"The village is just the counterpart of Greeltop; for Hasbrook and I laid it out together. You can see his mansion on the top of the hill. The square is on the level in front of it, with the houses all around it." "Then perhaps they are burning these houses," suggested the major. "I think not. There is not volume enough in the blaze for a burning house, much less for several of them." "And where is the road by which the guerillas will or have arrived at the place?" "It comes in on the east end of Plain Hill, behind Hasbrook's house. I think they would burn his mansion first; but they cannot approach it in the rear with horses. There are about thirty men in the Home Guard here, and there will be a fight before any houses are burned," said the colonel very decidedly. The column descended the hill from which the light of the fire had been seen, and dashed up another, which brought them into the village. Then it was ascertained that a bonfire was blazing in the square, and that the houses were all safe. "Who comes there?" demanded a man with a musket in his hand, as the company reached a broad avenue which appeared to be the principal street of the village. "Friends!" returned the major. "Who is it?" demanded the colonel. "Walkall," replied the man, who evidently recognized the magnate of Greeltop. "All right, Walkall; this is another company of United States cavalry. Where are the enemy?" "Behind Mr. Hasbrook's mansion. They have halted there; but we are all ready for them." "Where is the company of cavalry which must have arrived an hour or two since?" inquired the major. "I don't know just where the troopers are now; we turned over everything to Captain Truman, and he is managing the matter," replied Walkall. "He stationed me here to report if an enemy came in on the Greeltop road." Captain Gordon had been ordered to halt the company. Deck was sent with the sentinel to find the captain of the second company, and the first was to remain at the corner. They followed the road leading to the home of the magnate, which crossed the principal avenue of the village, and came to another, parallel to it, along the rear of the square. At this point they were challenged; and it could be seen by the light of the fire that sentinels were stationed all along this street. "Who comes there?" demanded the sentinel. "Messenger from the major of the squadron, directed to find Captain Truman." "Can't pass here," added the sentinel decidedly. "Where is Captain Truman?" asked Deck. "I don't know no more'n the dead." At this moment a trooper rode up, and recognized the messenger. "All right, Deck; you can pass, but the other man cannot," said the cavalryman, when he had stated his business. Deck thought the captain had adopted some singular strategy. CHAPTER XXXV SURROUNDED AND TOTALLY DEFEATED "What does all this mean, Withers?" asked Deck, as the trooper conducted him inside of the grounds of Mr. Hasbrook.