his hand.

As the wanderers followed him out of the barn, they saw in the darkness
that his head was thickly covered with white wool, and he must have
been well along in years. He evidently kept his gun and ammunition in
this out-building, for he had a powder-horn and shot-bag suspended from
his shoulders.

"What are you going to do with that gun, Cuffy?" asked Deck, who was
rather astonished to see him armed.

"I's gwine to shoot one of dose men if dey try to kill me, as dey done
sworn dey would," replied the ferryman.

"Better not do anything of that kind, Cuffy," said Deck. "We will stand
by you, and we can fire shots enough to kill the whole of them."

"Who be you uns, Mars'r?" asked the ferryman, gazing at them, and
trying to make them out in the darkness.

"We are Union soldiers, just escaped from the enemy," answered Deck.

"Bress de Lo'd!" exclaimed the negro. "Dem men was Seceshers, and is
gwine to steal my boat. It's all I have to make a little money for de
contribution-box, and ef I lose it I'm done ruinged."

"Never mind the boat, Cuffy," continued Deck, as he led the way to the
four horses; for he had seen the Southrons go off on foot, and knew
they had not taken them. "Mount one of these animals, Ben."

He led out one of them, and put himself in the saddle, while the
sergeant did the same with another.

"Can you ride a horse, Cuffy?" asked the lieutenant.

"I done ride 'em all my life."

"Get one of the others, then. Can we get to the ferry on horseback?"

"For sartin, Mars'r; some folks goes down to de boat on hosses, and we
swim 'em ober de riber," replied Cuffy, as he mounted the animal he had
chosen. "My son comes ober dat way."

"Now lead the way to the ferry. Do they know where you keep your boat?"

"Dunno, Mars'r; but I reckon dey find it."

Cuffy conducted the wanderers nearly to the Harrison road, and then
took a path towards the river, arriving in a few minutes at the head of
the descent to the flat below.

"Not too far, Cuffy; fall back a little, where the men cannot see you,"
said Deck in a low tone.

"But I's gwine to shoot 'em if dey touch my boat," said the owner, his
determination indicated in his tones.

"Don't do it, and don't let them see you," added Deck in a low tone,
but with energy enough to impress the negro.

"Dey gwine to steal my boat!" groaned Cuffy; and his agony seemed to be
intense. "Den whar I git any money for de missions?"

"Never mind your boat,