"I'll take your word for it. Now, Little Jake, don't you forget to come straight to the big house and tell me if you ever find any strangers there, whether they have horns or not." The conversation ceased, and with a sigh of relief Noel turned once more to Dennis and said, "When do we move from here?" "About midnight." "Is Sam going to be our guide?" "I don't know whether he is or not, but Aunt Katie told me that somebody would come for us about that time." "Do you know how far the Union lines are from here?" "No, I don't," replied Dennis. "I think the best thing we can do is to lie down here on these cornstalks and take a nap." "But you haven't told me where you came from nor how you got here." "'Tis a long story, lad, and I'm afraid to tell you here for fear somebody outside will hear our voices." "All right," responded Noel. "You can tell me after we leave. I think we'd better do what you say." Accordingly the boys stretched themselves on the earth which was covered with cornstalks and in a few moments both were sleeping soundly. Just how long Noel had been asleep he did not know, but he was awakened by a vague feeling of uneasiness. Somehow he felt as if he were being smothered, and for a brief time he was unable to decide just where he was or why he was there. The voice of Dennis in a hoarse whisper recalled to him the incidents which had preceded the finding of the shelter within the strange hiding-place. "What's that?" whispered Dennis. Noel saw that his Irish friend was alarmed, although as yet he was unable to determine the cause. "What is what?" responded Noel. "'Tis smoke, I tell you!" said Dennis once more. "This place is on fire." "You have been dreaming," protested Noel, although even as he spoke he was aware of the odor of burning wood. "If I have been dreaming, I'm awake now," declared Dennis. "And the only thing for you and me to do is to get out of this place." "It isn't midnight yet." "It's time to get up. The sooner we get out of here the safer it will be for us both." All this time Noel was sharing the alarm of his comrade. Not merely was there an odor of burning wood, but there was no concealing the fact that smoke was penetrating their hiding-place. To add to his alarm, at that very moment there were sounds of men running about near the shack, and then abruptly above the noise was heard the voice of some one shouting, "Fire! Fire!" The danger of meeting the owner of the plantation was not so great in the mind of the young soldier at the time as that of being burned or suffocated in the place where he and Dennis had been concealed. "Come on, Dennis! Come on!" he called in a low voice, as instantly he crawled toward the opening. The place, however, had been closed after the entrance of the two boys and in the darkness it was impossible at first for Noel to find the exit. By this time his fears had been greatly increased and the sounds of confusion outside were much more alarming.