``I am here with him on no errand,'' said I.``He and his crew came on me a quarter of an hour since at the edge of the clearing.Mr.Temple, I am here to find you, and to save time I will ride with you.''
``Egad, you'll have to ride like the devil then,'' said he, and he stooped and snatched the widow's hand and kissed it with a daring gallantry that I had thought to find in him.He raised his eyes to hers.
``Good-by, Mr.Temple, she said,--there was a tremor in her voice,--``and may you save our Jack!''
He snatched the bridle from the boy, and with one leap he was on the rearing, wheeling horse.``Come on,''
he cried to me, and, waving his hat at the lady on the porch, he started off with a gallop up the trail in the opposite direction from that which Tipton's men had taken.
All that I saw of Mr.Nicholas Temple on that ride to Turner's was his back, and presently I lost sight of that.
In truth, I never got to Turner's at all, for I met him coming back at the wind's pace, a huge, swarthy, determined man at his side and four others spurring after, the spume dripping from the horses' mouths.They did not so much as look at me as they passed, and there was nothing left for me to do but to turn my tired beast and follow at any pace I could make towards Jonesboro.
It was late in the afternoon before I reached the town, the town set down among the hills like a caldron boiling over with the wrath of Franklin.The news of the capture of their beloved Sevier had flown through the mountains like seeds on the autumn wind, and from north, south, east, and west the faithful were coming in, cursing Tipton and Carolina as they rode.
I tethered my tired beast at the first picket, and was no sooner on my feet than I was caught in the hurrying stream of the crowd and fairly pushed and beaten towards the court-house.Around it a thousand furious men were packed.I heard cheering, hoarse and fierce cries, threats and imprecations, and I knew that they were listening to oratory.I was suddenly shot around the corner of a house, saw the orator himself, and gasped.
It was Nicholas Temple.There was something awe-impelling in the tall, slim, boyish figure that towered above the crowd, in the finely wrought, passionate face, in the voice charged with such an anger as is given to few men.
``What has North Carolina done for Franklin?'' he cried.``Protected her? No.Repudiated her? Yes.
You gave her to the Confederacy for a war debt, and the Confederacy flung her back.You shook yourselves free from Carolina's tyranny, and traitors betrayed you again.
And now they have betrayed your leader.Will you avenge him, or will you sit down like cowards while they hang him for treason?''
His voice was drowned, but he stood immovable with arms folded until there was silence again.
``Will you rescue him?'' he cried, and the roar rose again.``Will you avenge him? By to-morrow we shall have two thousand here.Invade North Carolina, humble her, bring her to her knees, and avenge John Sevier!''
Pandemonium reigned.Hats were flung in the air, rifles fired, shouts and curses rose and blended into one terrifying note.Gradually, in the midst of this mad uproar, the crowd became aware that another man was standing upon the stump from which Nicholas Temple had leaped.``Cozby!'' some one yelled, ``Cozby!'' The cry was taken up.``Huzzay for Cozby! He'll lead us into Caroliny.'' He was the huge, swarthy man I had seen riding hard with Nick that morning.A sculptor might have chosen his face and frame for a type of the iron-handed leader of pioneers.Will was supreme in the great features,--inflexible, indomitable will.His hunting shirt was open across his great chest, his black hair fell to his shoulders, and he stood with a compelling hand raised for silence.And when he spoke, slowly, resonantly, men fell back before his words.
``I admire Mr.Temple's courage, and above all his loyalty to our beloved General,'' said Major Cozby.``But Mr.Temple is young, and the heated counsels of youth must not prevail.My friends, in order to save Jack Sevier we must be moderate.''
His voice, strong as it was, was lost.``To hell with moderation!'' they shouted.``Down with North Carolina!
We'll fight her!''
He got silence again by the magnetic strength he had in him.
``Very good,'' he said, ``but get your General first.If we lead you across the mountains now, his blood will be upon your heads.No man is a better friend to Jack Sevier than I.Leave his rescue to me, and I will get him for you.'' He paused, and they were stilled perforce.
``I will get him for you,'' he repeated slowly, ``or North Carolina will pay for the burial of James Cozby.''
There was an instant when they might have swung either way.
``How will ye do it?'' came in a thin, piping voice from somewhere near the stump.It may have been this that turned their minds.Others took up the question, ``How will ye do it, Major Cozby?''
``I don't know,'' cried the Major, ``I don't know.And if I did know, I wouldn't tell you.But I will get Nollichucky Jack if I have to burn Morganton and rake the General out of the cinders!''
Five hundred hands flew up, five hundred voices cried, ``I'm with ye, Major Cozby!'' But the Major only shook his head and smiled.What he said was lost in the roar.
Fighting my way forward, I saw him get down from the stump, put his hand kindly on Nick's shoulder, and lead him into the court-house.They were followed by a score of others, and the door was shut behind them.
It was then I bethought myself of the letter to Mr.
Wright, and I sought for some one who would listen to my questions as to his whereabouts.At length the man himself was pointed out to me, haranguing an excited crowd of partisans in front of his own gate.Some twenty minutes must have passed before I could get any word with him.He was a vigorous little man, with black eyes like buttons, he wore brown homespun and white stockings, and his hair was clubbed.When he had yielded the ground to another orator, I handed him the letter.