"From being shot and drowned and killed. Oh, I solemnly swear that I will never have anything more to do with this soldier business. It is only run, run, from beginning to end, and then plunging head first into a muddy stream. Oh, I'll quit it, I'll quit it. Heaven forgive me, Uncle Dan!" he cried vehemently. "This is sorry business, Diggs. What war ye doing?" said Uncle Dan seriously. "Running for my life," answered Diggs. "Get up, Diggs," said the old scout solemnly. The little fellow arose, looking more like a school-boy who was going to be thrashed. "Diggs," said the old man, and there was not the slightest tinge of jest in his tones, "what war ye doing with the rebels?" "If you please, sir,--hem, hem--" began Diggs, greatly confused, turning pale as death and beginning to tremble, "I--I--was taken prisoner with these two gentlemen," pointing to Corporal Grimm and Sergeant Swords. "No, you were not," said both at once. "We were never taken prisoners." "Oh, I beg your pardon--hem, hem!--gentlemen, please hear me through, and I can explain all this to you. I was taken prisoner by the rebels one night, when I went out with these two gentlemen, and they--hem, hem!--I mean the rebels, kept me for a long time until they made me go with them to-day, and you found me with them." "Do you mean to say that ye have been a prisoner all this time?" asked Sergeant Swords. "Yes," said Diggs, after a moment's hesitation. "Then what was ye doing with a gun in yer hand, when we come on ye and the others?" said Corporal Grimm. "You are mistaken, it was some one else," said Diggs, becoming confused. "No, I am not. We all saw you throw it away and run with the rest," said the Corporal. "Well, it was one I had just picked up. I was tryin' to escape, when you came up, and I ran with the rest." "But here ye are with the cartridge-box belted around you," said the Sergeant, "and you have the gray uniform on." Diggs was too much confused to reply, and his eyes dropped under the searching glance of the soldiers. "Diggs," said the old scout, with great earnestness in his tones, "I'm afraid it will go hard with you. You are a deserter and a spy. It's sorry business, Diggs." "O, Uncle Dan, Uncle Dan, promise me you will not let me be hurt!" cried Diggs. "Come along. You shall be treated as a prisoner of war, but I can't say what a court martial may do about your desertion." "O, Uncle Dan, you wont let them shoot me, will you? Say you won't, and I'll do anything in the world you want me to do. I'll enlist in your army and fight on half rations." "You've 'listed a little too much already," said Uncle Dan. "This tryin' to sarve two masters won't do." "Oh, you surely would not let me be killed. Oh, promise me, you will not let them take me out and shoot me." Poor Diggs broke down and sobbed like a whipped school-boy. "Hush up blubberin'. Be a man, if ye've got any manhood about ye, and come along."