both roads equally cut up, Manning chose at hazard, and took the wrong one.  He had not proceeded far, before he saw at the door of a log-house, a rifleman leaning on his gun, and apparently placed as a sentinel.  Galloping up to him, he inquired if a regiment of horse and body of infantry had passed that way?  ‘Oh, ho,’ cried the man, (whistling loudly, which brought out a dozen others completely armed, and carrying each a red rag in his hat,) ‘you, I suppose, are one of Greene’s men.’  The badge which they bore, marked their principles.  Without the slightest indication of alarm, or even hesitation, Manning pointed to the portmanteau carried by Green, and exclaimed—­’Hush, my good fellow—­no clamour for God’s sake—­I have there what will ruin Greene—­point out the road to Lord Cornwallis’ army, for all depends upon early intelligence of its contents.’  ’You are an honest fellow (was the general cry), and have left the rebels just in time, for the whole settlement are in arms to join Colonel Pyle tomorrow (naming the place of rendezvous), where Colonel Tarleton will meet and conduct us to camp.’  ‘Come,’ said the man, to whom he had first spoken, ’take a drink—­Here’s confusion to Greene, and success to the King and his friends.  This is the right road, and you will soon reach the army; or rather let me conduct you to it myself.’  ’Not for the world, my dear fellow,’ replied Manning; ’your direction is plain and I can follow it.  I will never-consent that a faithful subject of his Majesty should be subjected to the dangers of captivity or death on my account.  If we should fall in with a party of rebels, and we cannot say they are not in the neighbourhood now, we should both lose our lives.  I should be hanged for desertion, and you for aiding me to reach the British army.’  This speech produced the effect he desired.  The libation concluded, Manning rode off amid the cheers of the company, and when out of sight, crossed to the other road, and urging his horse to full speed, in a short time overtook and communicated the interesting intelligence to his commander.  Lee was then meditating an attack upon Tarleton, who had crossed the Haw River to support the insurgents; but, perceiving the vast importance of crushing the revolt in the bud, he informed General Greene of his plan by a confidential messenger, and hastened to the point of rendezvous, where Pyle, with upwards of four hundred men, had already arrived.  You have heard of the bloody work that ensued.  Pyle and his Tories believed to the last that the soldiers of the Legion were Tarleton’s men, and were therefore easily surprised About three hundred of them were killed—­the rest fled or were made prisoners.  I don’t want to justify such butchery; but our men ought to be excused, according to the laws of war, when we consider that these same Tories and their red-coat friends never gave the Whigs quarter in case of a surprise, and that some such slaughter was necessary to make them feel that they couldn’t murder without paying for it.”