regard to any possible enemy. Confederate troops had been reported from several different directions by those who had occasion to travel about the State. As

Bowling Green, as regiments from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois began to reach this part of the State. It was possi

, where he had been a regular soldier, a hunter, a trapper, and voyageur. For some reason he had become a strong friend of Deck Lyon, who was never tired of listening to his stories of the re

t, and he sometimes laughed at his parents for giving him such a long name. Captain Gordon had had no little difficulty in inducing him to sign his name i

prosperous planter, and with him he had lived the last two years of his life. When he came to Riverlawn to enlist, he brought with him a long rifle, which was a l

been trained where his daily existence depended upon the accuracy of his aim. He could bring down a squirrel as far as he could see him; and he always insisted that the rifle had as much to do with the

em well, and spoke pleasantly to them. Deck was always respectful to him, and Life had taken a decided fancy to him. When the tall Kentuckian was ordered upon the scout, he took care that Dec

ves that his own watchfulness might not be impaired. The scouts were passing through what appeared to be a plantation, though they cou

e discovered the glare of the firs

ox. "Don't tell the neighbors abo

near us," replied Deck in a low tone. "But t

e, that we are coming. By the light of the fire

ody of the squadron, was heard, though the scouts were half a mile distant. The building of the fire was possibly

d Life, as he was trying to connect the fire and the firing in a reasona

coming out of a cornfield at the side of the r

to," replied Deck, wh

d the negro, whose surprise seemed to hav

ld you we were soldiers," added Deck. "Do yo

soldiers, which side was you on?

?" asked Knox,

he house we saw in the distance. I thought he could tell me bette

e right

h side we are on before he

catch Life Knox on any other side, you'll catch a coon asleep," replied the sergeant,

earnestly enough for a camp-meeting. "Dey is a hull regiment of Sesh sodgers ober d

ort what the negro said to Major Lyon. He was directed to move slowly after he had gone the eighth of a mi

re for, Cato?" asked Knox, as

an, pointing in the direction in which the struct

on't they bu

business at de ma

siness have th

dey's gwine to hang Mars'r Barkland to one ob dem trees, if he don't tell wha

e house, or near it, Cato?" a

count si

e hung to a tree. Scouts, attention,

the stalks that remained to obstruct the passage of the squad. The fire was at the edge of a grove, on ground slightly elevated, and not far in the rear of th

the house!" exclaimed the sergeant, as he b

men in our county," said Deck, "and I do

"They can't see us yet, and I think we had bett

here's a knoll over on the r

position behind it, where they can't see us," replied Knox, as

s light on the road leading from the house to the grove. A group of men could be seen approaching the elevation where the fire burned. They moved very slowly, and appeared to have

as he could on foot. He evidently belonged on the plantation, and knew all about the nature of the affair

e doing there, Cato?" he asked, whe

ber to de tree, whar dey will h

ster has plen

he neber tole me

men who came to the man

. Cap'n Tites is out at bof elbows, and a

they said when they

s'r, 'cause I waits on de tab

ad supper at

dey eat more'n twenty men, and done dri

spoke of drink whisk

skey, but he don't want to gib 'em any money. Cap'n Tites tell him he done got million money; but

e changed his position so that he could get a better view of the scene of

r matters relating to the locality. Knox was a strategist in a small way, as he had been obliged to be in

t, Deck; but we don't want to stir 'em up just yet. You will take Owens and Fox, and ride round to that road Cato tells about, and I will

e road, which was simply a driveway over the plantation, and soon reached the house. He was galloping his steed; but when he came to the hous