the day or night. It is probable that some of our scouts will be
along here every few days, and I am afraid there will be some among them
who will insist on going through your house. Besides, the Home Guards
may need those guns to arm some of their men."

"Home Guards?" echoed Marcy. "What are they?"

"Well, they are men who, although they haven't the courage to enlist in
the army to fight us, are perfectly willing to act as police in the rear
of the Confederate army. It is their intention to patrol the settlement,
night and day, until they drive out every man who is suspected of Union
sentiments."

Marcy looked bewildered, and his mother was frightened.

"Is it possible that you haven't heard of it?" continued the captain.
"Then it proves the truth of the old saying that one needs to go away
from home to learn the news. We know all about it, and we also know that
these Home Guards intend to operate as they do in Kentucky, Tennessee,
and Missouri; that is, they will be industrious and peaceful farmers
during the daytime, and thieves and murderers at night. But mind you, as
fast as we can locate them, we shall run them in and hold them as
prisoners of war. I hope that you, and the rest of the Union people
about here, will be watchful and keep us posted."

"This is news to me," said Marcy, as soon as his surprise would allow
him to speak. "I never dreamed of such a thing."

"Then I am very glad I mentioned it," said the officer.

"And I am certain I can give you the name of every man in the company,"
added Marcy. "What do you suppose put the idea into their heads?"

"I am sure I do not know, unless it was that fight in Hampton Roads,
which created the wildest excitement all over the country. The Richmond
people were very jubilant, while our Washington folks were
correspondingly depressed."

"That is another piece of news," said Mrs. Gray. "To what particular
battle do you refer, Captain?"

"Don't you know anything about that, either?" exclaimed the officer,
throwing open his coat, and thrusting his hand into an inside pocket.
"It was a fight between our fleet and six Confederate steamers--five
wooden vessels and one iron-clad. It lasted the better part of two days.
At the end of the first day the advantage was all with the Confederates,
who captured and burned one of our best ships and sunk another, without
any serious damage to themselves. These papers, which I shall be glad to
leave with you, tell all about i