him, and his hands were tied behind him with a knapsack strap, in spite
of his best exertions to shake them off.

"I told you he would be a hard customer," said one, who had not before
spoken.

"Shut up, you ninny! You'll blow the whole of us. No fellow is to speak
but--you know whom," said he with the assumed voice.

Richard tried to obtain, in the thick darkness that shrouded them, some
clew which would enable him to identify the ruffians; but he could not
make out any thing peculiar in their form or motions to guide him, and
he was equally at fault in regard to the voices. He stood quiet when he
found that resistance was useless; but he determined to keep a sharp
lookout for an opportunity to release himself from his mortifying
situation.

"Now, you----"

"My name is Dobbin," added the false voice.

Richard did not remember any such name, though he had heard the roll
called in all the companies, and he concluded that it was a "blind," to
deceive him.

"Now, Dobbin, take him off, and we will settle the case in the woods."

"Lead the way, Kennedy, and we will follow; but be careful and not make
a noise."

"Hush!" said Dobbin; "somebody is coming."

"Grand rounds!" added Kennedy. "Hurry him off as quick as you can.
Stuff a handkerchief in his mouth; choke him if he attempts to cry
out."

"But they will miss him," suggested Dobbin, "and then there will be a
row and a search."

"Off with him! Off with him! We shall all get caught," whispered
Kennedy. "I will take his gun, and keep guard."

Richard was literally dragged from the spot, and the fellow who called
himself Kennedy--though that was not his name--took the musket of the
defeated sentinel, and began to travel his beat as regularly as though
he had been duly detailed.

"Who comes there?" demanded he, as the officer of the day, attended by
a sergeant and two men, approached his beat.

"Grand rounds," replied the sergeant.

"Halt, grand rounds! Advance, sergeant, with the countersign."

The sergeant advanced to give the countersign, without discovering that
he had been challenged by the wrong man.

"_Bennington_" said the sergeant, giving the word appointed for the
night.

"Advance, rounds!" added Kennedy, as he placed himself in the proper
position.

The officer of the day passed on with his attendants, and as soon as
the ceremony had been repeated with the next sentinel, Kennedy threw
the musket upon the ground, and followed his companion