body was making his way up the logs.
Keeping his eyes fastened on the top, he saw a soldier climb up and seat
himself on the plate. He could see him very plainly against the light
background of the sky, and he recognized him at once. It was Bristow. He
was about to swing himself off when he discovered Bob standing beneath
him. He stopped, peered down into the darkness for a moment, and then
called out in a frightened whisper,

"Who is it?"

"It's all right," whispered Bob in reply; "come on."

"Who is it, I say?" repeated Bristow in still more earnest tones.

"Why, don't you know Dodd? Hand me your carbine."

"Oh!" said Bristow with a great sigh of relief. "It _is_ all right,
isn't it? Here you are."

Holding his carbine by the strap, Bristow passed it down to Bob, who
promptly slung it upon his back. The latter then pushed up his sleeves,
moved back a little from the stockade, and when Bristow swung himself
down by his hands and dropped lightly to the ground, Bob stepped up and
took him by the arm.

"I don't need any help," said Bristow, who had landed squarely on his
feet. "But I say, Dodd--"

"We'll talk about it as we go along," interrupted Bob. "But not a loud
word out of you, unless you want to be gagged."

"Why, good gracious, it's Owens!" gasped Bristow, reeling back against
the stockade. He did not ask what Bob was doing there or why he had
seized him, for he knew without asking.

"Yes, it is Owens, and the men you saw ride out of the gate with me this
afternoon are with me now. Here's one of them," added Bob as a soldier
named Loring stepped up and took his place in readiness to catch the
next deserter who came over the stockade.

Just then the sentry on the inside placed his mouth close to one of the
cracks between the logs and asked, in a cautious tone,

"How is it, Bristow? Is the coast clear?"

"All clear," replied Loring, speaking through the same crack. "Tell the
boys to hurry up; we've no time to waste."

If Bob's captive had any idea of attempting to escape or of alarming his
companions by crying out, he abandoned it very quickly when he saw the
soldiers that were stationed along the stockade. There was a trooper for
every deserter, and as fast as the man at the head of the line caught
one, another moved up and took his place.

"This bangs me!" said Bristow, in great disgust. "Now comes a
court-martial of course, and Goodness only knows what will come after
that--the guard-house and