The boy saluted gravely, all mischief gone from his face. “I do, sir,” he said. “But I'd a darn sight rather stay here and fight.” “You will be back in plenty of time to take a hand, my lad. Now, men,”--and I turned to the dark, expectant ring about me,--“this is no ordinary duty of your enlistment, and I wish no one to accompany me to-night who does not volunteer for the service. Seven Federal soldiers and four women, three of them Virginians, are attacked at the house we have just left by a large party of bushwhacking guerillas, the offscourings of hell. Every one of you knows what that means. Will you go with me to their rescue?” No one seemed anxious to be first to speak. I could see them look aside uneasily at one another. “Bungay,” I said, “I feel sure you will go, for your wife is there.” “Mariar?” “Yes; Miss Minor told me this afternoon, but I had forgotten to mention it.” The little man sprang into the air and came down with a whoop. “The bloody devils!” he cried excitedly. “Ye bet I'll go.” “Come, Sergeant, speak up; what do you men say?” “I like not to fight mit der Yankees,” he admitted candidly, “but der vomens, py Chiminy, dot vos anoder ting. I vill go, Captain; mein Gott, yaw.” “We 're with you, sir,” spoke voice after voice gravely around the dark circle, and then Sands added: “We'll show them thar Yanks how the Johnny Rebs kin fight, sir.” Ten minutes later Glen, bearing his two messages to the Blue and Gray, was speeding recklessly through the black night northward, while my little squad was moving cautiously back over the road we had so lately traversed. CHAPTER XXIX A MISSION FOR BEELZEBUB AS we picked our way slowly forward through the gloom I gleaned from Caton all he knew regarding the situation before us. My own knowledge of the environments of the Minor house helped me greatly to appreciate the difficulties to be surmounted. He had succeeded in his escape by dodging among the negro cabins where the attacking line appeared weakest, but expressed the conviction that even this slight gap would be securely closed long before we reached there. “Have they sufficient men, then, to cover thoroughly all four sides?” I asked. “To the best of my judgment there must be fully two hundred and fifty in the gang, and apparently they operate under strict military discipline. It is a revelation to me, Wayne, of the growing power of these desperate fellows. I knew they were becoming numerous and bold, but this surpasses anything I could imagine. More, they are being constantly recruited by new arrivals. A party of at least a dozen came in while I was hiding behind the stables. I heard them asking for the leader.” “What did they call him?” “Lory, or Laurie, something like that. They claimed to be deserters from Lee's army, but two or three of them wore our uniforms.”