The next day I took out a squad of six men on a road leading to the north-west. Two miles out I came to a cross-road leading down to Pearl River. Near the corners stood a dwelling-house, and in the yard lay a dead horse, which, from appearances, had been killed only a few minutes before. Riding into the yard, and reining up to the door of the house, I called the occupants out, who proved to be a widow lady and two daughters. I inquired how the horse came to be killed in her yard. At first she refused to tell. By threatening to burn her house, I succeeded in drawing out the information that a Federal soldier had been there but a few minutes, when a Confederate Colonel, an Adjutant, and a servant rode into the yard; the servant was mounted on a mule. The Federal soldier, seeing them, rushed out of the house and fired his piece at the Adjutant, and then rushed at the Colonel with his bayonet. The shot missed the Adjutant and killed his horse. The Colonel shot the soldier in the right arm and disabled him. The Adjutant left the servant to shift for himself, mounted the mule, and rode off with the Colonel toward Pearl River. They hurried their prisoner off as fast as he could go, without giving him time to tie up his wound. Having learned this, I said, "Come on, boys! we can outrun a mule, and perhaps we can catch them." Away we went, under full spur. A chase of a little over two miles brought us in sight of a dwelling-house, where, by the roadside, was hitched a horse and a mule, and sitting upon the porch was a Federal soldier. The Colonel and Adjutant had entered the house and called for a snack. The man of the house replied, "Really, Colonel, I should like to get you something to eat, but I am afraid the Yankees will be upon you before my servants can get it ready." [Illustration: SURRENDER, OR I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE.] "No they won't; they are afraid of me. The cowardly sons of b----s dasn't follow me! I've got one of them now; if they come I'll get some more."