the enemy, would retreat again into his fenny fastnesses.
Hence the British gave him the bye-name of the _Swamp Fox_, but those
of his countrymen who knew his courage, his loftiness of spirit and
spotless integrity, considered him the _Bayard of the South_.

Tarleton, who was on duty in that part of the country, undertook, as
he said, to draw the swamp fox from his cover. He accordingly marched
cautiously down the east bank of the Wateree with a body of dragoons
and infantry, in compact order. The fox, however, kept close; he saw
that the enemy was too strong for him. Tarleton now changed his plan.
By day he broke up his force into small detachments or patrols, giving
them orders to keep near enough to each other to render mutual support
if attacked, and to gather together at night. The artifice had its
effect. Marion sallied forth from his covert just before daybreak to
make an attack upon one of these detachments, when, to his surprise,
he found himself close upon the British camp. Perceiving the snare
that had been spread for him, he made a rapid retreat. A close pursuit
took place. For seven hours Marion was hunted from one swamp and
fastness to another; several stragglers of his band were captured, and
Tarleton was in strong hope of bringing him into action, when an
express came spurring from Cornwallis, calling for the immediate
services of himself and his dragoons in another quarter.

Sumter was again in the field! That indefatigable partisan having
recruited a strong party in the mountainous country, to which he
retreated after his defeat on the Wateree, had re-appeared on the west
side of the Santee, repulsed a British party sent against him, killing
its leader; then, crossing Broad River, had effected a junction with
Colonels Clark and Brannan, and now menaced the British posts in the
district of Ninety-Six.

It was to disperse this head of partisan war that Tarleton was called
off from beleaguering Marion. Advancing with his accustomed celerity,
he thought to surprise Sumter on the Enoree River. A deserter apprised
the latter of his danger. He pushed across the river, but was hotly
pursued, and his rear-guard roughly handled. He now made for the Tyger
River, noted for turbulence and rapidity; once beyond this, he might
disband his followers in the woods. Tarleton, to prevent his passing
it unmolested, spurred forward in advance of his main body with one
hundred and seventy dragoons and eighty mounted men of