D mister, DON'T! PLEASE don't! I swear I didn't
mean to do no harm to you."

"Wall, ye acted monty quare fur a man that didn't mean no harm," said
the pursued man, regaining his breath with some difficulty. "A-chasin'
me down with thet ar prod on yer gun, an' a-threatenin' to stick hit
inter me at every jump. Only wanted ter see me run, did yer?"

"O, mister, I only done it because I wuz ordered to. I couldn't help
myself; I swear I couldn't."

"Whar's the ossifers thet wuz a-orderin' ye? Whar's the captins that
wuz puttin' ye up ter hit? Thar wan't no one in a mile of ye. Guess we'd
better shoot ye."

Again Jake raised his voice in abject appeal for mercy. There was
nothing he was not willing to promise if only his life were only spared.

"Wouldn't hit be better ter bay'net him?" suggested one of the Rebels,
entirely unmoved, as his comrades were, by Jake's piteous pleadings.
"Ef we go ter shootin' 'round yere hit'll liekly bring the Yankees right
onter us."

"I 'spect hit would be better ter take him back a little ways, any way,"
said the man whom Jake had pursued. "Pick up his gun thar, Eph. Come
along, you, an' be monty peart about hit, fur we're in a powerful bad
frame o' mind ter be fooled with. I wouldn't gin a fi'-penny-bit fur all
yer blue-bellied life's worth. The boys ar jest pizen mad from seein' so
many o' thar kin and folks killed by yer crowd o' thievin' Hessians."

Grateful for even a momentary respite, Jake rose from his knees with
alacrity and humbly followed one of the Rebels along the path. The
others strode behind, and occasionally spurred him into a more rapid
pace with a prick from their bayonets.

"O,---ough, mister, don't do that! Don't, PLEASE! You don't know how it
hurts. I ain't got no rhinoceros skin to stand such jabs as that. That
came purty nigh goin' clean through to my heart."

"Skeet ahead faster, then, or the next punch'll go righ smack through
ye, fur sartin. Ef yer skin's so tender what are ye doin' in the army?"

They climbed the mountain laboriously, and started down on the other
side. About midway in the descent they came upon a deserted cabin
standing near the side of the road.

"By the Lord Harry," said one of the Rebels, "I'm a'most done clean
gin out, so I am. I'm tireder nor a claybank hoss arter a hard day's
plowin', an' I'm ez dry ez a lime-kiln. I motion that we stop yere an'
take a rest. We kin put our Yank in the house thar, an' keep him. I
wonder whar the