tiously, keeping as much as possible under
cover of the hedges and trees, and looking out well ahead that they
might not suddenly come upon the enemy. They had wisely agreed to keep
shoulder to shoulder, or back to back, as the case might be, should they
be attacked, and being stout-hearted and confident in the use of their
weapons, they had little doubt that they should be able to beat back any
number of assailants.

The sun struck down with tremendous force in the open places they had to
pass, but they were lightly clad, with thick straw hats on their heads,
and none of them cared much for the heat. When passing across the open
country they pushed on rapidly, but moved forward more leisurely in the
shade. As they avoided the villages, they met no one. The whole
country indeed had, it seemed, suddenly become a desert. They wished to
avoid falling in with any slaves who might give notice to the rebels of
their whereabouts, and also had resolved not to rely on any reports they
might hear, but to trust only to their own observations.

It took them nearly two hours, from the circuitous route they followed,
to reach the neighbourhood of Bellevue. They now proceeded more
cautiously. All seemed quiet. No shots were heard, and they began to
hope that they should reach their friends without difficulty.

"We must not trust to appearances, however," observed Jack. "The rebels
may possibly be investing the house, and, judging from our own
experience, they may yet not venture to attack it in the daytime. You
lie down under these bushes while I creep forward, as from the top of
this rise I shall get a sight of Bellevue, and be able to ascertain more
accurately the state of affairs."

Saying this, while his companions followed his advice, Jack made his way
to the top of the hill, bending low, that should any of the enemy be
posted in the intermediate valley, he might run less risk of being seen.
At length the house came in view. All seemed quiet around it, but he
was still not perfectly satisfied. He advanced a little further towards
a bush, through the branches of which he could see into the valley
without exposing himself. As he bent aside the boughs with the barrel
of his musket to look through them more easily, he caught sight of a
number of black heads moving here and there some five or six hundred
yards below him. There could be no doubt that they were rebels, and
that they were, after their fashion, laying sie