The Boy Spies with the Regulators

It was on the morning of the twentieth of September when we rode up the hill in full view of Governor Tryon's forces; but no demonstration was made against us. The people could see that we were preparing to resist an attack; but they remained as if paralyzed with astonishment.

Near nightfall came a mounted soldier bearing a white flag, who demanded in the governor's name the reason for our display of force, and General Hamilton replied to the question.

"This is no display of force," he said. "We have come as citizens of upper Carolina to safeguard several witnesses, and have no mind to interfere in any way with the proceedings. Say to Governor Tryon that we shall remain until the close of the session, and that never a man of us will ride into town while the people are given the rights accorded to them by the king and parliament. If, however, there should be an attempt to deprive a witness of his liberty, we shall ride down like a whirlwind, carrying out to the utmost the plan which we have already had the honor to submit to the governor."

The man rode back, and before night came we could see that Tryon's residence was guarded by three-score men, a fact which caused Master Howell to say scornfully:

"I wonder if the coward thinks to save himself from our vengeance, with sixty recruits? We will overturn them, if there be any act of treachery, before William Tryon can sign his name!"

After that we waited in anxious suspense, but constantly on the alert, for the day when law and order would be established in upper Carolina, or it might be known beyond a peradventure that we must depend upon ourselves entirely for liberty and the opportunity to live upon our own lands.

CHAPTER VIII

SANDY WELLS

As early as sunrise on the morning of September twenty-first, twenty-eight hours or more before the time set for the trial of our friends, the people from the country roundabout began to gather, every man, woman and child eager to learn at the earliest possible moment what might be the outcome of this first attempt to check the course of the king's minions.

Before nightfall it was said that there were not less than three thousand people in and around Hillsborough. On every hand as far as the eye could reach, the visitors were camped; some brought two or three bed-quilts, which they put up on crotched sticks and a long sapling as a ridge-pole, a tent that was made to accommodate as many as could crawl beneath it. Others utilized their carts as sleeping quarters, the body of the vehicle serving as the upper story of the dwelling, and the ground immediately beneath it as the ground floor; to the wheels were tethered the horses or oxen, and he who slept in the "chamber" of such a lodging was in danger of being awakened many times while the cattle munched at the hay which served as a bed.

Now a few of the visitors reckoned on sleeping upon the ground wherever darkness overtook them, and many there were who had believed it would be possible to get a shelter in the town, never dreaming that nearly every man, woman and child in upper Carolina would come to the trial, during which was to be settled the question of their individual rights.

Some of the visitors had brought with them a goodly supply of provisions, while others, more improvident, came with nothing save a hearty appetite, and these last went from party to party asking food as of right, until all appeared to be supplied.

Every house in the town was filled to overflowing, so I was told, at nine o'clock on the morning of the day before the trial was to take place. Every tree which could be seen from our camp had one or more beneath the shelter of its branches, and in order to prevent our encampment from being literally over-run, it was necessary to station fifty men as guards to keep back our friends.

Take it all in all it was such a sight as I had never seen before, and do not expect to witness again. I had not believed there were so many people in the upper Carolina as were now gathered here, and every one appeared to be feverishly eager to make certain Masters Husband and Hunter would receive a fair trial.

Sidney and I had come off from sentinel duty at sunrise, when the crowd began to pour in, and we stood literally fascinated by the scene, never so much as thinking of breakfast, until the forenoon was nearly half spent, by which time the valley between us and the town was densely packed with human beings.

"I wonder what Tryon thinks of this scene?" my comrade said musingly as he looked across the sea of heads from which came a perfect Babel of noise. "He must realize by this time that his imitation army could not make much progress against such a gathering."

"Aye, and yet it is to his advantage, if he counts on playing us false," I replied, seized by a sudden thought. "The Regulators could not enter the town whatever might be the necessity for their so doing, save at the expense of trampling hundreds beneath the feet of their horses."

"That is a danger which I had not considered," my comrade said with a long indrawing of the breath as when one brings himself to face a sudden and immediate danger. "Governor Tryon is guarded by his enemies, and yet if they turned upon him he would be swept from off the face of the earth like so much chaff before the wind."

"The disaster would be appalling if these people should take it into their heads to rise against him!" I cried, shuddering as if the work of slaughter was about to begin. "The soldiers could mow great swaths through the crowd at every discharge of their muskets, and hundreds would be killed before the remainder found space in which to move."

"He will not dare work an injustice upon the prisoners!" Sidney cried after a long pause, and I, sickening as I realized what might happen if a sudden panic arose, or in case an act of violence was committed, drew my comrade away from contemplation of the scene, as I said:

"Why speculate as to possibilities? No disaster can come upon them during this day at least, and there is time enough in which to cross a bridge when we have arrived at it. Let us go in search of something to eat."

It was not necessary to spend very much time in this last quest; each visitor who had relatives among the Regulators brought something in the way of provisions as a treat, with the result that our larder was filled to running over, and it was almost impossible to take a dozen steps in either direction without receiving a hearty invitation "to have something from home."

Up to this time none of Sidney's relatives or mine had put in an appearance, and I was feeling decidedly disappointed, although I had no good reason for believing that my mother would come all the way from Alamance simply to learn what might be the result of Governor Tryon's investigations.

When we had satisfied our hunger, however, and were about to visit General Hamilton's headquarters in order to learn whether we would be called upon for further guard duty that day, I was rejoiced beyond words to see my mother, in company with Sidney's parents, looking here and there anxiously, disappointed at not readily finding father or myself.

It is not necessary to say that within a very few seconds I was clasped in her dear arms, and for the time being I almost forgot that such a tyrant as Tryon ever had an existence.

When I had spent an hour in her company, my father joined us, and at the same moment Sidney shouted for me to come with him – where, I did not at the instant understand.

"It is my intention to stay very near my mother this day," I said petulantly, as he went toward the river even while I was advancing. "She will be setting out for home immediately after the trials have been brought to a close, and I have no idea of wasting even a moment which might be spent in her company."

"Give her a chance to talk with your father," Sidney said laughingly. "It appears to me as if the visitors were in some mischief down this way, and I cannot find any of the Regulators who are willing to look into the matter."

"If it was of consequence there would be no lack of men to attend to it," I said petulantly, and then I became interested immediately as I saw a throng of an hundred or more, who appeared to be deeply intent upon something in their midst.

"Most likely they are having some kind of a game," Sidney said when I came alongside; "but just before you showed yourself I fancied I heard cries for help, and it seems as if we should know the reason for the gathering. Unless we of the association have our eyes about us this day there will be rough play which may develop into a fight, as I heard General Hamilton say."

By this time we were among those of the throng who were in the outer ring, and I heard such cries as: "Drown the scoundrel!" "Be sure he don't get away till we from Chatham have put our mark on him!" "He's needed a lesson this many a day, and now is the time to give it to him!"

The crowd was so dense as each member of it pressed toward the center, that Sidney and I were forced to literally fight our way forward, and no less than ten minutes were spent in such task, during which time we plainly heard cries for help in a voice which sounded strangely familiar to me.

Then, finally, we were in the very midst of the gathering, and had before us what promised to be a tragedy which might bring shame and reproach upon us all, unless it was speedily checked.

As many men as could seize upon him, held in their grasp Sandy Wells, whose legs and arms were tied securely, and whose clothing had been torn to tatters by the rough usage he had received.

His captors were industriously engaged in kicking him when we gained a place by his side, and at every blow they called aloud the name of some citizen of the Carolinas who had been ill-treated at his hands.

"We're going to square accounts for all our neighbors, and then dump you in the river," one of the men cried vindictively, and I could see a huge rock, around which was a rope, lying near at hand to fasten on his body when the tormentors were ready to put an end to their victim.

Now it cannot be supposed that either Sidney or I had any affection for the sheriff's officer; but yet we could not stand idly by while he was being murdered.

In addition to such pity as common humanity dictated, it suddenly occurred to me that if the mob killed an officer of the law the Regulation would be accused by Governor Tryon of having committed the deed, and then would be good reason why the entire upper portion of the colony should be put under strict martial rule. If this murder was done the Sons of Liberty would be branded as assassins, and with some reason, therefore I whispered to Sidney, although without the slightest idea as to how we two might prevent the enraged men from working their will:

"We must put an end to this, and that right quickly, else will the man be killed before our eyes."

There was in his mind the same thought as had come into mine, and he turned to look me full in the face as he said, almost shouting in order that I might hear the words above the uproar:

"It may cost us our lives to interfere! I do not recognize any of these men, and they will refuse to listen."

At this moment Sandy Wells caught sight of us, and, stretching out his bound hands, cried imploringly:

"Save me, lads! For God's sake don't allow me to be murdered!"

"That we won't!" I cried, suddenly forgetting that I was running my nose into very serious danger until we could make that maddened desperate mob understand who we were, which last would require some time while the tumult was so great.

Forcing myself with a rush between two of those who had a hold upon Sandy, I seized the prisoner by the arm as I cried with the full force of my lungs:

"You are ruining the cause of freedom when you lay violent hands upon this man! Have a care, or there'll be mischief done to more than him!"

I had hardly finished speaking before half a dozen rushed forward, one seizing me by the throat, despite all Sidney's efforts to hold him back, and crying:

"Here's another of Tryon's friends! we'll drop him into the stream to bear the tax-collector company!"

I tried in vain to speak; but the fellow had my throat as if in a vise, and it was impossible to so much as whisper.

As the mob pressed yet further I was forced downward until I lay across Sandy's body, and Sidney strove valiantly to make himself heard as he cried: