University of Virginia Library

10. CHAPTER X.

Let us now retrace our steps and follow those of Richard
Coulter and his party. We have seen what has been the
progress of Elijah Fields. The route which he pursued was
considerably longer than that of his comrades; but the difference
of time was fully equalized by the superior and embarrassing
caution which they were compelled to exercise. The result
was to bring them to the common centre at nearly the same
moment, though the policy of Coulter required a different course
of conduct from that of Fields. Long before he reached the
neighborhood of old Sabb's farm, he had compelled his troopers
to dismount, and hide their horses in the forest. They then
made their way forward on foot. Richard Coulter was expert
in all the arts of the partisan. Though eager to grapple with
his enemy, and impatient to ascertain and arrest the dangers of

his lovely wife, he yet made his approaches with a proper caution.
The denseness of the forest route enabled him easily to
do so; and, making a considerable circuit, he drew nigh to the
upper part of the farmstead, in which stood the obscure outhouse,
which, when Dunbar had taken possession of the mansion,
he assigned to the aged couple. This he found deserted;
he little dreamed for what reason, — or in what particular emergency
the old Dutchman stood at that very moment. Making
another circuit, he came upon a copse, in which four of Dunbar's
troopers were grouped together in a state of fancied security.
Their horses were fastened in the woods, and they lay upon the
ground, greedily interested with a pack of greasy cards, which
had gone through the campaign.

The favorite game of that day was Old-Sledge, or All-Fours,
or Seven-Up; by all of which names it was indiscriminately known.
Poker, and Brag, and Loo, and Monte, and Vingt'un, were then
unknown in that region. These are all modern innovations, in
the substitution of which good morals have made few gains.
Dragoons, in all countries, are notoriously sad fellows, famous for
swearing and gaming. Those of Dunbar were no exception
to the rule. Our tory captain freely indulged them in the practice.
He himself played with them when the humor suited.
The four upon whom Coulter came were not on duty, though
they wore their swords. Their holsters lay with their saddles
across a neighboring log, not far off, but not immediately within
reach. Coulter saw his opportunity; the temptation was great;
but these were not exactly his prey — not yet, at all events. To
place one man, well armed with rifle and pair of pistols, in a
situation to cover the group at any moment, and between them
and the farmstead, was his plan; and this done, he proceeded
on his way.

His policy was to make his first blow at the head of the enemy
— his very citadel — trusting somewhat to the scattered condition
of the party, and the natural effect of such an alarm to scatter
them the more. All this was managed with great prudence; and,
with two more of his men set to watch over two other groups of
the dragoons, he pushed forward with the remaining four until
he reached the verge of the wood, just where it opened upon
the settlement. Here he had a full view of the spectacle — his

own party unseen — and the prospect was such as to compel his
instant feeling of the necessity of early action. It was at the
moment which exhibited old Sabb in the hands of the provost,
his hands tied behind him, and the rope about his neck. Clymes,
the lieutenant of Dunbar, with drawn sword, was pacing between
the victim and the house. The old Dutchman stood between
two subordinates, waiting for the signal, while his wife, little
dreaming of the scene in progress, was kept out of sight at the
bottom of the garden. Clymes and the provost were at once
marked out for the doom of the rifle, and the beads of two select
shots were kept ready, and levelled at their heads. But Dunbar
must be the first victim — and where was he? Of the scene in
the house Coulter had not yet any inkling. But suddenly he
beheld Frederica at the window. He heard her shriek, and beheld
her, as he thought, drawn away from the spot. His excitement
growing almost to frenzy at this moment, he was about to
give the signal, and follow the first discharge of his rifles with
a rush, when suddenly he saw his associate, Elijah Fields, turn
the corner of the house, and enter it through the piazza. This
enabled him to pause, and prevented a premature development
of his game. He waited for those events which it is not denied
that we shall see. Let us then return to the interior.

We must not forget the startling words with which Elijah
Fields interrupted the forced marriage of Frederica with her
brutal persecutor.

“The girl is already married.”

Dunbar, still supporting her now quite lifeless in his arms,
looked up at the intruder in equal fury and surprise.

“Ha, villain!” was the exclamation of Dunbar, “you are
here?”

“No villain, Captain Dunbar, but a servant of the Most High
God!”

“Servant of the devil, rather! What brings you here — and
what is it you say?”

“I say that Frederica Sabb is already married, and her husband
living!”

“Liar, that you are, you shall swing for this insolence.”

“I am no liar. I say that the girl is married, and I witnessed
the ceremony.”

“You did, did you?” was the speech of Dunbar, with a tremendous
effort of coolness, laying down the still lifeless form of
Frederica as he spoke; “and perhaps you performed the ceremony
also, oh, worthy servant of the Most High!”

“It was my lot to do so.”

“Grateful lot! And pray with whom did you unite the damsel?”

“With Richard Coulter, captain in the service of the State
of South Carolina.”

Though undoubtedly anticipating this very answer, Dunbar
echoed the annunciation with a fearful shriek, as, drawing his
sword at the same moment, he rushed upon the speaker. But
his rage blinded him; and Elijah Fields was one of the coolest
of all mortals, particularly when greatly excited. He met the
assault of Dunbar with a fearful buffet of his fist, which at once
felled the assailant; but he rose in a moment, and with a yell
of fury he grappled with the preacher. They fell together, the
latter uppermost, and rolling his antagonist into the fireplace,
where he was at once half buried among the embers, and in a
cloud of ashes. In the struggle, however, Dunbar contrived to
extricate a pistol from his belt, and to fire it. Fields struggled
up from his embrace, but a torrent of blood poured from his side
as he did so. He rushed toward the window, grasped the sill in
his hands, then yielded his hold, and sunk down upon the floor,
losing his consciousness in an uproar of shots and shouts from
without. In the next moment the swords of Coulter and Dunbar
were crossed over his prostrate body. The struggle was
short and fierce. It had nearly terminated fatally to Coulter,
on his discovering the still insensible form of Frederica in his
way. In the endeavor to avoid trampling upon her, he afforded
an advantage to his enemy, which nothing prevented him from
employing to the utmost but the ashes with which his eyes were
still half blinded. As it was, he inflicted a severe cut upon the
shoulder of the partisan, which rendered his left arm temporarily
useless. But the latter recovered himself instantly. His blood
was in fearful violence. He raged like a Bïrserker of the Northmen
— absolutely mocked the danger of his antagonist's weapon
— thrust him back against the side of the house, and hewing him
almost down with one terrible blow upon the shoulder, with a

mighty thrust immediately after, he absolutely speared him
against the wall, the weapon passing through his body, and into
the logs behind. For a moment the eyes of the two glared
deathfully upon each other. The sword of Dunbar was still uplifted,
and he seemed about to strike, when suddenly the arm
sunk powerless — the weapon fell from the nerveless grasp —
the eyes became fixed and glassy, even while gazing with tiger
appetite into those of the enemy — and, with a hoarse and stifling
cry, the captain of loyalists fell forward upon his conqueror,
snapping, like a wand of glass, the sword that was still fastened
in his body.