three mill-owners. Capturing, at another time, Washington De Pauw, a man
of large wealth, he said to him,--

"Sir, do you consider your flour-mill worth two thousand dollars?"

De Pauw thought it was worth that.

"Very well; you can save it for that much money."

De Pauw promptly paid the cash.

"Now," said Morgan, "do you think your woollen-mill worth three thousand
dollars?"

"Yes," said De Pauw, with more hesitation.

"You can buy it from us for that sum."

The three thousand dollars was paid over less willingly, and the
mill-owner was heartily glad that he had no other mills to redeem.

Another threat to burn did not meet with as much success. Colonel
Craven, of Ripley, who was taken prisoner, talked in so caustic a tone
that Morgan asked where the colonel lived.

"At Osgood," was the answer.

"That little town on the railroad?"

"Yes," said the colonel.

"All right; I shall send a detachment there to burn the town."

"Burn and be hanged!" said the colonel; "it isn't much of a town,
anyhow."

Morgan laughed heartily at the answer.

"I like the way you talk, old fellow," he said, "and I guess your town
can stand."

As the ride went on Morgan had more and more cause for alarm. Hobson
was hanging like a burr on his rear, rarely more than half a day's march
behind--the lack of fresh horses kept him from getting nearer. Judah was
on his flank, and had many of his men patrolling the Ohio. The governors
had called for troops, and the country was rising on all sides. The Ohio
was now the barrier between him and safety, and Morgan rode thither at
top speed, striking the river on the 19th at Buffington Ford, above
Pomeroy, in Ohio. For the past week, as Cunningham says, "every
hill-side contained an enemy and every ravine a blockade, and we reached
the river dispirited and worn down."

At the river, instead of safety, imminent peril was found. Hundreds of
Judah's men were on the stream in gunboats to head him off. Hobson,
Wolford, and other cavalry leaders were closing in from behind. The
raiders seemed environed by enemies, and sharp encounters began. Judah
struck them heavily in flank. Hobson assailed them in the rear, and,
hemmed in on three sides and unable to break through the environing
lines, five hundred of the raiders, under Dick Morgan and Ward, were
forced to surrender.

"Seeing that the enemy had every advantage of position," says
Cunningham, "an overwhelming force of infantry and cavalr