an ejaculation indicative of the greatest
astonishment, and then he sat up on his blanket, reached over Marcy's
shoulder, and began throwing aside the leaves and branches until he
uncovered a gray quilt. This he pulled off in spite of the desperate
efforts of some one beneath to prevent it, and when he drew the quilt
over Marcy's shoulder, he brought with it the boy Julius, who was highly
enraged because his dreamless slumber had been so rudely disturbed.

"Did you like to butt the life out of Cap'n Beardsley last night?"
inquired Hawkins. "Come here, and let me see how hard your head is."

"Take you' hands off'n dat head," sputtered Julius. "I buck one rebel
las' night, an' you want watch out dat I don't buck nodder one dis
mawning." Then he became good-natured all at once, for he thought of
something he wanted to ask Hawkins. "What Beardsley say when he seen his
fine schooner go up in de clouds?"

"He was mad and sorry and skeered," answered Hawkins. "I'll bet you,
Mister Marcy, that he plum forgot about that schooner, or he wouldn't
have been in such a hurry to help Shelby raise the Home Guards. Of
course we rode hard for the fire as soon as we seen it, but we couldn't
do no good after we got there. The schooner was too far gone."

"Did Beardsley find the note I left for him?" asked Marcy.

"Shelby found it and give it to him; and it was when he read it that he
looked sorry and skeered. It was lucky you wrote it, for it kept some of
the Home Guards from being killed."

"How do you make that out?"

"Just this a way," answered Hawkins. "They allowed, after they got
through with you, to go to the houses of two more Union men so't you
would have company when you was took to jail. But when Shelby heard your
letter read he put for his home quick's he could go, some others who
lived up his way went with him, and that sorter broke up the party.
Leastwise it didn't leave enough to capture them two Union men, who I
knew were on the watch and ready to shoot. I went to their houses
afterward, and brought them into the swamp with me. They're getting
mighty tired of living in this way, and they allow to rise up and drive
Beardsley and Shelby out'n the country. There wouldn't be no trouble in
the settlement if them two was out of it."

"That is what I think," said Marcy, "and I wish that plan might be put
into operation this very day. What is the use of putting it off? I'll
help."

While this conversation was going on the