'. I fixed a doh to the cellar
an' heah's de key to de padlock.'

"'You what!' exclaimed Mr. Crudup, in amazement.

"'Yas'm, das whad I did!' said Tim.

"Mr. Crudup threw back his head and laughed while he slapped Tim on the
back and said, 'Tim, it will take more than a company of Yankees to
starve us out while you are about!'

"But Mrs. Crudup took Tim's hand and thanked him with tears in her eyes.

"The supply question was easily solved after that. No one but Tim knew
where the tunnel was, for Mr. Crudup never allowed anyone to be about
when the old servant started his daily trip to the underground
store-rooms. Oftentimes, the officers expressed their wonder as to how
Southern cooks could manage the way they did, with so little on hand to
cook with. If they suspected the truth they never hinted at it.

"The secret of Vernon's prison had been kept, and several weeks after
the fight that disabled him, his company was ordered to join the main
army. The moment the place was entirely freed from the Yankees, Mr.
Crudup ordered one of the guest-rooms prepared, and, to the surprise of
Mrs. Crudup, told her he had a prisoner to bring in. That night Vernon
was blindfolded, placed upon a stretcher, and taken to the house.

"As soon as he could sit up and come down upon the veranda, we wondered
what to do with him. He was our prisoner but we had no use for him.
Everyone liked him and disliked sending him to the dirty barrack-jail in
Nashville.

"Suddenly Rebecca was inspired with a brilliant plan.

"When the Yankee officers left the place they took the convalescent
prisoners with them. Now Rebecca suggested that negotiations be started
to exchange Vernon for Newell.

"Mr. Crudup immediately sent Tim to Nashville to see if this could be
done, and friends there promised to attend to it without delay.
Consequently, in a few days, a number of soldiers from Nashville rode to
the Crudup house and carried away the prisoner, giving Mrs. Crudup the
slip of paper that stated that Newell's freedom would be granted upon
the return of Vernon.

"We all felt sorry about losing Vernon, but he promised to visit me at
Happy Hills when the war was over."

Aunt Selina stopped and the children began plying questions.

"Aunt Selina, what became of Imp?" asked Dot.

"We kept him in the cave for a few days more, and then, one morning, the
negroes all turned green with fear when they saw Rebecca riding Imp down
the road from the paddock,