"What brought you here, Deck Lyon? Who sent you here to interfere with my business?" demanded Captain Titus, confronting his nephew with a savage frown. "We shall not allow any such business as this," answered Deck, who was not at all inclined to parley with the captain of the late Home Guards, now in the service of the Confederacy. "You and those with you will consider yourselves as prisoners of war." "Prisoners of war!" exclaimed Captain Titus. "I reckon we ain't nothin' of the sort. Do you mean to take six on us with only three?" "We shall not take the trouble to count your numbers. Mr. Barkland, you can return to your house, for your wife and daughter are very anxious about you. I hope you have not been injured, sir." "Only in my nerves," replied the planter, as he started for his mansion. At this moment Knox and his three men dashed upon the scene, to the great astonishment of Captain Titus. "Well, Deck, is the business finished?" asked the sergeant, as he reined up his steed. "We had to go about two miles to get here, and that is what made it so late." Deck reported what had happened so far. The man who had dropped so heavily on the ground was not killed; but he was bleeding from a wound in the side of the head, and the ball had only stunned him. The other man, with a bullet through his arm, was worse off. "This man who is in command of the company is my uncle, Captain Titus," said Deck in a low voice to the sergeant. "What! Major Lyon's brother?" exclaimed Life. "I have heard all about him, and he is a pesky troublesome fellow." "I don't want anything more to do with him, Life, and I wish you would dispose of him," added Deck. "Do you want me to kill him? I can't do that; for"-- "Nothing of the sort!" interposed the nephew warmly. "Of course I don't want you to do anything of the sort." "We have six prisoners of war, and we will march them down to the main body," added Knox. The sergeant proceeded to form his prisoners in a single rank; but Captain Titus appeared to have brought all his obstinacy and unreasonableness with him, and he refused to take the place assigned to him. "Where are you going?" demanded the prisoner, as though he still ruled the roost, as he had doubtless done in his company. "None of your business where we are going," replied the sergeant. "If you don't take your place I shall put you into it." "This thing won't last long, for my company will take a hand in the business in the morning, and a battalion of Texan cavalry will make it warm for you." "We are not talking about your company or any Texan cavalry. Will you take your place in the line? That's the only question you have got to settle," returned Knox. "I won't take any place!" replied the captain with a volley of oaths. "Swear not at all, my man," continued Life, as he seized the rebellious prisoner by the back of his coat collar, lifted him clear of the ground, and then brought him down in the place assigned to him. "Stay there!"