dose slave-hunters can't find
people in de swamps what chance you tink dose soldiers have? None at
all! Dey haven't got no reward before dere eyes, and dey won't want to
be going in ober dere shoes into the mud and dirting dere uniforms. No
fear ob dem, sah. Dey make as much noise when dey march in de wood as a
drove ob pigs. You can hear dem a quarter ob a mile away."

They tramped on through the woods through which McClellan's force had so
painfully made their way during their first advance against Richmond.
From time to time they could hear noises in the forest--shouts, and once
or twice the discharge of firearms.

"Dey call dat hunting, I s'pose," Tony said scornfully.

They kept steadily on until it began to grow dark in the forest. They
were now in the White Oak Swamp and not eight miles from Richmond, and
they thought it better to pause until it became quite dark, for they
might be picked up by any raiding party of cavalry. Vincent was in high
spirits. Now that he had succeeded in his enterprise, and had escaped
almost by a miracle, he was eager to get back to Richmond and carry his
news down to General Lee. Tony was even more anxious to push on. At
last, after three years' absence, he was to see his wife and child
again, and he reluctantly agreed to Vincent's proposal for a halt.

"We shan't stop very long, Tony; and I own I am waiting quite as much
because I am hungry and want to eat, and because I am desperately tired,
as from any fear of the enemy. We walked twenty miles last night from
Union Grove to the river; then I walked to the boat, back to the farm,
and then back to the boat again--that's three more miles--and we have
gone another twenty now. I am pretty nearly dead beat, I can tell you."

"I'se tired, too, sah; but I feel I could go on walking all night if I
was to see Dinah in de morning."

"Well, I couldn't, Tony; not to see anyone. I might be willing enough,
but my legs wouldn't take me."

They ate a hearty meal, and almost as soon as they had finished Vincent
stood up again.

"Well, Tony, I can feel for your impatience, and so we'll struggle on. I
have just been thinking that when I last left my mother, a week since,
she said she was thinking of going out to the Orangery for a month
before the leaves fell, so it is probable that she may be there now. It
is only about the same distance as it is to Richmond, so we will go
straight there. I shall lose a little time, of course; but I can be
d