ers could not but smile at the infatuation of his friend, who at such
a perilous moment could indulge in such a vicious practice as that of
inventing great stories. He did not even ask him how long it took the
Austrian army to pass the haystack, whether they had haystacks in Italy,
nor if it was probable that such an army would pass over a single road.
He waited patiently, or impatiently, for the approach of the rebel
cavalry, which soon reached the road near the bushes where they were
hidden.

To his consternation, they came to a dead halt; and he could see the men
gazing earnestly in the direction they had retired. Then half a dozen of
the troopers entered the field, and rode directly towards the covert of
bushes.

"We are caught!" whispered Somers.

"That's so. Just after the battle of Palestro, when I----"

"Hush!"

"Hush it is," replied De Banyan, as coolly as though he had been under
his shelter tent on the other side of the James.

Taking a knife from his pocket, he began to cut away at a straight bush
which grew near him, and was thus busily employed when the soldiers
reached the spot. Somers stretched himself on the ground, and waited the
issue of the event; deciding to let his companion, who had got him into
the scrape, extricate him from it. The coolness of the captain, and the
peculiar manner he assumed, convinced him that he had some resources upon
which to draw in this trying emergency.

"Hallo, there!" shouted one of the troopers savagely, as though he
intended to carry consternation in the tones of his voice.

"How are you, old hoss?" inquired De Banyan, as impudently as though he
had been the lord of the manor.

"What ye doin' in here?" demanded the horseman, as he forced his animal
into the bushes far enough to obtain a full view of both of the
fugitives.

"Well, old hoss, if Heaven gin you two eyes, what were they gin to ye
fur?" replied the captain, still hacking away at the sapling.

"What d'ye run for when you saw us coming?"

"Didn't run."

"Yes, yer did."

"You know best, then."

"What d'ye come in here fur?"

"Don't ye see what I came in here for?" replied De Banyan, as he finished
cutting off the bush, and proceeded to trim off the branches.

"Who are you?"

"Well, old hoss, I'm the brother of my father's oldest son."

"What's yer name?"

"Hain't got any; had a difficulty with the district attorney in our
county, and lost it."

"Come out here, and show yerself. The