mbers of the community show their hands. The
rebels have been maltreating Union people all over the South, and I
don't know why we should expect to escape. Well," he added, shoving a
brace of revolvers under his pillow, while Marcy provided for his own
defence in the same way, "if anybody comes we'll give him as good as he
sends, provided he gives us half a chance."

The moment Jack Gray opened his eyes the next morning he jumped out of
bed and drew the curtain. "All right so far," said he, in a satisfied
tone; "and that rebel Allison is in a fair way to be disappointed."

"But you must remember that the fleet hasn't arrived off the cape yet,"
Marcy reminded him. "With the best of luck it cannot get there until
late this afternoon. I wish we could go down and watch the fight."

"I wish we could be in it," replied Jack, "for I just know it will end
in a Union victory."

But as they could do neither one thing nor the other, they were obliged
to possess their souls in patience. Of course they went to Nashville
after breakfast, and of course, too, they found in the post-office the
same excited and confident crowd they had met the day before, who had
all sorts of stories to tell them.

"Report says that the most of the Union ships foundered before they were
fairly out of sight of Fortress Monroe," shouted Allison, in great glee.
"I am sorry for that, for I wanted our boys to have the honor of sending
them to the bottom."

"Another report says that one of the old tubs that the Yankees were
using for a transport ship sprung a leak and went down with every soul
on board," said a second speaker.

"Why didn't the other vessels save them?" asked Marcy.

"They couldn't. There was a heavy gale on."

"Who brought these reports?" inquired Jack.

"The papers, of course."

"How did the papers get them, seeing that all telegraphic communication
with the North is cut off?" continued Jack.

"It makes no difference how they got the news so long as they got it,"
exclaimed Allison. "You talk and act as though you don't want to believe
it."

"It is no concern of yours how I talk and act, you stay-at-home
blow-hard. My common sense will not let me believe any such reports,
which are not reports at all, but something those newspaper men made up
all out of their own heads, on purpose to give such fellows as you a
subject to talk about. Some of the fleet may have sprung a
leak--probably they did if they were not seaworthy; but it w