ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH. 7 1 



cornfield, and were then within fifty yards of the 

 house. The two McKelveys sprang through the 

 back window to the ground, and dashed with the 

 speed of hope, goaded by the love of liberty and 

 life, to the river in the rear of the yard. 



But nothing is swifter than the instrument of 

 malice, or more circumspect than its foresight. 

 Several muskets were fired in quick succession, and 

 Daniel McKelvey fell. Robert continued his flight, 

 reached the river bank unhurt by the volley of balls 

 which flew about him, and plunged in. The chan- 

 nel, which lay far beneath the bluff, bore upon the 

 bank, and had worn in it a crescent-shaped excava- 

 tion. The pursuers were almost instantly on the 

 bluff. They were eight or ten English soldiers, 

 conducted by some Tories, of whom the leader was 

 one Raburn, who had been in the employment of 

 one of the McKelveys as an overseer. Raburn 

 knew that McKelvey could not swim ; and as he 

 communicated this information to his comrades, 

 they left him to his fate. They carried Daniel, who 

 was mortally wounded, into the house, and there, 

 regardless of the tears and entreaties of the widow 

 and orphan, proceeded to plunder. After having 

 finished his arrangements for taking off slaves, 

 horses, cattle, and whatever provisions could be 

 transported in the plantation carts, Raburn turned 

 to McKelvey and said : '' I am going now% Daniel, 

 and shall probably never see you again. Will you 



