want to fix up things about hum a little, and I'll jine ye down to the Gap
to-morrow."

"No you don't, Joe Burnap!" said the soldier, shaking his head.

"Then I'll jine ye to-night," suggested the strategist.

"My orders are not to return without you, and I shall obey them."

Mrs. Burnap, who had followed the soldier out of the house, stood behind
him wringing her hands in an agony of grief. She protested with all a
woman's eloquence against the proceedings of the soldier; but her tears
and her homely rhetoric were equally unavailing. While the parties were
confronting each other, the soldier dropped his piece, and listened to the
arguments of Joe and his wife. When he turned for a moment to listen to
the appeals of the woman, her husband improved the opportunity to commence
a retreat. He moved off steadily for a few paces, when the enemy
discovered the retrograde march, and again brought the gun to his
shoulder.

"None of that, Joe," said the soldier, sternly. "Now march back again, or
I'll shoot you;" and Tom heard the click of the hammer as he cocked the
piece. "I've fooled long enough with you, and we'll end this business
here. Come here, at once, or I'll put a bullet through your head."

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! For mercy's sake don't shoot," cried Mrs.
Burnap.

"I'll give him one minute to obey the order; if he don't do it then, I'll
fire. That's all I've got to say."

Tom saw by the soldier's manner that he intended to execute his threat. He
saw him brace up his nerves, and otherwise prepare himself for the bloody
deed. But Tom did not think that Joe had the stubbornness or the courage,
whichever it might be called, to run the risk of dodging the bullet. He
foresaw, too, that, if Joe gave himself up, his hiding place would be
exposed, and the soldier would have two prisoners to conduct back to his
officer, instead of one. It was therefore high time for him to do
something for his own protection, if not for that of his host.

The necessity of defending himself, or of doing something to cover his
retreat in an emergency, had been anticipated by Tom, and he had made such
preparations as the circumstances would admit. His first suggestion was to
dart his bayonet down at the rebel soldier, as he had seen the fishermen
of Pinchbrook harpoon a horse mackerel; but the chances of hitting the
mark were too uncertain to permit him to risk the loss of his only weapon,
and he rejected the plan. He adopted the met