e saluted Captain Gordon, and delivered his
message. Then he was ordered to mount his horse, and ride over to
deliver the instructions to the major.

"That is an excellent plan of Lieutenant Lyon, and it will prevent any
confusion," said the captain as the sergeant was mounting his horse.

In a few minutes more Knox came into the presence of Captain Woodbine
and Major Lyon. He described the arrangement for the signals.

Sergeant Fronklyn and Bugler Stufton were stationed on a knoll where
they could see the signal when it was given by Captain Gordon, and the
musician was to sound the advance.

"These signals are a capital idea of your son, Major," said the
staff-officer in the hearing of Life Knox, as he was starting on his
return to his company.

Deck was left alone; but in spite of the solicitude of the Kentuckian,
he did not regard himself as in any danger, for the guerillas were not
likely to explore the hills on their way to the mansion, where Captain
Grundy doubtless expected to make an easy victory over the force
defending it. He was not aware that cannon were to figure in the
contest; and with his large force he could easily overcome the small
number behind the breastwork. He was confident that there was a large
sum of money concealed in the mansion, or in its vicinity; and he was
fully determined to hang Colonel Hickman to one of his own trees if he
did not disclose the hiding-place of the treasure.

It was fully half an hour before Deck saw anything of the approaching
guerillas. Four mounted men were the first indications of the advance
of the enemy. They seemed to be the pickets of the main body. They rode
in couples, and did not trouble themselves to scout the hills on their
left; for they could not have had any suspicion that there was a large
force of cavalry anywhere near the mansion. The pickets moved on slowly
till they came to the beginning of the ascent of the hill, and there
they halted. They had nothing to report, and they awaited the coming of
the force.

From his position behind the bushes and trees Deck could see the
mansion, and the road leading up to it. The pickets had hardly halted
before the main column came into view. They marched by fours, two in
the road, and two in the field, and in very irregular order. The
lieutenant observed them with intense interest, and counted them as
they advanced. Instead of twenty-four, as the negro scouts had
reported, there were thirty-eight of them. T