"While I was resting I saw three lights off to the south of me, and then I knew I was near that road. I could make out about half a dozen men or boys there, and I watched them for some time. I concluded that they were up to some mischief, and in my interest I forgot how late it was getting. I was possessed to know what iniquity was going on there, and I hauled the canoe up to the shore and made the painter fast to a bush. I landed, and made my way as near to the road as I dared to go. The ground was low, and covered with clumps of bushes, so I had no difficulty in hiding myself till I was within twenty feet of the party. "I could hear every word they said; and the man who was bossing the job, whatever it was, satisfied me that he was Uncle Titus." "Uncle Titus!" exclaimed Deck, ceasing to row in his astonishment. "Not the least doubt of it; and more than this, I soon recognized the tones of Sandy and Orly; but I don't know who the other three were." "But what were they doing?" asked Deck, absorbed in the narrative. "You have stopped rowing, Deck, and we shall never get there at this rate." The stroke oarsman turned his body so that he could change hands at the handle of the oar, and then resumed pulling. "Well, this was an adventure; but you didn't tell me what they were doing," added Deck. "I will tell you all about it, but don't stop rowing, or we shall not get home before midnight, and father will give us a lecture for being out late at night. The men were handling a lot of boxes. Some of them were long enough to hold coffins, and I wondered if they hadn't been killing Union men, and were getting rid of the bodies. Then they brought out a lot of haypoles or hand-barrows from the two big wagons in the road. I saw them put one of the boxes on the poles or barrow, and move towards the creek. I thought it was about time for me to be leaving, for I believed they would kill me if they caught me." "They wouldn't have let you off with a whole skin, anyhow," said Deck. "Do you suppose the boxes contained bodies, Artie?" "Hold on till I come to it, and I will tell you all about it," replied the narrator rather impatiently. "I wasn't safe where I was, and I crept back to the creek between the clumps of bushes without making a bit of noise on the soft ground. The box the first couple carried was heavy and the bushes were in their way, so that they could not get along very fast. As soon as I was out of hearing of the party, I ran with all my might." "I don't blame you for being in a hurry, for if Uncle Titus had got hold of you he would have made you see more stars then were in the sky just then. I wonder if they had been killing Union men. The Seceshers have done that thing in this State. A Union man was murdered in his own house not far from here." "Dry up, Deck, or I shall never get through with my story!" exclaimed Artie, who did not relish these repeated interruptions. "Go on, Artie; I won't say another word," Deck promptly promised.