to
its heels without waiting further orders. Before the Sergeant could
collect his scattered wits, a rough hand seized him by the collar, and a
grim voice said, "I've caught you, hev I? You'll just come to Mr. Scott,
young man; he's waitin' for you."

"Call that dog off; he'll chew them fellows up," gasped Tommy, trying to
wriggle away from the tight grip.

"Sarve 'em right for sneaking in after dark and stealing the old cannon
that's stood here over a hundred years."

"We didn't steal it," said the indignant Sergeant. "We came to guard
it!"

"To guard it! Well, you didn't have much luck, then, for it's been gone
this half-hour. Mr. Scott, he's in a terrible way about it."

"My, how early they must have come!" exclaimed Tom.

"They? Who?"

"Why, the fellows we came to keep from taking it." And then he explained
to the astonished farmer.

The result was that the "Raleigh Reds" were recalled, trembling, from
their refuge behind the rail breastwork. Dom Pedro was quieted down, and
the demoralized squad was marched sheepishly to the house as prisoners
of war of the tall farmer.

Mr. Scott interviewed them, and his anger gave way to amusement as the
boys told, in shamefaced confusion, of their part in the evening's work.

"What your men need, Captain, is experience," he said; "so I will make a
bargain with you. If you manage to bring the cannon back by twelve
o'clock to-morrow morning, I will promise to furnish the finest display
of fireworks ever seen in this town, to celebrate the valor of the
'Raleigh Reds.'"

The boys blushed as crimson as their colors at these words, but Tom
replied, stoutly:

"We'll do it, Mr. Scott. Just see if we don't. I know we deserve to be
locked up in the guard-house for desertion; but give us one more chance,
and if we can't do anything but retreat, and in disorder too, then we'd
better give up the soldier business altogether."

And so Mr. Scott clinched the bargain.

How the little Sergeant racked his brains that night, as he tossed from
side to side, trying to hit upon some plan by which they could get the
field-gun away from its triumphant capturers!

It would be no easy matter to drag the heavy cannon so far even if they
had a fair field; but when it was held by the enemy--five big
boys--Tommy shook his head in doubt, for he had no longer confidence in
the courage of his squad.

The more he thought of it, the more he felt convinced that the only
thing to do was to deco