emains to be proved. So they
must continue their perilous quest. Once they were hailed by a Southern
sentinel, but Colonel Winchester replied promptly that they belonged to
Buckner's Kentuckians and had been sent out to examine the Union camp.
He passed it off with such boldness and decision that they were gone
before the picket had time to express a doubt.

But as they came toward the center of the line, and drew nearer to the
fort itself, they met another picket, who was either more watchful or
more acute. He hailed them at a range of forty or fifty yards, and when
Colonel Winchester made the same reply he ordered them to halt and give
the countersign. When no answer came he fired instantly at the tall
figure of Colonel Winchester and uttered a loud cry of, "Yankees!"

Luckily the dim light was tricky and his bullet merely clipped the
colonel's hair. But there was nothing for the four to do now save to run
with all their undignified might for their own camp.

"Come on, lads!" shouted Colonel Winchester. "Our scouting is over for
the time!"

The region behind them contained patches of scrub oaks and bushes, and
with their aid and that of the darkness, it was not difficult to escape;
but Dick, while running just behind the others, stepped in a hole and
fell. The snow and the dead leaves hid the sound of his fall and
the others did not notice it. As he looked up he saw their dim forms
disappearing among the bushes. He rose to his own feet, but uttered
a little cry as a ligament in his ankle sent a warning throb of pain
through his body.

It was not a wrench, only a bruise, and as he stretched his ankle a few
times the soreness went away. But the last sound made by the retreating
footsteps of his comrades had died, and their place had been taken by
those of his pursuers, who were now drawing very near.

Dick had no intention of being captured, and, turning off at a right
angle, he dropped into a gully which he encountered among some bushes.
The gully was about four feet deep and half full of snow. Dick threw
himself full length on his side, and sank down in the snow until he was
nearly covered. There he lay panting hard for a few moments, but quite
sure that he was safe from discovery. Only a long and most minute
search would be likely to reveal the dark line in the snow beneath the
overhanging bushes.

Dick's heart presently resumed its normal beat, and then he heard the
sound of voices and footsteps. Some one sa