The night now was almost gone. Noel was aware of this from the slight change that appeared in the eastern sky. There was as yet no promise of the passing of the storm, though its violence had markedly decreased. It was strange, the young soldier thought, that all through the hours of his flight he had not discovered any of his enemies. At that moment, however, Noel saw coming from a lane at the left of the road a man who was carrying a burden in each hand. Around his neck hung a yoke the cords of which were attached to bundles. It was too dark to enable Noel to determine whether or not the man was a soldier. He halted abruptly, and, prepared to flee instantly if occasion should demand, eagerly watched the approaching stranger. As yet he apparently was unaware of the presence of Noel in the road. Suddenly, however, he glanced in the direction of the young soldier. The man's alarm was so manifest at his discovery that under other circumstances Noel would have laughed heartily. The light was sufficiently strong to enable him to see now that the man was not a soldier, and a moment later, when the stranger spoke, the young soldier's fears were relieved when it became manifest that he was a negro. "Who dat? Who dat?" asked the colored man as he stopped abruptly. "Where did you come from?" demanded Noel, striving to speak sternly. "Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "Is yo' all come from--" Whatever the place from which the negro thought he came, he did not complete his sentence, and consequently Noel was left in ignorance. "Who lives here?" demanded Noel. "Massa Hilton." "Is he home?" "No, suh. Yas, suh. I don' jest 'member whether he's home or not," stammered the negro. Noel's experiences with Long John had made him somewhat suspicious of the colored people of the region. He decided that he would be extremely cautious, and at once said, "In which direction are you going?" "Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "Come on, then," said Noel. "I'm going in the same direction." The colored man hesitated a moment, and then as he moved nearer he was convinced that he did not need to fear the young stranger and obediently joined him. As soon as they had advanced beyond the point in the road which hid the little house from their sight, Noel turned to his companion and said, "What are you doing--leaving home at this time of night?" "I don' lib dar," replied the negro promptly. "I b'long to Massa Frost." "Where does he live?" "Fo' or five miles up yonder," replied the negro, pointing ahead of him as he spoke. "What are you doing down here, and what are you leaving at this time in the night for?" "Is yo' all a Union sojer?" asked the negro abruptly. "Do I look like it?" "Yas, suh; though yo' clothes is so covered with mud I dess can't tell 'xactly what you are." "What would you say if I was?" "I want to know whether yo' is or yo' isn't befo' I answers dat ar question."