"Never mind the Crimea now," interrupted Somers with a languid smile. "I was only going to say that I understand the old doctor first-rate, and can manage him as easily as I could an old plow-horse. Keep still, Somers; don't let on, under any circumstances. Leave me to do all the talking." "But the cavalry are after us now." "Never mind; the doctor will take care of them." "They will recognize our horses, if they don't know us." "No matter if they do." Somers thought it was matter; and he could not see for the life of him how De Banyan was to get out of such a scrape as this; for it was an infinitely worse one than his own experience on the Williamsburg road. He could only hope for the best, expecting nothing but disaster. "Good! Bully for the doctor!" exclaimed De Banyan as the sounds of an excited controversy at the side door reached the ears of the patient and his friend. "He is doing just what I expected him to do." "Pray, what did you expect him to do?" asked Somers, who could not see what a rebel surgeon could be expected to do under the circumstances, besides delivering them up to the military authorities. "I expect him to protect us to the utmost of his ability; and, in my opinion, he has quite as much influence as any other man in Petersburg. When you see a man like Dr. Scoville, you may depend upon it he is a power in the community where he lives. He knows it as well as any other person. Let the doctor alone, and he will manage the matter as skilfully as he dressed your wounded arm." Whatever confidence Captain de Banyan had in the will and the ability of Dr. Scoville to protect them, he was curious to hear what the soldiers and what the doctor had to say. He was not quite willing to be seen by the rebel soldiers; so he passed quickly into the entry, and took a position where he could hear without being observed. "Do you know who I am, you villain?" demanded the doctor, in tones so full of rage, that the troopers ought to have been annihilated, though it appears that they were not. "I don't care who you are; I want the men that came here an hour ago," replied one of the troopers. "If Jeff Davis himself came for them, he couldn't have them!" roared Dr. Scoville. "I tell you, sir, one of them is a deserter, and the other is a Yankee." "I don't care what they are. Report my answer to the provost-marshal; tell him Dr. Scoville will be responsible for the safety of the men." "I won't report any such answer to him." "If a man of you attempts to enter my house, I'll shoot him!" replied the doctor, taking a rifle from a nail in the entry. "Very well, sir; if you can shoot any better than we can, you may begin," said the soldier. "But, as sure as you fire, you are a dead man." "And those of you whom I don't shoot will be hung as soon as you report the death of Dr. Scoville at headquarters."