Morris and Julius knew this thing was going to happen, I do not
understand why they did not warn us," said Mrs. Gray, when Marcy came
back to the sitting-room.

"Because they are darkies, and darkies never do what they ought,"
answered Marcy. "They did not want us to be frightened until the time
came, and so they stayed awake and watched while we slept. Good-night."

When Marcy went up to his room he took his pillows from the floor, and
put them on the bed where they belonged. He pushed his revolvers under
them, smiling grimly when he thought of the little use they had been to
him when their services were really needed, turned down the lamp, and
was about to throw himself upon his couch, without removing his clothes,
when he heard something that had startled him once before--the noise
made by a pebble striking against his window. That was the way in which
Sailor Jack attracted his attention on the night he came up from
Newbern, after piloting that Northern blockade runner safely into port;
but who could this person be? The dread of danger, that was uppermost in
his mind when he stepped to the window and opened it, gave way to
indignation when he looked out and saw the boy Julius standing on the
ground below.

"Look here, you imp of darkness," he exclaimed.

"Hursh, honey, hursh!" said Julius, in an excited whisper. "Go fru de
hall, and look out de oder side."

"What's out there?" asked Marcy, in the same low whisper.

"Nuffin. But you go and look."

Marcy put down the window and went, knowing that it would be a waste of
time to question such a fellow as Julius. When he stepped into the hall
he was alarmed to see that it was lighted up so brightly by a glare
which came through the wide, high window at the other end that he could
distinguish the figures on the wall-paper. He reached the window in two
jumps, stood there about two seconds looking toward two different points
of the compass, and then faced about, and ran down the stairs.

"Mother, mother!" he exclaimed, as he rapped on her bedroom door. "Get
up and tell me what to do. Here's the mischief to pay. Beardsley's house
is in flames."

"O Marcy!" was all Mrs. Gray could say in reply.

"Yes. And there's a little blaze just beginning to show above the trees
in the direction of Colonel Shelby's," continued Marcy.

"This is a dreadful state of affairs," said his mother.

"I believe you; but Aleck Webster told the truth, and those Union men
are bricks. Jack