selection when he took men who permitted
themselves to be scared away by the breaking down of a chandelier. A
brave lot of fellows they were."

"But perhaps that wasn't what frightened them away," said Tom. "How do
you account for the burning of Beardsley's house and Shelby's, while
Gray's was allowed to stand?"

"I don't account for it. It is quite beyond me."

"You don't think those robbers set the buildings on fire?"

"It isn't likely, when they were in Beardsley's employ. Still they might
have done it to revenge themselves for the loss of the money they
expected to find in Mrs. Gray's house."

"They might, but I don't believe they did. Have you forgotten what was
in the letter Beardsley received while he was in Newbern?"

"By gracious, Tom! You don't think----"

"Yes, I do. They said they would jump on him if he didn't stop
persecuting Union people, and they have done it. The men who wrote that
letter were the men who burned those houses."

"Tom, you frighten me. I'll tell you what's a fact, old fellow: You and
I made a big mistake in calling on that old gossip Mrs. Brown. We didn't
get a thing out of her beyond what we knew when we went there, and I'm
going to keep clear of that shanty of hers in future. It may be your
father's turn next, or mine."

"That is what I am afraid of," said Tom honestly. "And that is the
reason I want to hang around and see Marcy alone--to ask if he saw
anything of those Union men last night."

Marcy remained in the post-office for nearly half an hour, for he was
surrounded by an excited and anxious group there, and plied with the
same questions he had been called on to answer outside; but about the
time that Allison and his companion were becoming so impatient that they
were on the point of going in after him, he came out with his mail in
his hand, and, what was a comfort to them, he came alone.

"Are you two going to ride out with me?" said Marcy, when he reached the
hitching-rack, where they were waiting for him.

"We may go out some day, but not for proof," replied Tom. "What would be
the use, when we know that you told us nothing but the truth? But,
Marcy, you don't mean to say that those robbers were frightened from
their work by the simple breaking down of the chandelier?"

"Oh, no; they had better reasons than that for letting us alone,"
replied the boy, who knew that he might as well tell the whole story
himself as to leave them to hear it from somebody else. "A