course I was somewhat alarmed and astonished; but before I could do more
than stop my horse, my escort dismounted, handed me his reins, and
whispering that I was to remain there, walked slowly forward toward the
spot where I had heard the first click of the gun-lock. In a moment or
so he returned as quietly, and we proceeded as silently as before. As we
passed the spot where I supposed a sentinel to be standing, there was no
one there! Whatever had been there had vanished, and as I turned to say
something about it to my escort, I saw that he too had gone! It was
another man riding by my side, his face covered partly by a
handkerchief, drawn tightly across the nose. It was too dark in those
woods to see much, but to the best of my knowledge I had never seen my
new escort before. This operation was repeated twice within three
quarters of a mile, and each time I was silently turned over to a new
guard, whose face was partially covered, like that of the first.

I was thoroughly alarmed, and more than half suspected that I had been
tried and condemned beforehand, and was now being led away to be
murdered. There was nothing to be done but to go on, for I was
completely lost in the woods, and knew nothing of how soon I might
stumble on a dozen enemies, if I should attempt to escape.

Finally my guard halted in a dense thicket, and told me in a low tone to
dismount and hitch my horse, while he did the same. Then he once more
cocked his piece, and at the sound at least a score of gun-locks, in the
hands of men all round us, but concealed in the darkness, were cocked
and the triggers pulled, as I have described in the case of meeting the
first sentinel. It was still as death when we halted, but I now heard
horses which were hitched about us, so that I knew the whole party came
there mounted. They began to come around us too, moving slowly, and as
silently as possible, each man having his gun, and a handkerchief or
something of the kind over his face. The man who brought me there spoke
to several of the dimly-seen figures, but so low I could not hear. Then
one stepped toward me, leaving the others standing in a circle about us.
This was the captain of the band, and he at once proceeded to my
initiation, not a word being spoken by any one but him, and the whole
formula being of course repeated from memory, for the place was dark as
night could make it. The following was the form, not half of which I
could have remembered from heari