation, and the young wife was torn with anxiety lest Lieutenant Slocumb, who was known to be somewhere in the vicinity, should return to his home all unsuspecting and walk into the enemy's ambush. Yet her conduct betrayed none of this; with splendid dignity, rare in one so young, she received these invaders of her home and she addressed herself immediately to preparing a dinner of much elaborateness for the uninvited guests, but dispatching in secret a messenger to warn the American scouts.

Before the messenger could discover Lieutenant Slocumb's whereabouts in the wood, a party of British soldiers, whom Tarleton had sent out to reconnoiter, blundered upon the American scouters and in the skirmish that ensued, the sounds of which were heard with sinking heart by Mrs. Slocumb, more than half the British company was shot down, and suddenly, before the astonished British officers and the terrified wife, the owner of the plantation dashed into sight in hot pursuit of the retreating Tory who had been in command of the British troop. Mrs. Slocumb's messenger, an old negro, known as "Big George," sprang directly in front of his horse, shouting "Hold on, massa, de debbil here. Look you!" The imprudent young officer at once perceived the peril into which he had ridden. A gesture from his wife indicated the great encampment of some eleven hundred men in occupancy of his plantation and, quick as thought, he dashed down the avenue directly towards the house, calling the few Americans who were with him. On reaching the garden fence—a rude structure formed of a kind of lath and called a wattle fence—they leaped that and the next, amid a shower of balls, crossed a stream at one tremendous leap and scoured away across an open field and were in the shelter of the wood before their pursuers could clear the fence of the inclosure. A platoon had begun the pursuit but the trumpets sounded the recall before the flying Americans had crossed the stream, for the presence of mind and lofty language of the heroic wife had convinced the British Colonel that the daring men who so fearlessly dashed into his camp were supported by a formidable force near at hand. Had Mrs. Slocumb not so diplomatically concealed the truth, and the fugitives pursued, nothing could have prevented the destruction not only of the four who fled but the rest of the pitifully slender company of American scouts on the other side of the plantation.

As Tarleton walked into the house, he observed to the brave woman: "Your husband made us a short visit, madam, I should have been happy to make his acquaintance."

"I have little doubt," replied the wife, "that you will meet again the gentleman and he will thank you for the polite treatment you have afforded his wife!"

The Colonel mumbled an apology that necessity compelled them to occupy her property, but it is worthy of remark that he removed his troops before long and when the British army broke up their encampment at her plantation, a ser-