ntage of the position in which
he found us. He saw at once that our capture was a certainty unless we
took prompt measures to provide against it, and he was quick to suggest
that we adopt the tactics of Forrest and ride at them if they made a
display of hostilities. I had just time to shift my carbine to the
front under my overcoat and loosen the flap of my holsters when the
lady drove up. We raised our hats as she came up, and made way for her
to pass.

But she did nothing of the sort. She brought her horse to a halt.
"Good-morning," she said, as cool as a cucumber. "You can't deceive us
with your blue overcoats; you are both rebels. Oh, I have heard more of
you Southerners than can be found in the newspapers."

"I'm sure we had no thought of deceiving you," responded Harry with one
of his engaging smiles. "We are from the South, and you are from the
North, of course. It may be that we are well met."

"Oh, no! not this time. I have seen prisoners taken before," remarked
the lady with a little smile.

"Then you'll not flinch to see them taken again," said Harry very
boldly. "But I shall regret to put you to any inconvenience."

I think the confident air of Harry saved us considerable trouble at the
moment; but while he was putting on a bold front and trembling in his
shoes--as he told me afterward--I had my eyes on the lady. She looked
at me once, and turned her face away; twice, and frowned; thrice, and
blushed. "I was afraid at first that you were a prisoner," I remarked
in a tone that was intended to be apologetic, but the lady calmly
turned her head away and ignored me.

"To what command are you attached?" inquired the Federal officer, very
brusquely.

"We are serving under General Forrest," replied Harry.

"Why are you so far away from your command?" the officer inquired with
real curiosity. His tone was so puzzling that Harry hesitated an
instant--but in that instant a detachment of Forrest's troopers came
around the bend in the road.

"Are we indeed so very far from our command?" I inquired.

The troopers came rattling up, and the officer turned to the lady,
somewhat ungraciously, I thought, with the remark that they had been
led into an ambuscade.

This was so ridiculous that I laughed aloud, though I felt little like
laughing. "What amuses you?" the lady asked in some surprise. "I am
sure I can see nothing humorous in our situation."

"Perhaps you have heard ladies placed under such accusations b