howed ease and grace,
and wary eyes, capable of reading every sign, continually scanned the
thickets.

"They know just where we are, of course," whispered the sergeant, "but
if we stay close they'll never get a good shot at us."

Dick caught sight of a head among some bushes and fired. The head
dropped back so quickly that he could not tell whether or not his bullet
sped true. After a long wait the sergeant suggested that they creep
away.

"I think they've had enough," he said. "They've certainly lost one man,
and maybe two. Slade won't care to risk much more."

Dick was glad to go and, following the sergeant's lead, he crawled four
or five hundred yards, a most painful but necessary operation. Then they
stood up, and made good time through the forest. Both would have been
willing to stay and fight it out with Slade and what force he had left,
but their mission was calling them, and forward they went.

"Do you think they'll follow us?" asked Dick.

"I reckon they've had enough. They may try to curve ahead of us and give
warning, but the salute from the muzzles of our rifles has been too warm
for any more direct pursuit. Besides, we're going to have a summer storm
soon, and like as not they'll be hunting shelter."

Dick, in the excitement of battle and flight, had not noticed the
darkening skies and the rising wind. Clouds, heavy and menacing, already
shrouded the whole west. Low thunder was heard far in the distance.

"It's going to be a whopper," said the sergeant, "something like those
big storms they have out on the plains. We must find shelter somewhere,
Mr. Mason, or it will leave us so bedraggled and worn out that for a
long time we won't be able to move on."

Dick agreed with him entirely, but neither yet knew where the shelter
was to be found. They hurried on, looking hopefully for a place.
Meanwhile the storm, its van a continual blaze of lightning and roar of
thunder, rolled up fast from the southwest. Then the lightning ceased
for a while and the skies were almost dark. Dick knew that the rain
would come soon, and, as he looked eagerly for shelter, he saw a
clearing in which stood a small building of logs.

"A cornfield, Sergeant," he exclaimed, "and that I take it is a crib."

"A crib that will soon house more than corn," said the sergeant. "Two
good Union soldiers are about to stop there. It's likely the farmer's
house itself is just beyond that line of trees, but he won't be coming
out to this