“They must be some rebel recruits!” was the thought which flashed through Louis’s mind. For a moment he allowed his horse to stand still. Then he wheeled about, dashed out of the rear doors of the tobacco house, and entered a small thicket five hundred feet away. By the time he had tethered Jess and come down to the edge of the thicket once more, the company of strange soldiers had entered the tobacco house, and having broken ranks, were stamping around shaking off the rain. He wondered if he had been seen, but as no effort was made to trace him, he concluded that he had gotten away without being noticed. The rain was now coming down more furiously than ever and Louis was quite content to keep off the exposed highway until the storm should abate. As he waited his curiosity arose concerning the strange body of men, and at length, at the risk of being discovered and subjected to harsh criticism, if not to rough handling, he left the thicket and approached the tobacco house from the south side. Here there was no regular opening, but several boards were loose, and through the cracks he could plainly hear and see all that was taking place within. “Drillin’ to-day didn’t last long,” he heard a soldier close to him remark. “But I reckon it doesn’t matter much--we’ve got the movements down pretty fine.” “You’re right, Higwin,” came from a comrade. “Captain Pickering knows how to put the fellows through and no mistake.” “I wonder how long it will be before we’re called on to go to war,” said a third soldier. “I’m tired of this drilling in secret. I wish we could get at the dirty Yankees--we’ll teach ’em a lesson.” “It won’t be long now, Gosby--with South Carolina seceded. Virginia and North Carolina and the rest will follow in short order, and then the North will have to fight, or give up the reins at Washington.” “I understand our leaders intend to seize all the forts along the coast,” added another man. “’Twill be a good job done, to my way of thinking.” “We ought to seize the arsenals, too,” put in the first soldier who had spoken. “If we--Hi, what’s up outside?” He broke off short, and in company with his companions made a rush for the open doorway, there to behold two of the company in full pursuit of Louis, who was making his way back to the thicket with a speed which would have done credit to a professional runner. The youth had been somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the men. But he had had time enough to back away and run, and he was still thirty yards in advance when the first belt of timber was gained. “Halt, or I’ll fire!” called out one of the men. His gun was not loaded, but he thought the threat would be sufficient to bring the youth to a stop. But Louis kept on; and in a moment the thicket hid him from view.