ich lay several of them low. They were virtually
outlaws, and knew it, and lost no time in getting out of sight.

"Halt!" shouted the Federal colonel as he rode up across the lawn, and
one after another the companies behind him stopped in their march. Then
the Northerner came closer to Jack and the others of the Home Guard.

"What's the matter here? What does this mean?"

Jack gazed up into the face of the Federal colonel and saw that it was
an unusually kindly one. "We are defending this home, sir; that's all. I
reckon those fellows who just ran off wanted to ransack it."

"The scoundrels! I've been after them twice before. Was anybody hurt?"

"No, sir."

"You are a young Confederate, I presume?"

"I am the captain of these boys. We call ourselves the Home Guard. We
wish to protect our homes, that's all."

At this the face of the colonel broke out into a warm smile.

"You do yourself credit, my lad. You could not do better than protect
your homes and your mothers and sisters. Whose place is this?"

"Mrs. Alice Ruthven's."

"Did the Confederate battery just retreat past here?"

"I cannot answer that question, sir."

"Well, it doesn't matter much. We have got them on the run, and that was
all we wanted for the present."

"I hope you don't intend to do anything to this place," went on Jack
anxiously. "It is private property, and, besides, we have six wounded
men here, in charge of a surgeon."

"An officer who is a gentleman always respects private property," was
the grave answer. "As long as you do nothing treacherous, you have
nothing to fear from me or my men." And so speaking, the colonel rode
back to the road.

"A fine-looking man, and a gentleman, if ever there was one," thought
Jack. "What a difference between him and that fellow who threatened me
with his sword!"

"Will they come back, Jack?" asked Mrs. Ruthven, as she came outside.

"I don't know, mother. But the officer said we had nothing to fear."

"He looked like an honest gentleman."

"So I thought. How are those wounded men making out?"

"One is already dead, poor fellow. But the surgeon has hopes of the
others."

"Is Marion helping the doctor?"

"Yes. I want her to come away from the awful sights, but she will not.
Jack, she is almost as brave as you are!"

"Pooh! I'm not so brave, mother."

"Yes, you are. Why, that rascal was going to run you through with his
sword!"

"Dat he was," put in Old Ben. "But let me tell yo' sumt'