"No, no! I was afraid to show myself. De men was armed an' I wasn't--an' I didn't want to git in no trouble." "Where were they taking Jack?" "I can't say as to dat. I met dem on the ole mill trail near de blasted tree." "You saw nobody else around?" "No, missus." "It is very strange why Jack should be carried off in this fashion. I wish you had followed them and seen what became of my boy." "Perhaps I kin follow dem by de trail, missus. Ise putty good at dat." "Then do so by all means, and I will reward you for your work." "T'ank yo,' missus; yo' was always de lady to remember poor niggers." "If you wish, you can take Old Ben with you. He is good at trailing, too." So it was arranged, and half an hour later Old Ben and Columbus Washington were on their way. Both knew the mountains thoroughly, and lost no time in getting to the spot where Jack had last been seen. Then began a hunt for the trail, and this discovered, both went on once more, little dreaming of the surprise in store for them. CHAPTER XXV. A REMARKABLE REVELATION. Alarming news reached the Ruthven plantation that night. A large force of Federal soldiers had loomed up in the vicinity, and the Confederate army had been compelled to fall back to the mountains and to the valley beyond. "Our victory is swallowed up in defeat," said Marion, but even as she spoke a soft look came into her eyes. Perhaps, if the Yankees were coming again, she would see Harry Powell once more. Even though she did not wish to acknowledge it to herself, Marion thought much of her dashing cousin. "What a man he is, compared with cowardly St. John!" she said to herself. And then she prayed to Heaven that Harry might come out of the war unharmed. Marion's wish was gratified so far as seeing Harry Powell was concerned, for the young surgeon dashed up on horseback early in the morning. "I could not keep away," he said, after shaking hands with Mrs. Ruthven and his cousin. "I heard that the fight was fierce in this neighborhood, and I wanted to learn if you had suffered." "We had a cannon ball go through the sitting room," answered Mrs. Ruthven. "And was anybody hurt?" "One of the wounded soldiers was hit. He has now a high fever in consequence." "Thank God the cannon ball did not hit you or Marion!" ejaculated Harry Powell, and gave Marion a look that made the girl blush deeply. "Somebody said the Ruthven place had been on fire." "That was at St. John's place," answered Marion. "But the fire was put out before great damage was done." "I am happy to see that you were not hurt, Harry," said Mrs. Ruthven. "You must have been in peril many times." "I was in peril, aunt, and I did not escape wholly. I was wounded in the shoulder, although the hurt is of small consequence." "I am glad that you escaped," cried Marion. And she gave him a look that meant a good deal.