t believe it possible.

"It has happened now," persisted Captain Carnes. "The fellow
is a deserter, and must be pursued."

Lee still affected incredulity, and was with difficulty
brought to order that the whole squadron should be
mustered, to see if any of them were missing. This done,
there was no longer room for doubt or delay. Champe, the
sergeant-major, was gone, and with him his arms, baggage,
and orderly-book.

Captain Carnes ordered that pursuit should be made at once.
Here, too, Lee made such delay as he could without arousing
suspicion; and when the pursuing party was ready he changed
its command, giving it to Lieutenant Middleton, a
tender-hearted young man, whom he could trust to treat
Champe mercifully if he should be overtaken. These various
delays had the desired effect. By the time the party
started, Champe had been an hour on the road.

It was past twelve o'clock of a starry night when Middleton
and his men took to horse, and galloped away on the track of
the deserter. It was a plain track, unluckily; a trail that
a child might have followed. There had been a shower at
sunset, sharp enough to wash out all previous hoof-marks
from the road. The footprints of a single horse were all
that now appeared. In addition to this, the horse-shoes of
Lee's legion had a private mark, by which they could be
readily recognized. There could be no question; those foot
prints were made by the horse of the deserter.

Here was a contingency unlooked for by Lee. The pursuit
could be pushed on at full speed. At every fork or
cross-road a trooper sprang quickly from his horse and
examined the trail. It needed but a glance to discover what
road had been taken. On they went, with scarce a moment's
loss of time, and with sure knowledge that they were on the
fugitive's track.

At sunrise the pursuing party found themselves at the top of
a ridge in the road, near the "Three Pigeons," a road-side
tavern several miles north of the village of Bergen. Looking
ahead, their eyes fell on the form of the deserter. He was
but half a mile in advance. They had gained on him greatly
during the night.

At the same moment Champe perceived them. Both parties
spurred their horses to greater speed, and away went
fugitive and pursuers at a rattling pace. The roads in that
vicinity were well known to them all. There was a short cut
through the woods from near the Three Pigeons to the bridge
below Bergen. Middleton sent part of his men