e opening.

The ground had been banked up for nearly three feet, so it took some
time to reach daylight. But at last the blade of the knife cut into the
roots of the sodding, and Artie felt that liberty was only a question
of a few minutes more. He worked away diligently, and soon had a hole as
big as his hand. Through this he peered anxiously. Was there a guard
outside, ready to frustrate his design?

CHAPTER XVI

THE HOLDING-UP OF THE CLOSED CARRIAGE

Artie found it still raining outside, harder than before, and the
landscape was dreary and deserted,--neither man nor beast being in
sight.

"That remark about putting the negroes on guard was only meant to
frighten me," he thought. "Now to get out and find my horse, and I'll
make it warm for Major Dan Gossley and his hot-headed relatives. I'll
show them that they cannot make a Union officer a prisoner with
impunity."

The young captain recommenced his digging, and presently the hole was
sufficiently large to admit the passage of his body, for Artie was of
slender build, and advancement in the army had not puffed him up with
pride. Undaunted by the rain, which covered the passageway with mud, he
crawled forth, on to the mansion lawn. A hasty look around convinced
him that his egress had not been discovered.

He was on a side lawn, and to get to the gateway of the road, must pass
to the front of the house. But wishing to remain unnoticed, he did not
take the direct course, but backed away with all speed for the nearest
grove of trees. Once these were reached, he made a long detour, coming
out near the spot where he had left his animal tied to a tree.

The horse was gone, and as the equine was one not in the habit of either
breaking or straying away, he rightfully concluded that Colonel Dick
Bradner had had him taken to the plantation stables, directly after the
surrender in the sitting room.

"I've got to have the horse, that is all there is to it," he muttered.
"I wonder if I can't get him without arousing the whole household?"

It must be remembered that Artie was unarmed, and he knew that if
discovered, it would go hard with him. But he was full of grit, and
after a moment's consideration, started on another detour, this time in
the direction of the quarters for horses, visible through a grove of
walnut trees.

The larger of the barns reached, Artie found the doors wide open, for
the day was now fairly warm despite the rain, and he slipped inside.