n a hoarse voice, as if he was
suffering from a cold, yet the voice appeared to be more or less
familiar. Deck tried, after mounting, to get a view of the cavalryman's
face, but it was kept away from him.

Inside of quarter of an hour the party began to climb a small hill. The
road was winding, and lined with brush and rocks. At the top of the
eminence stood an old stone mansion, and here the road split into three
trails, one running straight on, and the others branching out at angles
of forty-five degrees. Between the centre road and that to the left,
stood the house, while near the trail on the right was located a large
cattle shed and corn-crib.

"I reckon we can stop here for something to eat," observed Messinger,
turning to his two companions.

"If we can get it," answered the man who had been riding beside him.

"I will give a quarter in silver for a glass of milk," said Deck. "The
money is in my left pocket. You might as well take a dollar bill if it
can be used here."

"It won't go--and I wouldn't tech it," cried Messinger. "Come on,
Chador, and we'll see what we can get. Tom, you had better remain here
with the prisoner."

"Just as you say, Messinger. Don't you try to git away from me," the
latter words to Deck, spoken with great fierceness.

"If he tries to run for it, shoot him dead," ordered Messinger,
carelessly, and dismounting, he walked toward the house, and Chador
followed his suit.

The two Confederates had scarcely disappeared than the man sitting in
front of Deck turned his head so that he could look over his shoulder.

"Major Lyon, listen to me," he said earnestly. "You don't remember me,
because I've let my beard grow, and I'm dressed differently from what I
was when we met before. We met at McMinnville, where you risked your
life to save mine, in a burning cotton mill. I am Tom Derwiddie, and I
swore that if ever I could do you a good turn I would do it. I reckon
that time has come. Do you want to get away, or rather, are you willing
to take the risk?"

"Derwiddie!" gasped Deck, a flood of light bursting in on him. "Yes, I
wish to get away, if it can be done. But your duty--"

"Is to help the man as saved my life. You are not a spy, are you?"

"I am not."

"And if I help you to get away, you will try to get back to the Union
lines without delaying to pick up information."

"I will go as straight back as I can make it--I'll give you my word of
honor, Derwiddie."

"Then I won't b