down. Jack said:

"Of course we can't leave her alone; we must have some one to watch her.
So if you will keep an eye on her, I'll go to the house and send Morris
and Julius down." At the same time he pointed to Bose; and Marcy,
comprehending his meaning, seized the dog by the neck to keep him from
following Jack, who lumbered up the bank, making any amount of noise,
and singing a sailor ditty as he went.

Scarcely had the words of the song died away in the distance, when
something that sounded suspiciously like the breaking of twigs came to
Marcy's ears, and at the same instant the faithful watch-dog tore
himself loose from his master's detaining grasp and bounded up the bank,
barking fierce and loud at every jump. This must have been what Jack was
thinking of when he left Bose behind. As quickly as he could Marcy got
upon his feet and shouted words of encouragement to his four-footed
friend.

"Pull him down," he yelled. "Pull the spy down and let me see who he
is."

The dog heard the command and probably tried to obey it, for his bark
changed to an angry snarl, and a second later a familiar but frightened
voice cried out:

"Call him off, Mister Marcy! Call him off! He'll eat me up if you
don't."

"It's nothing more than I expected," thought the boy, who was in no
particular hurry to give ear to the entreaty. "Now who is it that
carries news to him from the house? That's the next thing to be found
out."

"Is that you, Hanson?" he exclaimed, as if he were much surprised. "Come
away, Bose. What brought you down here, and why did you come in that
sneaking way? Jack will be mad enough to knock you down," he added, when
he stood face to face with the overseer.

"Why Mr. Marcy, I had no thought of playing the part of a sneak,"
protested the man. "I couldn't make head or tail of what the darkey
tried to tell me, but I knew there was something going on in the creek,
and thought it my duty to come down and take a look at things. I didn't
know you was here."

"You are Union, are you not?" said Marcy, who knew there wasn't a word
of truth in the overseer's story.

"Of course I am, and so are you. So is Mr. Jack."

"Well, if he is, what is that Confederate flag doing in the house?"

"It's put there a purpose to fool folks. The niggers don't know what to
think about it, but I do; and I think it was a good idee on your part.
There's plenty of folks about here who would be glad to see harm come to
you, but I'm watchi