if we tried for a whole month," replied Bud
gleefully. "I knowed I would get even with him some day, but I didn't
think it would come before I'd had time to sleep. Hush yer noise, old
woman. Course I'm goin' up there. Riley said the 'Federacy would look
for every man to do his dooty when the time come, an' if it aint come
now, I'd like to know what's the reason. Nobody won't harm you here."

In spite of the querulous protests of Mrs. Goble, who strongly objected
to being left alone now that "the outbreak had come," Bud and his
companion rushed out of the house and started for Barrington, running
full tilt all the way for fear that the fun would all be over, and the
home of every Union man in town be destroyed before they could get there
to lend a hand. There was no suspicion in their minds that these two
fires, located so far apart, could be the result of accident. If there
was any faith to be placed in that notice in the post-office there had
been an outbreak of some sort threatened, and beyond a doubt the members
of the Committee of Safety had thought it wise to anticipate it by
driving from Barrington every man who was suspected of being implicated
in it. That was the way Bud and Silas reasoned it out, and although they
were not altogether correct, they had hit pretty close to the mark.

When they reached the cross-roads, so that they could look two ways and
see both the fires at once, they told each other that the houses must
have been burning for some time before they knew it, for the roofs had
fallen in and the blaze was beginning to die away. But where were the
engines? They could not hear any bells or brakes at work, and if there
were any commands given the breeze must have carried them the other
way.

"That committee of our'n has got everything cut an' dried," was Bud's
gleeful comment. "Let Riley an' them fellers alone for doin' things up
in shape when they get at it. But it won't do for us to say that we
suspicion them, for I've kinder thought, from the way they acted, that
they wanted to stay behine an' pay sich chaps as me an' you for doin'
the work. Now le's scoot off this a-way an' set old man Bailey agoin'."

Bud Goble, who had taken the precaution to put some matches in his
pocket before leaving home, led the way along the short cut,
congratulating himself on the fact that he and Silas would have a clear
field for their operations, for of course the little storekeeper, and
all of the rest of the men