"You are a big fellow; did you ever fire a gun?" asked the planter. "Yes, sar; Cunnel Lyon done send me often to shoot some ducks for de dinner." "Are you a good shot?" "De boys say I am," answered General modestly. "I done bring down tree quails out'n five on de wing, mars'r." "Did you ever fire a rifle?" "Yes, sar; Christmas time mars'r cunnel lend us his two rifles to shoot at a mark for a prize ob half a dollar; dis nigger won de prize," replied General, with a magnificent exhibition of ivory. "Are you willing to fight for your master?" demanded Colonel Belthorpe sharply, as though he expected a negative response to the question. "Yes, sar!" answered General with more energy than he had spoken before. "Ready to be killed for Mars'r Lyon; an' so's all de boys on de place." "You will do," added the planter, as he handed him a breech-loader and a small package of ammunition. "Do you know how to use this piece?" "Yes, sar; seen 'em before," replied the boatman, as he took the weapon and retired. With the boys there were seven white men present, and each one of them had examined a servant in regard to his qualifications. The questions were similar, though not the same as those put by Colonel Belthorpe; and it appeared that all of them were more or less familiar with the use of firearms, for they were the best informed and most reliable hands on the estate. They were all provided with breech-loaders and cartridges. General and Dummy were sent with weapons to Rosebud and Mose at the bridge, and ordered to remain there; but they were not to fire upon the ruffians. "Now we have a force of twenty-two men," said Colonel Belthorpe. "I don't know about these recruits with black faces, and I have my doubts about making soldiers of them. Fall in, and we will march up to the bridge." All the white men were armed with revolvers as well as rifles. The men did not "fall in" in the military sense of the term, but simply followed their leader, as the experienced soldier, who had rendered most of his active service in fighting the Indians, was tacitly recognized to be. "Don't you think we had better put out the lights in the fort, Colonel Belthorpe?" asked Levi. "By no means. I have had fighting enough with cut-throat Indians to satisfy my tastes in that direction, and I am not anxious for any more of it," replied the planter. "Let the building remain lighted, and it will assure the ruffians that you are awake over here. If they will about wheel and go off, that will suit me better than a fight with them." "Just my sentiments, Colonel," added Major Lyon. "The creek is about fifty feet wide by the bridge," said Colonel Cosgrove. "It widens at its mouth to about a hundred. Is there any way by which the ruffians can get over at your boat-pier?" "Without a boat there is no way to get across," replied Levi. "They must come across the bridge if they come at all."