on him,
and then he heard the sound of several voices beyond the blanket.

He listened closely, trying to number and distinguish them. There were
three and two belonged to Colonel Woodville and his daughter. The third
repelled and puzzled him. It seemed to have in it a faint quality of the
fox. It was not loud, and yet that light, snarling, sinister note was
evident.

The sensitive, attuned mind can be easily affected by a voice, and the
menace of the unknown beyond the blanket deepened. Dick felt a curious
prickling at the roots of his hair. He listened intently, but he could
not understand anything that was spoken, and then he drew himself
forward with great caution.

They must be talking about something of importance, because the voices
were earnest, and sometimes all three spoke at once. He reached a slow
hand toward the blanket. The danger would be great, but he must see.

He drew back the blanket slightly, a quarter of an inch, maybe, and
looked within the room. Then he saw the owner of the sinister voice, and
he felt that he might have known from the first.

Slade, standing before Colonel Woodville's bed, his hat in his hand, was
talking eagerly.

CHAPTER X. THE GREAT ASSAULT

The light from the door that was always open illumined the room. The
rising sun must have struck full upon it, because it was almost as
bright as day there. Slade was in his butternut uniform, and his rifle
leaned against the wall. Now that he had made the slight opening Dick
could understand their words.

"There are spies within Vicksburg, sir," said Slade. "Colonel Dustin
detected one last night, but in the darkness he escaped down this
ravine. The alarm was spread and he could not have got outside our
lines. I must catch him. It will be a credit to me to do so. I was under
your command, and, although not in active service owing to your wound,
your word will go far. I want you to get me an order to search every
house or place in which he could hide."

"Not too much zeal, my worthy Slade. Talleyrand said that, but you never
heard of him. Excessive suspicion is not a good thing. It was your chief
fault as an overseer, although I willingly pay tribute to your energy
and attention to detail. This business of hunting spies is greatly
overdone. The fate of Vicksburg will be settled by the cannon and the
rifles."

"But, sir, they can do us great harm."

"Listen to that, my good Slade."

The deep booming note of the distan