f all this
Watson was ignorant.

The man and boy stole out of the wet woods, and thence a short distance to
the westward until they reached the bottom of a steep hill which was
surmounted by some straggling oaks. They started to walk briskly up the
incline, followed by Waggie. Suddenly they heard a sound that
instinctively sent a chill running up and down George's spine.

"What's that?" he asked. "Some animal?"

Watson gave a grim, unpleasant laugh. "It's a hound," he answered. "Come
on; we don't want that sort of gentleman after us. He'd be a rougher
animal to handle than Waggie."

George redoubled his pace. But his steps began to lag; his brain was in a
whirl; he began to feel as if he was acting a part in some horrible dream.
Nothing about him seemed real; it was as if his sensations were those of
another person.

"Anything wrong?" asked Watson, as he saw that the lad was falling behind
him.

"Nothing; I'm coming," was the plucky answer. But fatigue and hunger, and
exposure to the rain, had done their work. George tottered, clutched at
the air, and then sank on the hillside, inert and unconscious. In a moment
Waggie was licking his face, with a pathetic expression of inquiry in his
little brown eyes, and Watson was bending over him. Again came the bay
from the hound and the distant cry from a human voice.

CHAPTER VIII

TWO WEARY WANDERERS

"Poor boy," muttered Watson. "He is done out." He saw that George's
collapse was due to a fainting spell, which in itself was nothing
dangerous. But when he heard the distant baying of the dog, and heard,
too, the voices of men--no doubt some of the armed Southerners from the
pursuing train--he saw the peril that encompassed both himself and the
boy. Here they were almost on top of a hill, near the enemy, and with no
means of escape should they be unfortunate enough to be seen by the
Southerners or tracked by the hound. If George could be gotten at once to
the other side of the hill he would be screened from view--otherwise he
and Watson would soon----But the soldier did not stop to think what might
happen. He jumped quickly to his feet, seized the unconscious George, and
ran with him, as one might have run with some helpless infant, to the top
of the hill, and then down on the other side. Waggie came barking after
them; he seemed to ask why it was that his master had gone to sleep in
this sudden fashion. Watson paused for a few seconds at the bottom of the
hil