The officer halted with revolver drawn and sent a man back with some order to the main body. And then Ferry's beautiful brown horse, as though of his own choice, reared straight up where he stood, dropped his forelegs upon his breast, rose, over the fence, master and all, as unlaboriously as a kite, trotted out from the brush and halted in the open field. His rider's outdrawn sword flashed to the setting sun. The Federal, pointing here and there was deploying his remaining five men toward the spot I had left, but glancing round and seeing Ferry he trotted toward him. Thereupon Ferry advanced at a walk, and I--for I had followed him--moved at the same gait a few paces behind. "Halt him," said my leader. "Halt!" I yelled with carbine at a ready, and the Federal halted. In fact he had come to a small hollow full of bushes and grapevines and had no choice but to halt or go round it. "Don't swallow him," said Ferry, smilingly, "this isn't your private war." "He's on my private horse!" I retorted. "Well, you're on his," replied my commander. The giant before us, mounted on Cricket, was my prisoner of the previous day. "Who are you?" he was calling imperiously. "Captain Jewett ought to know," Ferry called back, and on that the questioner recognized us both. He became very stately. "Lieutenant Durand, I believe." "At times," said Lieutenant Durand. "And at other times--?" "Lieutenant Ferry--Ferry's scouts." The Federal expanded with surprise and then with austere pleasure. He glanced toward his five men galloping back to him having found no enemy, and then at his column, which had just halted. Frowning, he motioned the advance guard to the road again and once more hailed Ferry while he pointed at me. He straightened and swelled still more as he began his question, but as he finished it a smile went all over him. "Is that your entire present force?" "It is." "Then what the devil do you want?" he thundered. "We have what we wanted," said Ferry, "only now we desire to cross the road." "You're not asking my permission?" "I am afraid not." "I admit you are quite able to cross without." "Thank you," said Ferry; "will you pardon me for passing in front of you?" The Federal's pistol slid into its holster and his sabre flashed out. He threw its curved point up in a splendid salute. Ferry saluted with his straight blade. Then both swords rang back into their scabbards, and Jewett whirled away toward his column. For a moment we lingered, then faced to the left, trotted, galloped. Over the fence and into the road went he--went I. Down it, as we crossed, the blue column was just moving again. Then the woods on the south swallowed us up. [Illustration: Ferry saluted with his straight blade.] "If Captain Jewett will only go on to Union Church," said Ferry, "Quinn will see that he never gets back." "But you think he will not go on?" "Ah, now he is discovered, surely not. I think he will turn back at Wiggins."