y delayed their departure too long, as they
discovered a moment later. When Tom ceased speaking he got upon his
feet, and just then there was a slight commotion outside the house, and
Mrs. Truman uttered an ejaculation of surprise and alarm as a couple of
dark figures bounded up the steps and stood upon the gallery. At the
same instant a back door opened and heavy boots pounded the kitchen
floor. The house had been quietly surrounded, but by whom? It was too
dark to see.

"Don't be frightened, Mrs. Truman," said one of the men at the door.
"You know us, and you know that we wouldn't harm you. We want a word or
two with those young fellows who have come here trying to impose upon
you and all of us."

"Then why couldn't you come to the door and say so like a man, instead
of sneaking up like a cowardly Secession bushwhacker?" demanded Mr.
Truman, angrily. "Get out of the house and come in in the proper way."

"Softly, softly," said one of the three men who had entered by the
kitchen door. "Harsh words butter no parsnips, and in times like these
one can't stand upon too much ceremony. We don't mean to intrude, but we
do mean to get hold of that Secesh and the other chap, who for some
reason of his own, is befriending him. Strike a light, please."

"You have certainly made a mistake," said Mrs. Truman, going across the
room to a table to find a match. "Our guests are both Union."

"Then there's no harm done," replied the man at the door. "We understand
that one of them claims to be some relation to old Justus Percival. If
he is, he can't have any objections to riding over to Pilot Knob with
some of us and proving his claim."

The boys trembled when they heard these ominous works. A ride to Pilot
Knob meant death to Tom Percival at any rate, and perhaps to his friend
Rodney also. This was the darkest prospect yet, and it looked still
darker when the lamp had, been lighted, and its rays fell upon the set,
determined faces of the armed men who, with heavy shot-guns, covered all
the avenues of escape. Rodney thought they must be men who had suffered
at the hands of their secession neighbors, for they looked as savage as
Mr. Truman had acted a while before.

"Which is the traitor?" demanded the largest man in the party, who
seemed to be the leader.

"Neither one," replied Tom, settling back in the chair from which he had
arisen when the men first appeared.

"Which one is Union then, if that suits you better?" was the ne