e acting wrong in giving you a free rein. Now to my
plan--it's been in my head this last half hour. First, take my pistol."

"Yes, but you--"

"Now let me untie that rope on your hands," interrupted Derwiddie,
cutting the prisoner short. "We haven't a moment to spare. They may come
back at any moment. Remember, you are to take all three horses."

"All three?"

"Yes, all three. So that they will have a job to follow you."

"But yourself?"

"I will fall into the road, knocked out by you."

"Do you mean to say you want me to knock you out?" demanded Deck, who
thought that his newly discovered friend was "going it rather strong."

"I will do the deed, if you feel backward about it," answered Tom
Derwiddie, modestly.

"I certainly do feel backward, if that is what you are going to call it.
You are by far too much of a friend to be touched."

"But I must be knocked out, or my record won't bear investigation, Major
Lyon. Are you ready to gallop away on this horse?"

"Yes," answered Deck, promptly.

"All right, and don't forget to take those animals with you--at least
for a ways." The Confederate hesitated. "If I give you the password,
will you promise to use it only to get away on?"

"I will, and do."

The countersign was then given, and Derwiddie looked again toward the
house. Not a soul was in sight.

"Give me a small crack on the forehead with that pistol!" he cried.
"Right there!" and he indicated the spot over his left eye, at the same
time scratching it sufficiently hard to draw blood. "Now, strike--and
good luck go with you!"

Deck understood, and with his heart in his throat, struck out lightly.
As the pistol landed on Derwiddie's forehead, he threw up his arms and
reeled from the saddle. Pretending to stagger for a moment, he finally
pitched headlong on the rocks. He was far from overcome, but he lay like
a log where he had fallen.

The drama was on and the major did not waste an instant in making the
scene move along. Urging the horse to where the other animals were
standing, he gathered up the reins and placed one beast on either side
of him. Then, with his pistol ready for use, he started on a wild ride
down the trail leading past the corn-crib. He had covered less than a
hundred and fifty yards when a cry from the house told him that his
flight was discovered.

CHAPTER XXXI

THROUGH THE ENEMY'S LINES

The turn of affairs had been so sudden that Major Deck Lyon had had
hardly time