owed to both, and still keeping a wary eye on the man, thrust his
pistol into his belt, and as his horse moved forward at a swift and easy
gait he began to eat with a ravenous appetite.

A backward glance showed husband and wife still gazing at him. But it
was only for a moment. They ran into the house and a little further on
Harry looked back again. They had reappeared and he almost expected to
hear again the whistle of a rifle shot, fired from a window. But the
distance was much too great, and he devoted renewed attention to the
demands of hunger.

When he had finished his breakfast he put the plate upon the fence as he
had promised, and, looking back for the last time, he saw an American
flag wave to and fro on the roof of the house. He felt a thrill of
alarm. It must be a signal concerning him and it could be made only to
his enemies. Speaking sharply to his horse, he urged him into a gallop.

CHAPTER V

THE DANGEROUS ROAD

The road led in the general direction of Lee's army and Harry knew that
if he followed it long enough he was bound to reach his commander,
but the two words "long enough" might defeat everything. Undoubtedly a
Federal force was near, or the farmer and his wife would not be signaling
from the roof of their house.

A plucky couple they were and he gave them all credit, but he was aware
that while he had secured breakfast from them they had put the wolves
upon his trail. There were high hills on both the right and left of the
road, and, as he galloped along he examined them through his glasses for
flags answering the signal on the house. But he saw nothing and the
thickness of the forest indicated that even if the signals were made
there it was not likely he could see them.

Now he wisely restrained the speed of his horse, so full of strength and
spirit that it seemed willing to run on forever, and brought him down to
a walk. He had an idea that he would soon be pursued, and then a fresh
horse would be worth a dozen tired ones.

The road continued to run between high, forested hills, splendid for
ambush, and Harry saw what a danger it was not to have knowledge of the
country. He understood how the Union forces in the South were so often
at a loss on ground that was strange to them.

The road now curved a little to the left, and a few hundred yards ahead
another from the east merged with it. Along this road the forest was
thinner, and upon it, but some distance away, he