“If we had the slightest idea as to how far away this Captain Barfield may be, the work could be done much more quickly.” Neither Archie nor I made reply to this, and indeed there was no necessity, for we recognized the truth of it; not one of us but would have given all of worldly goods he possessed to have known within a radius of two or three miles where the enemy had encamped. During half an hour more we rode on in almost perfect silence, save for the hoof-beats of the horses, and then, when we were come to the bottom-lands, which were covered with a growth of scrub-oaks, we heard a noise as of a horseman forcing his way through the foliage. There is no need for me to say that we halted on the instant and unslung our muskets, for we knew by the noise that but one was approaching, and were determined to be the party which should give the surprise. Silently, hardly daring to breathe, fearing each instant lest the noise from one of the steeds should betoken our whereabouts, we waited in nervous expectancy, never dreaming of that which was coming upon us. One, two, three minutes passed, and then there rode out from amid the scrub-oaks none other than that traitorous cur, Seth Hastings! “Halt!” Gabriel cried, and the fellow looked up to see three muskets levelled full upon him. If I had had time in which to consider the matter, I would have expected to see a look of dismay and fear overspread his face; but much to my surprise the whelp gazed at us, while obeying the command, as if this unexpected meeting gave him the greatest pleasure. “So you have left Snow’s Island, eh?” he asked insolently, before either of us had an opportunity to make answer, but Gabriel said sternly: “It makes little difference to a renegade like you where we have come from; dismount and throw down your weapons!” Seth Hastings obeyed as if there was nothing in the matter to cause him the slightest apprehension, and Gabriel said to Archie as the fellow stood there with uplifted hands anticipating that which was to come: “Dismount and search the cur; but make certain he strikes you no foul blow, for a boy who will turn tail, when he is one of a party of a hundred or more, to flee in hot haste from only twenty, is cowardly enough to take any wicked advantage.” I could see on the instant that Gabriel Marion had made a grave mistake and at the same time aroused Seth Hastings’s anger, for he had unwittingly proclaimed the feebleness of General Marion’s force when he taunted the fellow with cowardice, although at the moment it did not seem such a serious matter, because while we held him prisoner there was little opportunity of his repeating the information thus gained. [Illustration: “‘DISMOUNT AND THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!’”]