Not until we had travelled twenty minutes or more did I ask myself what was to be done in case we learned that the horsemen who had passed our camping-place were soldiers, and then I put the question to Gabriel. “That shall be decided later,” he replied quietly, and one would have fancied he had been bred to the trade of a soldier, so calm and collected was he at this time when we might be running our necks into a noose. “If the party is made up of bloody-backs we may be certain they have learned of General Marion’s whereabouts, and are hoping to entrap him, in which event we must make a détour in order to gain the advance, that we may warn those who are at Snow’s Island. In case it should be so that we might, without too much risk, make a capture, why, then, I say, let us take such prisoners as is in our power, and, on arriving at the rendezvous, have something to prove our ability to act the part of soldiers.” It seemed to me that our business was to arrive at Snow’s Island as quickly as might be, without any regard for prisoners or picking up information; but plainly Gabriel was fitted to be the commander of our little party, and I held my peace, although stoutly rebelling at the idea of undertaking the trade of a soldier before having made other preparations than that of arming ourselves. After this brief conversation we continued on in silence, but at a rapid pace, and soon came to know that those in advance were in no great haste to arrive at their destination, for we heard the hoof-beats of horses in the distance, and once more Gabriel said: “We will follow without making any attempt to overtake them, during an hour or more, and then if there is no change we must close up, for I am not minded to walk at their heels like a dog until daybreak.” He had no more than ceased speaking when the sounds in the distance increased, and I came to a halt without waiting for orders; but Archie Gordon forced me on as he whispered: “They are making camp, most likely, and now will we have the opportunity of finding out who they are, if so be we press on before they lie down.” Gabriel spoke no word, but, taking each of us by the arm, plunged straight into the bushes for twenty yards or more, and then advanced cautiously until it was possible for us to hear the sound of voices. Now we wormed our way amid the foliage like Indians, taking care lest the breaking of a dry twig beneath our feet should betray us, and before ten minutes had passed were where we could see a portion of the party we had been pursuing. A small fire was already built, and around it were gathered four or five men clad in the uniform of the king’s soldiers, while here and there amid the bushes which grew close down to the side of the road, flitted dark figures not to be distinguished in the gloom, but which we knew were others of the enemy.