t you go--
hard-hearted, cruel tyrants!"

Such were the phrases which reached my ears, but Ebenezer Ruggles saw
that I was in earnest, and, signing to his wife, she brought him a thick
pair of shoes, a great coat, a stick and his hat, and then, in spite of
the renewed cries of his children, he signified, in a manly, fearless
way, that if we compelled him he would accompany us without resistance.
I accordingly took him by the arm, and succeeded at last in separating
him from his wife and children, and leading him out of the house. Even
after we had got some distance off we heard the cries of poor Dame
Bridget and her disconsolate brood. Ebenezer bore the trial very well.

"Now, friend Ruggles," said I, "you must understand that, if you guide
us right and play us no tricks, we will restore you safe to your wife
and family, but if you lead us into any difficulty I shall be under the
disagreeable necessity of shooting you through the head."

"Oh! if that's the case, then, I must tell you that you have come two
miles out of the road to Hampton," quoth Mr Ruggles. "If you had gone
on, you would have run your noses against a pretty strong force of our
States' army, who would have made mince-meat of you, I guess."

"They must have been pretty strong to impede the progress of a thousand
men," said I. "However, lead us by the best road and you shall be well
rewarded."

"That's reasonable," said Ruggles; and forthwith turning round, away he
trudged alongside me at the rate of nearly four miles an hour. He led
us back right through the dark wood and into the open country, and at
last we reached a fine broad open road. Along that we marched at a
great rate. We soon, however, came to a house. We instantly surrounded
it, and, very much to the surprise and alarm of the inhabitants, made
them prisoners. I rather think that our friend Ruggles was not sorry to
have a companion in his misfortunes. We soon had several. Every house
we came to we surrounded, and had to capture the inhabitants, that they
might not escape to give the alarm through the country. I cannot
describe all the scenes that occurred. Some were rather amusing, as we
knew that we were not going to injure the poor people. Others were
painful, from the dreadful alarm into which both men and women were put
when we appeared at their doors. Still greater was it when they found
that they had to accompany us on our march.

The night was drawing on, and there