if he did not appear voluntarily at the
appointed time, he would be taken, either dead or alive. He did not go,
and since has been constantly on the watch, expecting the guerrilla
bands, which rendezvous at Tyree Springs, ten miles distant, to come for
the purpose of taking him away. When, therefore, he saw Furay and me
galloping up to the house, he mounted his horse and rode for the woods
as fast as his steed could carry him. After we had been there half an
hour, he returned, and, while shaking hands with us, said: "You scared
me out of a full year's growth."

Morgan, with a force, the strength of which is variously estimated,
passed near this a few days ago. Many of Mr. Baily's neighbors are
members of the guerrilla bands, and all of them willing spies and
informers.

We had a splendid supper: chicken, pork, ham, milk, pumpkin pie; in
short, there was every thing on the table that a hungry man could
desire.

I had introduced Mr. Furay as the correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette; but the good folks, not understanding this long title exactly,
dubbed him Doctor. There were three strapping girls in the family, who
did not make their appearance until they had taken time to put on their
Sunday clothes. To one of these the Doctor paid special attention, and
finally won his way so far into her good favor as to induce her to play
him a tune on the dulcimer, an abominable instrument, which she pounded
with two little sticks. The Doctor declared that the music was
good--excellent--charming. He now attempts to get out of this outrageous
falsehood by affirming that he referred simply to the air--the tune--and
not to the manner in which it was executed by the young lady. This,
however, is a mere quibble.

It was quite dark when we said good-by to this kind-hearted, excellent
family, and started on our way back to camp. The woods were on fire for
miles along the road. Many fences and farm buildings had caught. One
large house tumbled in as we were passing, and the fences,
out-buildings, and trees were all enveloped in flames. While riding
slowly forward, and looking back upon the dense cloud of smoke, the
flames stretching as far almost as the eye could reach, the dry trees
standing up like immense pillars of fire, we were startled not a little
by the sentinel's challenge, "Halt!" There had been no pickets on the
road when we were going out, and we were, therefore, uncertain whether
the challenge came from our own men or th