y have bin shootin' so
rapidly. I want a couple o' you to run back to the cars and git another
box."

"Let me and Sandy go," pleaded little Pete Skidmore. "The big boys went
before."

"All right; skip out. Break the lid o' the box off before you take it
out o' the car. We haven't anything here to do it with. Leave your guns
here."

"No, we'll take 'em along," pleaded Pete, with a boyish love for his
rifle. "We mightn't be able to find 'em agin."

The firing from the opposite bank became fitful, died down, and then
ceased altogether. Then a couple of shots rang out from far in the
rear in the direction of the train. This seemed to rouse the rebels
to another volley, and then all became quiet. The shots in the rear
disturbed Si, who started back to see what they meant, but met Pete
Skidmore and Sandy Baker coming panting up, carrying a box of cartridges
between them.

"We got back as quick as we could," Pete explained as he got his breath.
"Just as we was coming to the train we see a rebel who was carrying a
fat-pine torch, and making for the train to set it on fire. We shot him.
Was that all right?"

"Perfectly," said Si. "Was there any more with him?"

"No. We looked around for others, but couldn't find none. That's what
kept up so long."

"The Johnnies have given it up and gone," said Shorty, coming up. "I
went over to a place where I could see 'em skippin' out by the light o'
the burnin' o' the other bridge. We might as well put out guards here
and go into camp till mornin'."

"All right," assented Si. "We've saved the train and bridge, and that's
all we kin do."

CHAPTER XX. AFTER THE SKIRMISH

WILD SHOOTING WAS ALL THAT SAVED A SURPRISED COLORED MAN.

THOUGH Si and Shorty were certain that the trouble was over and the
rebels all gone, it was impossible to convince the boys of this. The
sudden appearance of the guerrillas had been so mysterious that they
could not rid themselves of the idea that the dark depths beyond the
creek were yet filled with vicious foemen animated by dire intents.

Si and Shorty gathered the boys together on the bank above the railroad
cut, had fires built, posted a few guards, and ordered the rest of the
boys to lie down and go to sleep. They set the example by unrolling
their own blankets at the foot of a little jack-oat, whose
thickly-growing branches, still bearing a full burden of rusty-brown
leaves, made an excellent substitute for a tent.

"Crawl in. Si, and git