"What is it?" exclaimed Warner, who had not yet seen anything.

"Slade and his men are in the bush on the other side of the river.
The warning was real and I've no doubt Harry sent it. They've seen Frank
come down the tree! Drop flat for your lives!"

Again his tone was so compelling that the other two threw themselves
flat instantly, and Dick went down with them. They were barely in time.
A dozen rifles flashed from the thickets beyond the stream, but all the
bullets passed over their heads.

"Now we run for it!" exclaimed Dick, once more in that tone of compelling
command. All three rose instantly, though not forgetting their fish and
their fishing rods, and ran at their utmost speed for fifty or sixty
yards, when at Dick's order they threw themselves flat again. Three or
four more shots were fired from the thickets, but they did not come near
their targets.

"Thank God for that little river in between us!" said Pennington, piously
and sincerely. "Rivers certainly have their uses!"

Then they heard a sharp, shrill note blown upon a whistle.

"That's Slade recalling his men," said Dick. "I heard him use the same
whistle in Mississippi and I know it. His wicked little scheme to
slaughter us has failed and knowing it he prudently withdraws."

"For which, perhaps, we have a chip to thank," said Warner. "Shall we
rise and run again?"

"Yes," said Dick. "I think they've gone, but fifty yards farther and
nobody in those thickets can reach us."

They stooped as they ran, and they ran fast, but, when they dropped down
again, it was behind a little hill, and they knew that all danger had
passed. The thumping of their hearts ceased, and they looked thankfully
at one another.

"Our lives were in danger," said Warner proudly, "but I didn't forget my
fish. See, the silver beauties!"

"And here are mine too!" said Pennington, holding up his string.

"And mine also!" said Dick.

"I don't like the way we had to run," said Warner. "We were practically
within our own lines and we were compelled to be undignified. I've been
insulted by that flap-brimmed scoundrel, Slade, and I shall not forget
it. If he hangs upon our flank in this campaign I shall make a point of
it, if I am able, to present him with a bullet."

The sound of thudding hoofs came, and Colonel Winchester and a troop
galloped up.

"We heard shots!" he exclaimed. "What was it?"

Dick held up his fish.

"We've been fishing, sir," he re