“My eldest brother has gone to join the younger.” “Then it is the third we want. Hand him over. Where is he?” “Lying in our little graveyard,” Lettice answered brokenly, “slain by one of your bullets. He who had never done wrong to friend or enemy lies there.” She covered her face with her hands, and sobs shook her. The man was silent for a moment; then he said more gently: “My dear young lady, we had what we supposed to be reliable information on the subject of our deserter. One of your own men told us we should find him here.” Lutie gave a smothered exclamation, and Lettice, dropping her hands from her tear-stained face, said, “Could you point him out to me?” She would have her brother Tom get as far on his way as possible; it was policy to detain these men, and she would know who was this snake in the grass. “Yes; I think there would be no difficulty in identifying him,” replied the man. “Go out, Clarke, and see if you can find the fellow. Bring him in here, and see what he will say when confronted by his mistress. If the fellow lied--” The click of a trigger told what would happen. Lettice with bowed head waited results. Lutie, trembling in every limb, cast scared glances at her mistress. In a few minutes was heard the tread of the returning soldier, and Lutie fell on her knees, clasping Lettice’s skirt. “Spare him, Miss Letty, spare him,” she murmured. “Get up, wench,” cried one of the men. “Let your mistress alone. See here, captain, she’s not a bad-looking jade. I’ll help myself to her, by your leave, and ship her to my wife.” Lutie leaped to her feet and rushed toward the in-coming figures of Jubal and his guard. Jubal, with dogged expression, came slinking in behind the soldier. “Found him easy enough,” said the latter. “Here, get out of the way, girl.” He gave Lutie a kick. “Save me! Save me, Jubal!” Lutie wailed. “Dey gwine sen’ me off, an’ I nuvver come back no mo’. Oh, save me, Jubal!” “Shut up,” cried the captain. “Here, boy, didn’t you tell us there was a deserter around here somewhere?” “Ya-as suh, I--I--done said so,” Jubal stammered. “Well, where is he? This lady protests that he is not here.” Jubal rolled his eyes upon his mistress, and then, with chattering teeth, said, “He were here, suh.” “Jubal,” said Lettice, solemnly, “do you mean your Marster Tom?” Jubal looked from one side to the other. “I didn’ know hit were Mars Torm, in de fus’ place, Miss Letty, an’ when I fins dat out, I skeered to say nobody heah. Beside dat, Mars Torm gimme a whuppin’ oncet.” “And you deserved it,” cried his mistress. “You ham-strung his colt because the creature kicked you when you were stealing a ride on him, and you deserved worse than a whipping. You always were a bad fellow, Jubal. I wonder that father did not sell you long ago. I would to Heaven he had!” “Then your man spoke the truth. There was a deserter here,” said the captain, turning to Lettice.