e first wagon. Kent Edwards, Abe Bolton, and two of the
new comers would scout down toward London, to ascertain the truth of the
rumor that Zollicoffer had evacuated the place, and retired to Laurel
Bridge, nine miles south of it. Fortner and Harry Glen would take the
wagon to Wildcat Gap, report what had been done, and explain to their
commander the absence of the enlisted men.

----

"Shade of King Solomon," said Kent to Abe, after their party had ridden
for two or three hours through the mountains toward London. "I wonder if
there is any other kind of worldly knowledge that I know as little about
as I did of scouting when we started out? My eyes have been opened to my
own ignorance. I used to have the conceit that we two could play a fair
hand at any game of war they could get up for our entertainment. But
these Kentuckians give me points every hundred yards that I never so
much as dreamed of. Theirs is the wisdom of serpents when compared with
our dove-like innocence."

"I like dove-like innocence," interrupted Abe.

"But did you ever see anybody that could go through the country as these
fellows can? It's just marvelous. They know every short cut to every
point, and they know just where to go every time to see way ahead
without being seen themselves. It would puzzle the sharpest Rebel
bushwhacker to get the drop on them."

"I don't know as I want to learn their way of doing," said Abe crustily.
"It looks like sneaking, on a big scale, that's all. And I'm ashamed of
this laying round behind a log or a rock to pop a man over. It ain't my
style at all. I believe in open and above-board fighting, give and take,
and may the best man win."

"So do I, though I suppose all's fair in war. But when we scout we give
them the same chance to knock us over that they give us when they scout.
I'll admit it looks very much like murder to shoot men down that way,
for it does not help either side along a particle. But these Kentuckians
have a great many private injuries to avenge, and they can't do it any
other way."

All the people of the region were intensely Union, so it was not
difficult to get exact information of the movements of the Rebels, and
as the scouts drew near London they became assured that not only all of
Zollicoffer's infantry, but his small parties of cavalry had retreated
beyond the town. Our scouts therefore, putting Edwards and Bolton to the
front, that their blue uniforms might tell the character of the