"Did he say anything about coming back?" "He dun tole missus he would be back in about two houhs." "You are telling me the truth? Remember, if you lie to me it may cost you your life." "I'se tole yo' de truf, Cap'n--deed I has," answered Sam, earnestly. He was still so scared he could scarcely speak. "I will soon find out. I am glad to see you have rubbed down my horse. Now saddle him as quick as you can." "Yes, sah." The negro sprang to work, and as he moved around Artie continued to keep him covered with the gun. In a few minutes the horse was ready for use, and then the young captain made the slave bring out one of Colonel Dick Bradner's animals likewise. Both were taken to a rear doorway, out of sight of the mansion. "Now get up there and come along with me," said Artie, as he hopped into the saddle. "And no treachery." "Whar yo' gwine ter take me, Cap'n?" "To the Union camp, so that you can't give your master the alarm. Do what I want you to do, and you will suffer no harm. In the sitting room you were only obeying your master's orders, so I shan't blame you for that." At these words Sam was evidently much relieved, and he consented to show the way by a back path to the side road. With the negro in front of him, Artie put spurs to his steed, and soon gained the fork where he had separated from Life Knox. He found the captain of the seventh company taking it easy under the thick shelter of a clump of trees and some brush. "Well, Captain, you've been a long time getting back," he remarked, as he gazed questioning at Artie with the gun and then at the negro. "Had some adventure, I reckon?" "That's it, Life, and there is no time to waste in giving particulars. I wonder how near the nearest troops are?" "A company of mounted infantry passed this place less than five minutes ago." "Can we overtake them, do you think?" "I don't see why not. They weren't moving fast. They had struck the wrong road, and thought some of going back." "We must bring them back. Come on!" and away went the captain, with Sam beside him and Life Knox just in advance. As they progressed, Artie told his tale, to which the tall Kentuckian listened closely. "You are right," he said, when Artie had concluded. "We must capture this Gossley by all means; and it will be as well to put a guard over the mansion and place Colonel Bradner and his wildcat of a wife under military arrest. There is no telling how much harm that couple has been doing the Union cause." Through the rain they soon discerned the company of mounted infantry returning, having found the mud and quicksands too much for the horses. They were a body of Michigan men, under the command of Captain Allen Fordick.