Early  one  morning,  he  left  his  hiding-place,  as  one  of  the
honored  band  of  out-l3'ers,  who  preferred  freedom  at  any
sacrifice  rather  than  tamely  yield  to  the  oppression  around
them,  and  visited  his  humble  domicile,  to  see  his  little  family,
residing  on  the  west  side  of  Broad  river,  near  the  locality
of  the  present  village  of  Pinckneyville.  He  approached  his
house  cautiously  on  horse-back,  and  when  within  a  rod,
three  Tories  suddenly  sprang  out  of  the  door,  and  present-
ing their  guns,  said  exultingly  : —

*  Wallace  Manuscript.
AND  ITS  HEROES.  133

"  You  d — d  Rebel,  you  are  our  prisoner !  "

"  You  are  d — d  liars  !  "  defiantly  yelled  Hughes,  as  he
instantly  spurred  his  horse  to  his  full  speed.  As  he  cleared
the  gate  at  a  single  leap,  all  three  fired,  but  missed  their
mark,  and  he  escaped  without  a  scratch.  These  Tories  had
watched  for  him  all  night,  and  had  just  entered  the  house  to
get  their  breakfast  as  he  rode  up.  They  were  naturally
quite  chop-fallen,  when,  having  taken  so  much  pains  to
secure  so  plucky  an  enemy  of  the  King,  they  found  them-
selves, in  the  end,  so  completely  foiled  in  their  purpose.*

On  another  occasion,  when  a  scouting  party  of  British
and  Tories  was  passing  through  what  is  now  Union  County,
committing  robberies,  as  was  their  wont,  when  they  little
suspected  it,  their  footsteps  were  dogged  by  William  Sharp,
one  of  Kennedy's  fearless  heroes,  with  two  associates.  At
Grindal  Shoals,  a  notable  ford  of  Pacolet,  they  came  upon
-the  enemy.  It  was  in  the  night,  and  very  dark,  which  con-
cealed their  numbers,  and  favored  their  daring  enterprise.
