for the plantation side of the
creek.

"He shan't get away." Deck elevated his voice and his shooter at the
same time. "Come back here, unless you want a hole put through your
head!" he called out.

To this the guerilla did not reply. But he kept on swimming, and seeing
this both Deck and Artie fired. A yell of pain was the answer to the
shots, and the man turned around.

"Are you coming back?" demanded Deck.

"Yes! yes! don't shoot ag'in!" came with something like a groan.

The wounded man on the logs was writhing in pain, but nothing could be
done for him just now, and Deck and Artie watched the man in the water.
"I'm a goner!" came from the individual of a sudden, and throwing up
both arms he disappeared from view.

For the instant Deck stared blankly and Artie looked at him. "Was that a
genuine move, or is he shamming?" questioned the captain.

"I take it he is shamming," answered the major. "I don't believe he was
badly wounded at all. Wait," and he continued to watch.

In half a minute the body of the guerilla appeared, a hundred feet below
the logs. "Turn back here, or I'll put a bullet through your body for
luck!" sang out Deck, and raised his pistol again.

"Don't! don't!" came the quick reply. "I'll come--don't hit me ag'in,
Cap'n!"

In less than five minutes after this the guerilla was on the raft once
more. Deck was on the point of marching him up into the grove by the
creek road when Levi Bedford came up in the canoe, demanding to know
what the several shots meant. He was highly pleased to think that three
men had already been put out of the contest.

"I've discovered the guerillas moving around at the back of the mansion
and around the largest of the barns," he said. "Now that you have used
your pistols the best thing to do, in my opinion, is to get over to the
fort and take possession of it."

"You are right," returned Deck. "Let us go over on the raft, as first
proposed; but General can come around by the bridge and bring all of the
horses, or keep them where they will be handy in case they are wanted.
We ought not to give these guerillas the least chance to escape."

The General was called from his hiding-place and matters were explained.
While he went off with the horses, Levi Bedford led the way to the raft
and unmoored her, fastening the painter to the stern of the canoe,
which, though so called, was, as old readers already know, really a
round-bottom rowboat. The overseer, Deck, and