‘By time!’ muttered Ephraim, glancing at the window, the desperate thought occurring to him that the best thing to do would be to heave Lucius straight out, as the most effectual way of awakening him. Then he shook his head. ‘No,’ he said to himself, ‘thet’ll not do. He might yelp, and then we would be spotted shore and certain. Whar air they now?’ He took another squint from his vantage point. The general and his companion were approaching, sauntering slowly along, deep in earnest conversation. Once again Ephraim repeated the shaking process, and this time with such good effect that Lucius sat up, rubbed his eyes, stared at the Grizzly in a bewildered fashion for an instant, and concluded by asking where he was. ‘Wake up!’ returned Ephraim. ‘Ye’ll soon know. Through the window, quick! Ah!’ as voices were plainly heard outside, ‘it’s too late. We must just face it out. Maybe they won’t come in.’ His next glance relieved his apprehensions. Evidently the unwelcome visitors did not intend to enter. They were walking wide of the hut, not looking at it, and in a moment or two would have passed it by. Ephraim made a warning sign to the now wide-awake Lucius, as fragments of the conversation floated to them. ‘So you see,’ General Shields was saying, ‘it is of the highest importance that what we could not do for him to-day, General Frémont should do for us to-morrow. Whatever be the result of to-day’s fight at Cross Keys, he must effect a junction with me to-morrow, and to that end those despatches, detailing my plans, must be in his hands to-night. I know it is difficult; but do you not think’—— The rest of the sentence was lost in the distance, as the two passed on. ‘Shall we get through the window now?’ asked Lucius, as the voices died away. ‘I reckon not,’ returned Ephraim; ‘they might see us from the other side. Better stay whar we air till they air out er sight. They’re not thinkin’ er us jest now.’ ‘What were they talking about?’ inquired Lucius, who, having been further from the door, had not heard the conversation so perfectly. ‘I dunno rightly; but it’s suthin’ about gittin’ word over ter Frémont about ter-morrer’s fight. Sh! Hyar they come back again. Now, lemme do the talkin’ ef they come in.’ This time it was the voice of the civilian that reached them. ‘I’ve done it before in the boat, general,’ he was saying, ‘and I don’t know what is to hinder me doing it again.’ ‘Well, I don’t want to confuse you with suggestions,’ said General Shields in reply. ‘You know your own business too well for that. You are sure the boat is there?’ ‘It was there two hours ago, snug under the bank. I don’t see why it shouldn’t be there now.’ ‘You know our new word, of course?’ ‘Oh yes; and theirs too, unless it has been changed since this morning.’ They came to a halt opposite the door of the cabin, behind the door of which Ephraim instantly flattened himself, while Lucius stood stiffly erect in a corner.