l lead us directly to Bob's
headquarters."

He was not mistaken, for before they had ridden a mile into the woods,
they emerged into a clearing, in the midst of which stood a small
log-house and stable.

Instead of windows, the hut had stout plank shutters, which prevented
any one from looking in, even if they did prevent the occupants from
gazing out, and the door had more the appearance of having been made to
resist an attack than simply to keep the wind or cold out.

The stable was in keeping with the hut, so far as an appearance of
solidity went; and as its one door was closely shut, with no bars or
locks on the outside, one could fancy that when it was occupied, a guard
remained on the inside, where the fastenings of the door evidently were.

"I guess we have got here too soon," said Ralph, as George stopped the
horses in front of the hut, without any signs of life having been seen.

"There is a smoke from the chimney," said George, as he pointed to the
clumsy affair of mud and sticks from which a thin, blue curl of smoke
could be dimly seen, "and if they are ready to let us in, we shall soon
see some one."

The two sat patiently in the carriage several moments, and at the end of
that time the door of the hut was opened by a young man standing in the
doorway, to whom George said:

"Well, Dick, hasn't Bob got here yet?"

"Yes, he's here; but we didn't open the door at first because we were
not sure but that you had been followed." Then turning toward the barn,
the young man shouted, "Come out here, Pete, and take care of these
horses!"

In response to this demand the stable door was opened as cautiously as
if the man behind it feared a dozen were ready to pounce upon him, and
then, much as if he were unfolding himself, a tall negro came out,
leading the horses away without speaking, almost before Ralph and George
had time to leap to the ground.

"Get into the hut as quickly as possible," George said to Ralph; and as
the three entered, the door was securely barred behind them with two
heavy beams that would have resisted almost any ordinary force that
might have been used against them.

The hut boasted of but one room, in which were to be seen piles of
blankets that had evidently been used as beds, cooking utensils,
provisions, sheets of tin, tools such as are used by tinsmiths, and, in
fact, as varied an assortment of goods as could well have been gathered
into so small a compass.

In one corner of t