"Then he is a sensible nigger. Of course we uns belong on the Union side; and when you catch Life Knox on any other side, you'll catch a coon asleep," replied the sergeant, decidedly enough to satisfy any doubtful person. "What's gwine on at that fire, Minky?" "Bress de Lod if you was Union sodgers! and my name is Cato!" exclaimed the visitor, earnestly enough for a camp-meeting. "Dey is a hull regiment of Sesh sodgers ober dar!" he added, pointing in the direction from which the report of the firing had come. Without waiting for any further information, Knox called Lane, one of the scouts, and sent him back to report what the negro said to Major Lyon. He was directed to move slowly after he had gone the eighth of a mile; for the enemy were at some point on the right of the road, and he would get a shot if he disturbed them. "What are the Sesh soldiers here for, Cato?" asked Knox, as soon as his messenger had gone. "Gwine to burn de bridge ober dar," replied the man, pointing in the direction in which the structure had been made out in the gloom of the evening. "Well, why don't they burn it, then?" "Dey done got oder business at de mansion-house, sar." "What other business have they got there?" "I reckon de story's as long as Uncle Zeke's sarmints; but de fust thing is, dey's gwine to hang Mars'r Barkland to one ob dem trees, if he don't tell whar he hide his money," answered Cato, as he gave a hurried glance at the fire. "How many men are there at the house, or near it, Cato?" asked Knox with deep interest. "I done count six on 'em." "Then we won't allow a Union man to be hung to a tree. Scouts, attention, march!" called the sergeant hurriedly. With this order, Life dashed into the cornfield, closely followed by Deck and the others. The harvest had been gathered in the field, and there was nothing but the stalks that remained to obstruct the passage of the squad. The fire was at the edge of a grove, on ground slightly elevated, and not far in the rear of the mansion, which could now be distinctly seen. In approaching it, the cavalrymen came to a spot less elevated than the grove, where Knox halted to reconnoitre. "There's a lot of the villains coming from the house!" exclaimed the sergeant, as he brought his horse to a full stop all at once. "They have about finished hanging Union men in our county," said Deck, "and I don't believe they will hang this one here." "You can bet your horse they won't," added Life. "They can't see us yet, and I think we had better fix things a little before we begin business." "We obey orders, Sergeant. There's a knoll over on the right covered over with trees." "I was looking at that; and we will move over there, and take a position behind it, where they can't see us," replied Knox, as he led the way through a hollow, which brought the party to it.