at they did not care to have the citizens know they were
out. Mr. Bailey would have given all the candy and peanuts in his store
to know what their errand was, but was forced to content himself with
the reflection that he would learn all about it the next time Dick
Graham came to town.

"Now, capting," said Caleb, after they had gone a long distance down the
road that led to Mr. Riley's house, "Bud's camp is off that a-way about
a mile. The woods is tol'able thick, an' I don't reckon you can go
through 'em in a bunch, like you be now, without scarin' him. He's got
ears, Bud has. You-uns had best scatter out an' go one at a time."

"Form skirmish line, I suppose you mean."

"I don't know what you call it. Couldn't make 'em into something like a
horse-shoe, could ye?"

"Certainly. Hold back the center and push the flanks forward. That's
easy enough."

"Eh?" said Caleb.

"I'll make a horse-shoe, if that's what you want."

"All right. An' when you get to where his fire is, you can kinder bring
the heels of the shoe in t'wards each other, an' there Bud an' Silas'll
be on the inside of 'em. See?"

The captain understood, and thought it a good plan to act upon the
guide's suggestion, although he could not make up his mind that he would
permit his men to make prisoners of Bud and Silas. Perhaps, on the
whole, it would not be safe. Good-natured, obedient Dick Graham could be
easily controlled, but how about fiery Rodney Gray, angry as he
undoubtedly was? The latter, quick-tempered and impatient of discipline
as he was known to be, when he found himself backed by nearly all the
boys in his class and company might avow a determination to take ample
vengeance upon his captors; and if he so much as suggested the thing,
the students were in the right mood to help him through with it.

"We don't want to make captives of those two men," said the captain, as
he passed along the ranks getting the skirmish line in shape. "We'll
scare them out of a year's growth and show them that they cannot fool
with our boys with impunity, but that is as far as we will go. If they
can get away, let them."

It took ten minutes to form the "horse-shoe" and make each boy
acquainted with the signals that were to be used for his guidance, and
then the order was given to advance. The woods were pitch dark, and it
was a task of no little difficulty for the boys to find their way
through the thick underbrush, and over the fallen logs that obstructed