Show I 1i1iltorii For Young ReMers BEN ROWAN l SURPRISE FOR THE BOXER OF SUMTERS ARMY A Revolutionary Fourth of July j BY EVERETT T TOMLINSON Copyright Js97i S McClure Co I Ben Rowan was familiarly known as 3ie boxer of Sumters army Tall clth broad shoulders and deep chest I le also boasted that there was not In1 I South Carolina a right arm like his > wn The wrestling matches and rough and tumbles in which the sol Ilers of the revolution frequently in lulged In the quiet oi the camps were ils delight and it had come to pass I hat Ben Rowan was the acknowledged I Jhampion Not a mrfn could stand before be-fore him and on this Fourth of July jvrmng in 17SO when Sumters men with their 300 British prisoners had I tone into camp by the banks of a lit 4e river Ben had been almost tempted I I 0 try and draw the lank and powerful Thomas Sumter himself Into a friendly bout for Ben well knew that the title J which the British had bestowed upon J S fhd J I he leader the South Carolina came ock was well deserved And now Sumter had thrown aside his hat and Mat and with his boots off lay I Jtretched upon the ground enjoying IN THE WATER Ben yielded and soon was In the midst of the hundred men who had laid aside their clothes and were dashing dash-ing about In the water like a company of boys on that hot July moraine He found himself at a disadvantage howe how-e er and the shouts and laughter of the men were loud and long as taking advantage of his inability to swim some of them upset him in the water and even were able to duck him by IlL their combined strength glad of their T opportunity to settle old scores In this fashion Bens laugh was among the loudest as he rose sputtering from the water only to receive the fresh onslaught I i I on-slaught of others Come on all of I 1 jiii he shouted Its your turn now I but it will be mine tomorrow Tbe I shouts increased as a fresh band accepted ac-cepted his challenge and succeeded In I t r tet J f lta I spite of the fact that several of their number Wire thrown headlong in the i attempt in forcing Bens head once jnore under the water A call from I the men in the camp was not answered I t y the excited swimmers who were about to start again for the boxer as II t he stood undaunted and waiting to re i 1 C 7Ip y r An Almost Incontrollaljle Fit of laughter ceive them The call was repeated and this time the startled bathers stopped and listened Shout followed shout and the sound of guns broke in upon the stillness Here and there among the trees they caught a glimpse of 1 scarlet coats and men who wore a red I rag in their hats the badge of the I tories of South Carolina I TarJeton Tarleton was the cry and in a moment a scene of Indescriba I fole confusion followed Some of the i men darted Into the forest while those I who could swim struck out for the farther j far-ther shore with strong and lusty j I I strokes expecting every moment to have their flight checked bv a bullet I The uproar in the camp grew louder I and shouts and cries and the sounds of guns were Increased in such a manner ns to redouble the confusion of the startled swimmers Ben Rowan aijd I his challenge were both fpI sqtten now In the excitement and every man was I Intent only upon his own safety Poor Ben dh rO a moment and I 0 L h gazed wildly about him On every side therewas confusion and where safety lay was a problem he could not solve He turned and started swiftly out with the stream hoping that somehow he might be able to follow his companions to the other shore but when the water rpse to his chin and once or twice he almost lost his footing he knew that j safety could not be found there Death by drowning was as sure as death by the enemys bullets Checking his flight I j and with difficulty regaining his upright I i up-right position he succeeded in making I I his ray back into the shallower water 1 and then stood for a moment striving i to collect his thought and decide upon j < i some course of action The Increasing j I uproar in the camp warned him that 1 he had no time to waste and turning I quickly he began to try to make his i way through the water which now I i only came to his waist Falling stumbling struggling the desperate boxer made his way onward and had almost gained what he thought would be a safe position when suddenly he found that the vater farther down the stream even near the shore was beyond be-yond his depth With a desperate effort he again regained his footing and then scarcely realizing what he was doing sought the shore and darted swiftly up the bank He had hoped to find a shelter shel-ter in the forest hut In a moment he found himself In the midst of a band of men who greeted his appearance with a shout that increased the confusion confus-ion of the already desperate man He gazed wildly about him and quickly quick-ly realized that he was in the midst of the prisoners whom doubtless Tarle ton or whoever was leading the attack at-tack hoped to release by the sudden onslaught It suddenly dawned upon him that these men were not armed r 4 pc v T t ik cz 45 f1 14 i I J t j I I j i I I I I I I 1 i tr i I J d j I I I I HE BEGAN BIS DESPERATE RIDE I the shade and rest after the fierce onslaught on-slaught of the preceding day But Ben Rowan whose face glowed 1 u th good nature for not one in all the i army was better liked than he had not I felt quite bold enough to express his I wish to the general ind as he turned I i from watching him he saw that many I of his companions were running toward the bank of the river Hello whats on foot now said i Ben ready for almost any enterprise I Were going In swimming Ben j Come on But I cant swim replied Ben ruefully rue-fully for with all his strength swimming swim-ming was an art which he had never been able to acquire That doesnt make any difference C me and join us Its hot and you nm cool off l wPs I I Perhaps he might yet be able to force his way through them A FIGHT FOR LIBERTY In a moment the desperate man began be-gan to strike out in every direction He flung the men who tried to hold him aside as if they were boys He forced his way steadily on now falling and now struggling to his feet and once more flinging his tormentors from his back With head foremost he plunged into the midst of a group that i tried to block his passage as a modern halfback forces his way through an opposing eleven Sometimes he felt as if all the breath had left his body and he never should breathe again Sometimes Some-times he fell and he thought he could never rise again but his strong arms I and lungs stood him in good stead now and he had almost gained the outer edge of the company There as he darted forward with renewed hope two men seized him by either foot and he was thrown heavily forward upon his face Almost stunned by his fall he was roused by the shouts of the prisoners who had recovered somewhat some-what from their fear now and started swiftly after him and twisting and kicking desperately he managed to free himself from the grasp of the two men before the others could approach and leaping once more to his feet ran swiftly on For Ben had caught a glimpse of a group of horses near by and a sudden inspiration had come to him In a momnt he had gained them and roughly breaking away the rope by which onewas tethered he leaped upon his back Behind him came the shout Inc mob having no guards now but without waiting to receive them Ben struck his horse a auick blew on t > o neck and darted swiftly forward Without With-out saddle or bridle with no way of guiding or controlling his steed except by slapping him now on one side of the neck and now on the other he be = an his desperate < < ride through the forest cratcnea oy tne low lying limos oi tne trees unable to fully control his horse I and yet urging him on at his utmost I speed he at last gained a place where the shouts behind him became fainter I and fainter and soon died away altogether I alto-gether Still Ben Rowan kept on his way His horse soon leaped the low fence and gained the road but there was no rest for him Lying low upon his neck which he grasped with one arm while with the other he contined to guide him he rode on and on Faces from the scattered cabins looked out at him In astonishment but Ben cave them no heed It was not long after ts time when Cowper wrote his famous fa-mous account of Johnny Gilpins ride But Ben Rowan hadnever heard either of Cowper or Gilpin and it was Ben I Rowan ride he was interested in just then lliFor For two hours he urged his horse onward on-ward and then realizing that he was not pursued and recognizing a little 0 house that stood back from the road as I I tho home of a friend he turned his II wary steed into the lane and from a distance called I aloud j n response to his summons a man I came forth and gazing at him a moment i mo-ment in astonishment said Who are you What do you want Im Ben Rowan thats who I am 1 and I want some clothes I In a moment his story was told and Ben was fitted out to the best of his friends ability but a sorry sight hew he-w s He was so much larger than his friend that he could scarcely move in his clothing Weary as he was Ben laughed goodnaturedly at his own ap i pearance and after taking a rope and securing his horse In a safe place hen he-n ered the house About three hours later Tarletons men went past the place Theyve got their own prisoners prison-ers but they havent any of our men said Ben when at last the procession had gone Im going back to see what I can find Once more mounting his horse this time having I a good bridle Ben retraced j iO eg i i his way As he came near the camp he J began to advance more cautiously No I scarlet coats could be seen but soon he caught sight of a band of men whom J J > he thought he recognized In response I to his hail ono man came out into the road and Ben knw he was with friends I I again As the men came out of the esl r thC lnfo et10i woods he looked at them a moment as if i I he could not trust his senses and then is broke into an almost uncontrollaole nt I of laughter in which the men joined j Some of them were dressed in pieces of I j carpet through which they had cut holes for their arms Others wore I dresses while still others had garments illfitting and grotesque At last when there came a lull one of the men said I It was this wayBen All that Tarie I tons bapd wanted was to get back their prisoners They scattered all of us in short order and when some of us left our clothes on the tank they gathered i them in too We had a sorry time of It j but the most of us have got something Ito ito i-to wear And you have too I see i i Me Oh yes I have to hang on to i my buttons when r augh but f dent 1 I think any of you will be troubled again All night the stragglers kept coming i I into cams many of them dressed In garbs as strange as those Ben had first II seen and each new arrival was greeted I by renewed shouts of laughter On the I following day they rejoined Sumter I and as they were ready for the march i I Ben Rowan said That was the greatest I great-est Fourth of July yet I think Itll I stick in our minds for some time And it did I 7 TOI DOG TOP Q TOP WITH LEAD PnNClL POINT W ci f CURIOUS MARKS = t ON PAPER E I Ti j TUNE I I SPUN BY I PRESSING TMt BUTTON X TUF1tJ2J TOP i ORDINrRY V CORD 10P TO BE VHIFFD 4 I |