nel Woolford, at Stamford, and
direct him to join the march with his three hundred cavalry.

Hours now were worth months of common time, and on the following morning
Cranor's column began to move. The scout lay by till night, then set out
on his return, and at daybreak swapped his now jaded horse for the fresh
Kentucky mare, even. He ate the housewife's breakfast, too, and took his
ease with the good man till dark, when he again set out, and rode
through the night in safety. After that his route was beset with perils.
The Providence which so wonderfully guarded his way out seemed to leave
him to find his own way in; or, as he expressed it, "Ye see, the Lord,
He keered more fur the dispatch nor He keered fur me: and 'twas nateral
He should; 'case my life only counted one, while the dispatch, it stood
fur all Kaintuck."

Be that as it may, he found his road a hard one to travel. The same gang
which followed him out waylaid him back, and one starry midnight he fell
among them. They lined the road forty deep, and seeing he could not run
the gauntlet, he wheeled his mare and fled backwards. The noble beast
did her part; but a bullet struck her, and she fell in the road dying.
Then--it was Hobson's choice--he took to his legs, and, leaping a fence,
was at last out of danger. Two days he lay in the woods, not daring to
come out; but hunger finally forced him to ask food at a negro shanty.
The dusky patriot loaded him with bacon, brown bread, and blessings, and
at night piloted him to a Rebel barn, where he enforced the Confiscation
Act, to him then "the higher law,"--necessity.

With his fresh horse he set out again; and after various adventures and
hair-breadth escapes, too numerous to mention,--and too incredible to
believe, had not similar things occurred all through the war,--he
entered, one rainy midnight, (the 6th of January,) the little log hut,
seven miles from Paintville, where Colonel Garfield was sleeping.

The Colonel rubbed his eyes, and raised himself upon his elbow.

"Back safe?" he asked. "Have you seen Cranor?"

"Yes, Gin'ral. He can't be more 'n two days ahind o' me, nohow."

"God bless you, Jordan! You have done us great service," said Garfield,
warmly.

"I thanks ye, Gin'ral," said the scout, his voice trembling, "Thet's
more pay 'n I expected."

* * * * *

To give the reader a full understanding of the result of the scout's
ride, I must now move on with the little