nch, also (of course he made it more
thrilling than it really was), and that was the way Captain Beardsley's
daughter came to know so much about it; but he never said a word
concerning Jack's short captivity in the hands of the _Sumter's_ men.

After Jack had been at home long enough to find out how things stood, he
set himself at work to learn who it was that kept certain people in the
neighborhood so well posted in regard to his mother's private affairs.
He said not a word to anybody, but worked in secret, for he believed
that his efforts would result in the unearthing of a spy who lived in
the house. It would add to his mother's troubles if she knew that Jack
believed, as she did, that there was some trusted servant who kept an
eye on her movements and went to the overseer with a report of them--so
he kept his own counsel, and laid siege to Hanson the very first thing.
The latter wasn't sharp enough to hold his own with any such fellow as
Jack Gray, and Jack learned all he cared to know about Hanson in less
than two days. The next step was to find the servant on whom the
overseer depended for his information. This looked like a hopeless task,
but fortune favored him. One morning he stood in front of the mirror in
Marcy's room performing his toilet. The door, which was behind and a
little to one side of him, was open, and the lower end of the long hall
was plainly reflected upon the polished surface of the looking-glass. So
was the slim, agile figure of the small darkey who slipped out of one of
the rooms, ran along the hall with the speed of the wind, and
disappeared down the back stairs.

"That's Julius," said Jack, whose first thought was to call the boy back
and make him give an account of himself. "He has been up to some
mischief, I'll warrant; but I will see if I can find out what it is
before hauling him over the coals."

So saying Jack stepped into the hall, and the first door he opened was
the one leading into the store-room. There was the open stovepipe hole,
and through it voices came up from the room below. He bent a little
closer to it, and distinctly heard his mother tell one of the girls to
put breakfast on the table and ring the bell for the boys. In an instant
the whole secret flashed upon him. He said not a word, but as soon as he
returned from the post-office, and Marcy had ridden to the field to
carry some instructions to the overseer, Jack went up to his room,
leaving orders with one of the girl