Kingston; he will never fire again. I shot
him as he said 'two,' and no doubt the shock of the sudden shot caused
you to faint dead away. You fell the same instant that he did."

"But where are the others?" the girl said with a shudder. "How imprudent
of you to come here! I hoped you had seen them coming toward the house."

"I did see them, Miss Kingston, and that was the reason I came. I was
afraid they might try rough measures to learn from you where I was
hidden. I arrived at the window just as the scoundrel was pointing his
pistol toward you, and then there was no time to give myself up, and I
had nothing to do for it but to put a bullet through his head in order
to save you. Then I opened fire upon the rest, and my boy drove off
their horses. They were seized with a panic and bolted, thinking they
were surrounded. Of course I kept up my fire, and there are four of them
in the next room besides their captain. And now, if you please, I will
get you, in the first place, to bind my arm tightly across my chest, for
one of their bullets hit me in the left shoulder, and has, I fancy,
broken it."

The girl gave an exclamation of dismay.

"Do not be alarmed, Miss Kingston; a broken shoulder is not a serious
matter, only I would rather it had not happened just at the present
moment; there are more important affairs in hand. The question is, What
is to become of you? It is quite impossible that you should stay here
after what has happened. Those scoundrels are sure to come back again."

"What am I to do, Chloe?" the girl asked in perplexity. "I am sure we
cannot stay here. We must find our way through the woods to Nashville,
and I must try and get something to do there."

"There is another way, Miss Kingston, if you like to try it," Vincent
said. "Of course it would be toilsome and unpleasant, but I do not think
it would be dangerous, for even if we got caught there would be no fear
of your receiving any injury from the Federal troops. My proposal is
that you and Chloe should go with us. If we get safely through the
Federal lines I will escort you to Georgia and place you with your
friends there."

The girl looked doubtful for a moment, and then she shook her head.

"I could not think of that, sir. It would be difficult enough for you to
get through the enemy by yourselves. It would add terribly to your
danger to have us with you."

"I do not think so," Vincent replied. "Two men would be sure to be
questioned and su