distant day, and what would their neighbors say to them when a horse
that was said to have been stolen was seen in their possession? It was
Mr. Westall's argument over again.

"I would just as soon take Percival's horse to the settlement as to go
back there with this roan," said Mr. Hobson. "One is as dangerous to us
as the other. You see, everybody, Union as well as Secesh, is down on a
horse-thief, and the politics of the man who is caught with this horse
in his keeping will not save him. After all I don't know that I can be
in a much worse mess than I am now, and if you like, I will give you my
horse for him. It's a one-sided trade I admit, the roan is worth two of
mine, but see the risk I shall run?"

"I'll do it," said Rodney quickly. "I shall be glad to see the last of
that colt, and hope he will not be the means of getting you into
difficulty. Now do you think Tom and I can ride together?"

"I don't see why you can't, and I think it would be a good thing for
you, because Percival has a general knowledge of the roads ahead, and
knows a few people who can be trusted."

This matter having been settled to the satisfaction of both the boys,
one of the refugees set up a peculiar whistle to let Merrick know that
the road to their camp was clear, and twenty minutes later he came into
sight, followed by a darkey. The latter was mounted on a mule and
carried a heavy basket on each arm. The first question that was asked,
"Have you seen or heard anything more of Thompson's men?" was answered
in the negative on both sides, and then the refugees and their guests
were ready for breakfast. Merrick seemed relieved to know that the boys
had succeeded in getting the roan colt off their hands, and told them
that he had brought the darkey along to act as their guide until they
were beyond the limits of his settlement.

"After you went away last night, Nance said that there are some folks
about here who know I am harboring two chaps that I have took some pains
to keep out of sight, and so I thought you had best keep to the bresh
till you had got past them peoples' houses," said he; but there was one
thing his wife did not tell him, and that was that one of the two boys
he was harboring was as good a Confederate as any of the men who had
ridden along the road. That was a matter she kept to herself.

Breakfast being over the only thing there was to detain the boys was to
saddle their horses. That did not take many minutes, and th