e the dangers as soldiers should; and,
understanding the necessity of discipline and obedience, we promise,
each of us upon his honor, fully to recognize the authority of Samuel
Hardwicke as our Captain, appointed by General Jackson; we promise
upon honor, to obey his command, as implicity as if we were regularly
enlisted soldiers, and he a properly commissioned officer."

(Signed.)

[Illustration: signatures]

When this paper was signed by all the boys, including black Joe, who
insisted upon attaching his name to it in the printing letters which
"little Miss Judie" had taught him, it was placed in General Jackson's
hands for keeping, and Sam marched his party away, amid the wondering
curiosity of the few troops who were in camp. They knew that this
party went out under orders of some sort from head quarters, but they
could not imagine whither it was going or why. Many of them had tried
to get information from the boys themselves, but as the boys knew
absolutely nothing about it, they could answer no questions, except
with the rather unsatisfactory formula "I dunno."

CHAPTER VII.

SAM'S TRAVELLING FACTORY.

The boys marched steadily until sunset, when Sam called a halt and
selected a camping place for the night. He ordered a fire built and
himself superintended the preparation of supper, limiting the amount
of food cooked for each member of the party, a regulation which he
enforced strictly throughout the march, lest any of the boys should
imprudently eat their rations too fast, which, as their route lay
through woods and swamps in a part of the country scarcely at all
settled, would bring disaster upon the expedition of course. Sam had
calculated the march to last about ten days, but he hoped to
accomplish it within a briefer time. The supplies they had would last
ten days, and Sam hoped to add to them by killing game from time to
time, for although the party were unarmed, Sam knew ways of getting
game without gunpowder, and meant to put some of them in practice.

Toward evening of the first day out, he had stopped in a canebrake and
cut three well seasoned canes, selecting straight, tall ones, about an
inch in diameter, and taking care that they tapered as little and as
regularly as possible. Cutting them off at both ends and leaving them
about fifteen feet in length, he next cut three or four small canes,
very long and green ones, without flaw.

That night, as soon as supper was over he brought his