up too."

"Sure, Smith?"

"Yes, heard their tramp, tramp distinctly ramble of artillery too.
Can't be more'n a mile off, if that. Hurry, boys, no time to lose! Who's
this groaning at such an awful rate? What's the matter?"

"Scalded; horribly scalded."

"He ain't the only one, though maybe he's the worst. And Blake's killed
outright; two or three more, I believe; some with pretty bad pistol-shot
wounds. Tell you they made warm work for us. There's been a traitor
among us; betrayed our plans and put 'em on their guard."

He concluded with a torrent of oaths and fearful imprecations upon the
traitor, whoever he might be.

"Hist!" cried the one Boyd had addressed as Bill, "hist boys! the bugle
call! they're on us. Stop your noise, Boyd, can't you!" as the latter,
seized, and borne onward again, not too gently, yelled and roared with
redoubled vigor: "Be quiet or you'll have 'em after us in no time."

"Shoot me through the head then: it's the only thing that'll help me to
stop it."

Mr. Lilburn, keeping well in the shadow of the trees, had hurried after
the retreating foe, and concealing himself behind a clump of bushes
close to the gate, caused his bugle note to sound in their ears as if
coming from a point some half a mile distant.

Convinced that a detachment of United States troops were almost upon
them, those carrying the dead and wounded dashed into the wood with
their burdens, while in hot haste the others mounted and away, never
drawing rein until they had put several miles between them and the scene
of their attempted outrage.

Meantime those in the wood, moving as rapidly as possible under the
circumstances, were plunging deeper and deeper into its recesses.

There was an occasional groan or half suppressed shriek from others of
the wounded, but Boyd's cries were incessant and heart-rending, till a
handkerchief was suddenly thrust into his mouth with a muttered
exclamation, "Necessity knows no law! it's to save your own life and
liberty as well as ours."

At length, well nigh spent with their exertions, the bearers paused,
resting their burdens for a moment upon the ground, while they listened
intently for the sounds of pursuit.

"We've baffled 'em, I think," panted Bill, "I don't hear no more of
that--tramp, tramp, and the bugle's stopped too."

"That's so and I reckon we're pretty safe now," returned another voice.
"But what's to be done with these fellows? where'll we take 'em?"

"To Rood's