as well
acquainted with him as they were with their master. Bose recognised
him at once, and appeared to be glad to see him.

"I want you to stay here with me till it comes dark, ole feller,"
said Dan, patting the animal's head. (He never kicked the hounds, as
he did the pointer. He knew better.) "If them fellers comes we'll
make things lively fur 'em. You hear me?"

Dan waited almost twelve hours before he had an opportunity to carry
out the plan he had so suddenly formed. When he became tired of
sitting still and began to feel the cravings of appetite, he went
into the woods and shot four squirrels which Bose treed for him.
These he roasted over a fire and divided with his four-footed friend.
When it began to grow dark he went back to his hiding-place, where he
remained until he thought it time to take up a new position. This was
by the side of the road, and a short distance from the big gate,
which opened into the lane leading to the negro quarters. There Dan
lay for almost four hours, stretched out behind a log, with the hound
by his side. He saw several negroes pass in and out of the gate, and,
although some of them walked by within ten feet of him, no one saw
him, and the well-trained hound never betrayed his presence by so
much as a whimper.

Finally, to Dan's great relief, the lights in the General's house
were put out, then a door or two was slammed loudly in the quarters,
and after that all was still. Dan had grown tired of watching and
must have fallen asleep, for he knew nothing more until a low growl
from the hound aroused him. He was wide awake in an instant, and
having quieted the animal by placing his hand on his neck, he looked
all around to see what it was that had disturbed him. He heard
footsteps in the field on the opposite side of the road, and
presently two figures appeared and clambered over the fence. They
crossed to the gate, which they opened and closed very carefully and
went down the lane.

"Them's our fellers, Bose," whispered Dan, who was highly excited.
"They've got bags slung over their shoulders, an' they think they're
goin' to play smash stealin' them birds of our'n; but me and you will
see how many they'll get, won't we?"

As soon as Bob and Lester were out of hearing Dan arose, and holding
the hound firmly by the neck with one hand he opened the gate with
the other, and moved noiselessly down the lane toward the quarters.
His plan was to make sure that Bob and his friend had