arly ridden him to death, again rose in his stirrups,
confident of cutting down his foe. The look of malignant hate in his
face changed to that of consternation; the horse under him was
kneeling!

Rodney draws his pistol. The foe is wickedly spurring and yanking the
bridle and cursing his horse. Every thrust of the spur into Nat's
gaunt flanks pricks Rodney as well. He aims to kill and his finger is
on the trigger, when, like a flash of light, he recalls Zeb's words:
"Killin' even an enemy is serious, an' not pleasant to dream about."

"Dismount and surrender your arms or I'll blow out your brains," he
cried.

Mogridge dared not disobey.

"You will now lead that horse back to camp. If he could ride you he
should have the chance, you cur."

"There's such a thing as courtesy even in war," replied Mogridge,
though he was careful to do as he was bid.

"Not with horse thieves."

"All's fair in love and war," retorted Mogridge, and then, seeing the
look in Allison's face, he wisely decided to say no more.

CHAPTER XXXI

HOME AGAIN

Back at the scene of the battle Rodney found preparations were being
made for the little army to march, leaving a detachment behind to
dispose of the dead and care for the wounded. No one seemed to know
where they were to go. Many thought, in view of the fact that the
British had been defeated and Tarleton put to flight, Morgan would
remain in the vicinity for reinforcements and await an attack by
Cornwallis. Few realized what a daring thing he had already done.

Had Tarleton's headlong charges thrown his meagre forces into
confusion they would have had little opportunity to retreat and most
of them would have been cut down. Morgan afterwards was criticized by
the envious for having risked a battle under the circumstances. He
believed he knew that it was necessary to fight that battle and he had
won against odds. The "Old Wagoner" didn't propose to wait while
Cornwallis should overtake him with a superior force and recapture the
prisoners and spoils and annihilate his forces. Instead, though he
concealed his plans, he resolved upon making the quickest retreat
possible. To do this he marched toward a ford which was nearer to
Cornwallis than to him. It was a great risk but he felt he must take
it.

"If you've got a home, you better get to it, my lad," the kindly
doctor had said while hastily bandaging the lad's wounded arm. "This
may give ye trouble, though I hope not."

"T