An hour had elapsed when Noel, from another hiding-place far up the road, saw the band of five returning. He was positive that he recognized them as his recent pursuers from the fact that one of the horses was strangely marked, a fact which he had noticed when he had first discovered the animals tied to the rail in the rear of the house to which the treacherous Levi had conducted him. When at last the band had passed beyond his sight, and Noel, with fresh courage, was about to reenter the road, he was startled when he saw a young colored man approaching from the direction in which the riders had disappeared. Loud and long sang the negro and repeated the same stanza of the song until Noel, who was interested as the black man came nearer, almost felt that in spite of his difficulties he would join in the tune,-- "Then I sot right down and felt very blue-- Glory hallelujah, bress de Lord! Says I, O Lord, what shall I do? Glory hallelujah, bress de Lord!" When the young black man came opposite the place where Noel was hiding, the latter suddenly decided to hail him. "Hello!" called the young soldier. The negro stopped abruptly and peered about him in a manner which betrayed to Noel that in intelligence he seemed to be far above the most of his race. "Who dat callin' me?" inquired the negro. "I am," said Noel, as he stepped forth from his hiding-place. The young soldier now was in his shirtsleeves, his coat having been lost when he had been thrown from his horse. His uniform was so discolored by mud that it was impossible for an observer to determine to which side he belonged. However, convinced that his plight was so distressing that he must trust some one, Noel had decided that he would cast in his lot with the negro, and trust him to provide some way of escape. "Have you seen any Union soldiers around here?" he called as he came nearer. Before he replied, the negro looked quickly into the face of Noel, and then with a smile said, "No, suh. I wish I had. I would like toe be inside the Union lines at dis bery minute. I reckon, too, yo' all would like toe be in there, too." "That's what I would!" said Noel enthusiastically. "And you'll have to show me how to get there." The black man hesitated a moment, and then said cordially, "The bes' thing fo' yo' will be fo' me toe take yo' all toe Aunt Katie." "'Aunt Katie'?" inquired Noel, as he glanced once more apprehensively up and down the road. "Aunt Katie? Who is she?" "Yo' come er long wif me and I'll done show yo'," replied the negro. CHAPTER XVII THE GUEST ROOM The young negro at once led the way from the road, evidently fearing more for the safety of his companion than for his own. Noel followed obediently and did not speak until his guide had led him far within the sheltering woods that were growing on each side of the road.