f rendezvous.[90]

[Footnote 90: place of meeting.]

Dr. Sitgreaves, who had been carousing at the "Hotel Flanagan,"
suddenly declared his intention of visiting the Locusts, and inquiring
into the state of the wounded. Lawton was ready for the excursion; and
mounting, they were soon on the road, though the surgeon was obliged
to submit to a few jokes from the washerwoman before he could get out
of hearing.

"Listen!" said Lawton, stopping his horse. He had not done speaking,
when a stone fell at his feet and rolled harmlessly across the path.

"A friendly shot, that," cried the trooper; "neither the weapon, nor
its force, implies much ill-will. Oh! here is the explanation along
with the mystery." So saying, he tore a piece of paper that had been
ingeniously fastened to the small fragment of rock which had thus
singularly fallen before him; and opening it, the captain read the
following words, written in no very legible hand:

"A musket ball will go farther than a stone, and things more dangerous
than yarbs for wounded men lie hid in the rocks of Winchester. The
horse may be good, but can he mount a precipice?"

"Thou sayest the truth, strange man," said Lawton, "courage and
activity would avail but little against assassination[91] and these
rugged passes." Remounting his horse, he cried aloud, "Thanks, unknown
friend; your caution will be remembered."

[Footnote 91: murder by secret assault.]

A meagre hand was extended for an instant over a rock, in the air, and
afterwards nothing further was seen or heard in that quarter, by the
soldiers.

The penetrating looks of the trooper had already discovered another
pile of rocks, which, jutting forward, nearly obstructed the highway
that wound directly around the base.

"What the steed cannot mount, the foot of man can overcome," exclaimed
the wary partisan. Throwing himself again from the saddle, and leaping
a wall of stone, he began to ascend the hill at a pace which would
soon have given him a bird's-eye view of the rocks in question,
together with all their crevices. This movement was no sooner made
than Lawton caught a glimpse of the figure of a man stealing rapidly
from his approach and disappearing on the opposite side of the
precipice.

"Spur, Sitgreaves--spur!" shouted the trooper, dashing over every
impediment in pursuit, "and murder the villain as he flies."

The former part of the request was promptly complied with; and a few
moments broug