d.

Making his way to the rear of the house, he found refuge in a small shed.
The night had turned cool and he shivered with the cold. But he durst not
arouse the household, for the alarm might be heard outside. The hours
passed wearily by, but at last morning came. He looked eagerly for some of
the family to appear, but only the colored servants passed in and out. To
escape being seen he had hidden behind a large box in the shed.

He heard the call for breakfast, and concluded he had never been so hungry
before in his life. After a while his patience was rewarded. A young lady
came out of the house, and entering the shed, began looking around, as if
searching for something. It was his cousin Kate.

"Kate!" he whispered.

The girl started and looked wildly around.

"Kate!"

She uttered a little scream and turned as if to flee.

"Kate, don't be afraid. It is I, your cousin Calhoun Pennington."

"Where? Where?" she half-whispered, looking eagerly around and poised as
if still for flight.

"Here behind the box. Come close. There, don't ask a question. Get the
servants out of the way and smuggle me into the house unseen. I am wet,
cold, and hungry."

Kate flew to do his bidding. In a few moments she came out and beckoned to
him, and right gladly he followed her into the house. One risen from the
dead would hardly have created more surprise than did his appearance. His
aunt and Kate persisted in embracing him, wet and dirty as he was.

To their eager questions, he said: "Dry clothes first, Auntie, and
breakfast. I am famished. I will then talk with you to your heart's
content."

Mrs. Shackelford had had a son about the size of Calhoun killed in the
army, and our hero was soon arrayed in a nice dry suit, and seated before
a substantial breakfast, upon which he made a furious assault. When his
hunger was fully appeased, he informed his aunt and Kate he was ready to
talk. And how they did talk! They had a thousand questions to ask, and he
had full as many.

To his surprise and joy he learned that his cousin, Fred Shackelford, had
not been killed by his fall over the cliff, as Major Hockoday reported.
Instead he was alive and well, was with the army at Murfreesboro, and
frequently visited them.

"He has been a good friend to us," said Mrs. Shackelford, "but at one time
he was nearly the death of Kate."

"Why, how was that?" asked Calhoun.

Then for the first time he heard of Forrest's plot to capture Nashvill