I can. This talk seemed to exasperate him more than ever, and
regaining his revolver, he swore that he would shoot the d--d Yankee any
way. Said I, "Dick, if Captain Tidwell will let me take his revolver, I
will step out here and shoot with you for a while, and see who is the best
shot; for I had about as soon die here, as to be a prisoner much longer."

Lieutenant Leatherwood finally ordered him to put up his pistol or he
would put him under arrest. He then subsided, but was grouty all the
balance of the day. That evening we came to a school house in the woods,
and concluded to stay there all night.

Gathering up some dry wood we soon had a roaring fire going in the large
open fire place, and as we had been supplied with two days rations we ate
our supper, and then lighting our pipes, enjoyed ourselves just as though
we all belonged to the same army. I got even Dick Hancock in good humor,
by telling stories, and with Captain Alban, who was a good singer,
treating them to the "Red, White and Blue," the "Star Spangled Banner,"
and "Rally 'Round the Flag."

When we came to the line, "And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we
love the best," they fairly made the woods ring with applause.

Before bed time, Dick Hancock came up to me and apologized for his
rudeness to me that afternoon, saying, "You are a d--d good fellow,
anyway, and I don't care a d--n how quick you get away after I turn you
over to the guard at Franklin." I asked him to caution the boys against
saying anything at Franklin about our attempted escape, and he promised to
do so.

We laughed, sang, swapped funny stories, and cracked jokes until 10
o'clock, and a stranger going by would not have mistrusted that there were
any heavy hearts in that crowd of boisterous soldiers.

At 10 o'clock the door was securely fastened, one of the guard spreading
his blanket and lying down against it, and Dick and the Lieutenant took
the precaution to have Alban and myself sleep between them.

About two o'clock the next morning, I awoke and asked to have a guard sent
out of the house with me, and Captain Alban said he guessed he would go
too.

I was in hopes the Lieutenant would send young Johnson with us, but Dick
Hancock had not forgotten what transpired the day before, and said he
would go along with the guard.

He was mistrustful of young Johnson, and rightfully so, for had we went
out with him alone we would both have got into the woods and taken his gun
a