posed dey was gwine to take de hoss, but dey looked de hoss
ober, and say he no good, and gib de hoss back. I got on and dey all
pull out pistols and tell me to "git;" dat's wa't dey say, and sho' you
bo'n, I git--an' de lettice go one way, de 'sparagrass go anoder way,
and eggs go de Lord knows whar--to smash, I reckon. Dey all gone, sho,'
an' I's hyar. Dey shoot when I go. I 'spect I be kill; but I'm hyar,
sho'; dis is ole Ham; he 'scape.'

[Illustration: Ham Encounters the Rebels 097]

"We all laughed--in fact, could not help it. I told Ham that I would
go out with him the next day and we would see about this matter. Ham
withdrew, scratching his head and looking very serious.

"The next day I had the horses hitched to the wagon, and Peter feeling
that he had so far recovered that he could stand the ride, we went
out together. When we came to the place where Ham had met his three
suspicious looking friends we examined the spot, found Ham's lettuce,
etc., scattered somewhat over the ground, but could not see much
evidence of anything else.

"Ham said but little. Finally, I asked him which direction his friends
had gone from here. He at once pointed the way, saying, 'Doesn't you see
de track? Dar he go, Turn 'roun' and go back de same way he come.'

"We could see some indications that Ham's story might be true, but not
enough to be very satisfactory. However, we went along. When we arrived
at the farm and found Joseph Dent we had Ham relate his experience.
Joseph Dent said to come in the house. When we had all been seated,
Joseph said:

"'Well, I have no doubt as to the truth of what Ham says. The same three
men (at least, I suppose them to be, from the description), came here
last night and forced me to let them stay in the house. I was not very
fearful of their doing me any harm, as I was watchful. My partner and
myself could have handled them if they had made any demonstration. We
gave them their suppers and a mug of ale and got them going, and
found that they were escaped rebels, who had been in prison camp
at Indianapolis. They told us that there was a plot to let all the
prisoners loose and to raise an army out of their friends North to
commence war here, and in that way to have the rebellion succeed.'

"Peter inquired how they came to tell so much about their plans.

"Joseph answered that he and his partner pretended to them that they
were in full sympathy with the rebellion, and were staying here only to