back, breathing hard
from the excess of his fury, he worked the hammer of his gun back and
forth in a way that was enough to chill one's blood.

"You'll be sorry for this and quite willing to acknowledge it," was what
Tom said in reply. "We don't want to go back for we have had trouble
enough getting here; but since we must, I hope--"

Tom did not have time to say what, for while everybody's gaze was
directed toward him, and no one thought of giving a look outside to see
that all was right there, a couple of new actors appeared upon the
scene, glided into the room off the porch as quickly and almost as
silently as spirits. They were Confederate officers in full uniform, and
each one carried a drawn sword in his hand. At the same moment two
windows on opposite sides of the room were shivered into fragments, the
curtains were jerked down and the black muzzles of a dozen carbines were
thrust in. It was like a thunder-bolt from a clear sky, and it was all
done so quickly that no one had a chance to move. The five Union men
were as powerless for resistance as though they had held straws instead
of loaded guns in their hands.

"Don't move an eye-lash," said the older of the two officers, lifting
his cap and bowing to Mrs. Truman. "No explanation is necessary, for we
understand the situation perfectly." And to the infinite amazement of
the two boys, though not much to the surprise of the other occupants of
the room, the speaker, when he put his cap on his head again, turned
toward Rodney and Tom and gave them a military salute.

"What do you think of that, Mr. Truman?" said the leader of the Union
men, whose courage did not desert him even if his face did change color.
"Are you satisfied now that these are not the Union boys they pretended
to be?"

"I am," answered Mr. Truman, while his wife looked daggers at them. "If
they are not Secesh, how does it come that their friends recognize them
so quickly? I suppose you are Price's men?" he added, turning to the
officer.

"Lieutenant, send in two or three fellows to take these guns and sound
the prisoners. Yes, sir, we belong to Price."

"And you came here expecting to find these two boys?"

"Right again," answered the officer. "If we hadn't known they were here
we shouldn't have come."

Of all the occupants of the room there were none so thoroughly
bewildered and dazed as Tom and Rodney were. Was the officer telling the
truth or cooking up a story for reasons of his ow