fellows hurrahed for him, 'cause you was afraid to stand
up for yourselves."

"To stand up for you, you mean, Jake. It wasn't our quarrel. We like
Sam, if we are afraid o' him, an' between him an' you there wa'nt no
call for us to take sides against him. Besides we're soldiers, you
know, an' he's capt'n."

"A purty capt'n he is, aint he, an' you're a purty soldier, aint you.
A soldier owning up that he's afraid," said Jake tauntingly.

"Well, you're afraid too, you know you are, else you wouldn't 'a' shut
up that way like a turtle when he told you to."

"No, I aint afraid, neither, and you'll find it out 'fore you're done
with it. I didn't choose to say anything then, but _I'll get even with
Sam Hardwicke yet_, you see if I don't."

"Mas' Jake," said a lump of something which had been lying quietly a
little way off all this time, but which now raised itself up and
became a black boy by the name of Joe, who had insisted upon
accompanying Sam in his campaigns; "Mas' Jake, I'se dun know'd Mas'
Sam a good deal better'n you know him, an' I'se dun seed a good many
things try to git even wid him, 'fore now; Injuns, water, fire,
sunshine, fever 'n ager, bullets an' starvation all dun try it right
under my eyes, an' bless my soul none on 'em ever managed it yit."

"You shut up, you black rascal," was the only reply vouchsafed the
colored boy.

"Me?" he asked, "oh, I'll shut up, of course, but I jist thought I'd
tell you 'cause you might make a sort o' 'zastrous mistake you know.
Other folks dun dun it fore now, tryin' to git even wid Mas' Sam."

"Go to sleep, you rascal," replied Jake, "or I'll skin you alive."

Joe snored immediately and Jake's companion laughed as he crept away
toward the fire. An hour later the camp was slumbering quietly in the
starlight, Sam sleeping by himself under a clump of bushes on the side
of the camp opposite that chosen by Jake Elliott for his
resting-place.

CHAPTER II.

GETTING EVEN IN THE DARK.

Sam Hardwicke had thrown himself down under a clump of bushes, as I
have said, a little apart from the rest of the boys. Before he went to
sleep, however, his brother Tom, a lad about twelve years of age, but
rather large for his years, came and lay down by his side, the two
falling at once into conversation.

"What made you fire up so quick with Jake Elliott, Sam?" asked the
younger boy.

"Because he is a bully who would give trouble if he dared. I didn't want
to have a fight