He slipped his always-loaded rifle from the deer-antler rack on the wall and slid back the small board that opened a crack in his door. He was relieved to see that his visitor was well known to him, a sergeant named Randolph who served as an aide to Colonel Elijah Clarke. Ethan was surprised to see him, since he and the militia leader had rarely even seen each other since their confrontation during the attack on Big Elk. Ethan had volunteered to join several search parties following Indian raids, but always under either Twiggs or Dooly as leaders. Although he was now inclined to support the revolution, he had refrained from signing up as a militiaman and had continued to work on his relatively isolated landholdings. He stood his rifle against the wall, opened the door, and stepped out on the small porch, hardly large enough for the two straight-backed chairs that he and his wife would sometimes bring out from alongside the table during the hottest afternoons.

Ethan said, “Welcome, Randolph. Are you looking for some home cooking, or just a place to get out of the rain?”

The other men liked to tease Randolph, who was not very bright, never participated in any kind of levity and seemed puzzled but good-natured about it, and always tried to extract the exact, serious meaning from any statement of his compatriots. His life was devoted totally to serving Elijah Clarke, and he was very proud of this relationship.

“No, I et already, and I’m used to the rain. The colonel wants me to git back as soon as I can.”

“Then what brings you here at this ungodly hour?”

“They had a meetin’ last night, and want you to carry a message to General Ashe, who is camped with about two thousand men just this side of the Savannah River. We got word from someone at Burton’s Ferry that the British might be movin’ north, and some of their troops have been seen along the trails.”

Ethan could tell that Randolph was eager to leave.

“Why do Clarke and the others want me to deliver the message?” he asked. “Why couldn’t you go yourself?”

“Well, they think all the men they got needs to stay around Augusta and up the river since Ashe moved south, and he didn’t leave any of his men behind that could carry a message. The main thing is that you’re one of the few that knows Briar Creek and the swamp all the way to the river, and understands how fast things can change with the risin’ water. We don’t think the British can cross the creek now, but maybe you can tell the general about the Redcoats we already seen on this side and how they might be plannin’ to come down on him.”