Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 376: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

356 Tom ANDERSON, Dare-DEVIL alone knew this. Tom had no time to waste. The unlad- ing of L’Indienne was entrusted to the skipper, Captain Baux. Her cargo was formally turned over to Major- General La Fayette: the sugar and molasses for the com- missary; the powder and lead for the maws of the empty cartridge-boxes. Having been provided by the Marquis de la Fayette with four of the best saddlers in Virginia, they left the American camp behind them. Tom meant to make stop at Oxheart long enough to kiss the home folks and get a fresh mount. He would leave Rory and De la Jonquiére as guests at Oxheart House until he could get back from Philadelphia. Unaka would go with him. He would find out from Governor Jefferson where Washington was. General La Fayette believed Washington was marching southward. Our party had been on the road two days and one night. Charlottesville was not far away. They determined to build a campfire, sleep half the night, and then push on. By the time the fire was going, Rory was “domned if he did na smell a cigar!”’ ‘Here, in the heart of the forest, Major?” said Tom. Unaka took his head, out of the lightwood smoke to reconnoiter. ‘“Unaka Nung-noh-hut-tar-hee, son of Going Snake, may God bless you! What have you got for supper?”’ “Who’s there?” cried De la Jonquiére. "Tak tent o’ the fish, Daur-Deevil!” But Tom had dropped the browning trout. ‘Troupe! Troupe! oh, Troupe!” rushing to meet two young fellows coming out of the black pine thicket. Troupe, and Peake Dangeridge! They wmung each other’s hands; they looked deep in each other’s eyes. But when Rory saw ‘Troupe’s bandaged body, he dropped into Gaelic! What his observations were in the tongue of his fathers, no man knows. However, he seemed to feel bet- ter afterward. Troupe presented Captain Dangeridge — what a wel- ECONMMICLOOOKSa(e© m