Life Knox was a good-hearted man; but there was a sort of inborn aristocracy in him which would not permit him to associate intimately with all his comrades in the ranks, though he treated them well, and spoke pleasantly to them. Deck was always respectful to him, and Life had taken a decided fancy to him. When the tall Kentuckian was ordered upon the scout, he took care that Deck should be one of the party. They had ridden together all the afternoon, and Life had made the time seem short to the young man by relating all the details of a fight with a party of Indians. As the darkness of the evening came on, Life ordered his men to keep a sharp lookout on all sides, and suspended his thrilling narratives that his own watchfulness might not be impaired. The scouts were passing through what appeared to be a plantation, though they could not yet see any buildings. Suddenly the light of a fire flashed up at a considerable distance to the right of the scouts in the road. "A fire, Life!" shouted Deck, as he discovered the glare of the first flame that rose in the darkness. "Hush, little one!" interposed Knox. "Don't tell the neighbors about it, for it might astonish them." "I don't believe there are any neighbors very near us," replied Deck in a low tone. "But there is something going on in this vicinity." "We won't tell 'em, whoever's at work round here, that we are coming. By the light of the fire I can see a mansion or farmhouse over yonder." As he spoke, the report of the half-a-dozen muskets, more or less, that had attracted the attention of the main body of the squadron, was heard, though the scouts were half a mile distant. The building of the fire was possibly a signal for the discharge which had so soon followed it; but no other connection could be suggested between them. "One man can always do better in lookin' inter things than a dozen," said Life, as he was trying to connect the fire and the firing in a reasonable manner. "Ride over towards that fire, Deck, and see what you can see." "Be you uns soldiers, Mars'r?" asked a negro, coming out of a cornfield at the side of the road, where the stalks had concealed his coming. "Of course we are, Cato," replied Deck, who was nearest to him. "Who done tole you my name, Mars'r?" asked the negro, whose surprise seemed to have driven everything else out of his head. "I guessed at it. But what do you want? I told you we were soldiers," added Deck. "Do you come from that house beyond the cornfield?" "Yes, Mars'r; but if you uns is soldiers, which side was you on?" inquired Cato very cautiously. "Not gone, Deck?" asked Knox, riding up to him. "This contraband has just come out of the field, and belongs to the house we saw in the distance. I thought he could tell me better than I could see for myself what is going on here," replied Deck. "You are right, Deck." "But he wants to know which side we are on before he says anything," added Deck.