pleasing fact that we would once more present to Commodore Barney the
miserable renegade.

Darius soon learned that it would not be well to prolong his halt; we
could see the soldiers pointing toward the thicket in which we were
hidden, as if suggesting it as a pleasant camping place when the day
was so hot as to bring perspiration to a negro's face, and a few
moments later some of the lighter boats were pushed out from the
shore.

"I reckon it's time for us to make a move," Darius said as he arose to
his feet lazily. "We may as well be movin' toward the canoe, though I
had counted on stoppin' here till it was a bit cooler."

According to my way of thinking we had no more than time enough in
which to get away, for now at least an hundred soldiers were coming
across, and in case we were discovered lurking amid the underbrush
there would be such a hue and cry that we could not hope to escape.

Darius, however, would not move one whit more quickly because of my
urging; in fact, it seemed much as if he walked the slower to test my
nerves, and instead of parleying with him further, Jerry and I went
ahead at full speed, having due care, of course, to caution.

It pleased me when the old man was obliged to quicken his pace to a
run, for before we were well out of the thicket the foremost of the
boats had gained the shore.

We pressed on rapidly until coming to where our canoe was hidden, and
there we halted, not wanting to embark until Elias had had plenty of
time in which to get well up the river, for, to me at least, his
recapture was more important than the task of carrying information to
the commanding officer.

Lying within the shade of the trees, and so far up river that we could
neither see nor hear the swarm of soldiers which had lighted upon
Benedict, we took things easy for a couple of hours, keeping sharp
watch, however, to make certain that no craft passed us, and then
Darius gave the word to get under way.

By this time it was night, but the young moon and the stars in a
cloudless sky, lighted up the water-way clearly, and we had no fear
that Macomber could give us the slip, unless he returned by land.

We paddled leisurely, for our news was not of such a nature that an
hour or two sooner or later would make a difference so far as
Commodore Barney's plans were concerned, and had gotten such a
distance on our journey that I began to fear the traitor had struck
across the country, when we hove him in vie