While Tom Deering was willing to take any risks and dare any peril to serve his country, still it is doubtful if he would have been so eager, so tireless in his efforts if it had not been that the thought of his father goaded him on. He knew that until the Americans retook Charleston there would be little chance of his being able to rescue the prisoner; and so he was willing to take his life in his hands at any hour of the day or night in the hope that by so doing he might hasten the hour.
In his excursions Tom had discovered many things of a surprising nature. One of these was the fact that there were still some of the partisans of congress who were, as yet, in possession of their estates. As a rule these were very rich and very cautious men; and one of them was Mr. Foster, who owned and cultivated great stretches of land between the Congaree and Columbia. This rich planter had from time to time provided the young scout with valuable information. It was a search for this very desirable requisite of intelligent warfare that brought our two friends upon the edge of the Foster plantation to-day.
“From the appearance of the horses,” said Tom, “the visitors are not soldiers. It may be some of our own brigade, Cole.”
But the black gestured his doubt of this. Through long practice he had become master of a sort of sign language, and could readily communicate his thoughts to his young master.
“Tories,” signaled Cole.
“No, no,” said Tom, “they would not dare disturb Mr. Foster. Why, Cornwallis himself has not deemed it wise to do that.”
“Tories,” signaled Cole, once more, and this time very positively. “Tories will do anything!”
Tom laughed.
“You are right in one way, Cole,” said he. “There is not much of a blackguardly or bloody nature that they have left undone, in this section at least. But, all the same, in this case I think you’re wrong.”
But Cole remained obdurate; he seemed most unwilling to change his views. They were still discussing the situation, Tom in low, guarded tones and Cole in his not very deft sign language, when suddenly there came a strange, smothered sound from overhead, followed by a crashing of a heavy body through the boughs of a tree, and a man, with a cry of fear upon his lips, tumbled to the ground at their feet.