oll in
the night air.

Just for an instant I was startled, fearing lest we might be discovered
and find ourselves in trouble when we believed we were safest; but then,
realizing that we had already met many who mistook us for comrades, I
would have gone on but that Sergeant Corney halted suddenly, unslung the
rifle from his back, and, presenting it full at the drunken renegades,
said in a low, stern tone:

"We are prepared to shoot one or all at a moment's notice if you make the
slightest resistance. The orders are to gather in every mother's son in
this encampment who has been makin' a fool of himself, an' I reckon you
come in that class. About face, an' the first who so much as yips gets a
bullet through the head."

The fellows must have believed that we were acting under orders from their
general, for, with many a laugh and good-natured quip, they obeyed the
sergeant's order as promptly as a party of small boys would have done,
and, still supporting each other, moved toward the fort, we two following
directly in the rear.

I could have laughed aloud at the comical situation. Here were two scouts
who had gone out to spy upon an encampment of seventeen hundred men,
marching boldly through the entire place, and taking as prisoners six
soldiers who made no effort whatsoever to defend themselves.

I question if in the annals of warfare there be found anything that can
match such a situation!

"Are you goin' to take them into the fort, sergeant?" I asked, in a
whisper, and he replied, speaking with difficulty because of his mirth:

"Why not, lad? It will be a rare lark, an' somethin' to tell about in the
days to come, that we took out from almost directly in front of St.
Leger's headquarters six men, marchin' 'em into a fort which was supposed
to be closely invested."

There could be little danger attending such a performance, save perchance
we might come upon some of those who were sober, and that risk I was more
than willing to take for the sake, as the sergeant had said, of being able
to tell the story in the future.

We marched our prisoners out past the batteries, they giving no heed to
the direction we were going, evidently fancying we were taking them to the
guard-tent, until arriving midway between the fort and the redoubts.

[Illustration: "'Keep a-movin' unless you're achin' to have a bullet
through the back'"]

Then somewhat of the truth seemed to dawn upon them, and this was so
startling as to res