right. The major saw that his companion was indeed
"blue," and was bound to dispel the blues if it could be done.

"And that story puts me in mind of one on General Grant," he continued
presently. "Grant was sitting in his tent one night when--"

"Hush!" interrupted Ben, and caught his companion by the shoulder.
Then he pointed into the semi-darkness ahead. "Are those rebels, or
friends?"

The road they were pursuing was, for the most part, a winding one. But
they had now gained a straight stretch, the farther end of which was
somewhat in the open. Looking in that direction Ben had discerned six
or seven figures stealing silently along, guns on shoulders and packs
on their backs.

Major Morris came to a halt and surveyed the figures attentively. "I
don't believe they are our men," he whispered. "None of the troops
came as far as this--so the general stated."

"Then, if they are rebels, what have they been doing?" went on Ben.
"See, they have picks and shovels and axes."

"Perhaps it's an engineering corps," and the major laughed softly at
what he considered his little joke. "These Tagals are bound to be
up-to-date, you know."

"Well, if they are an engineering corps, what have they been doing?"
demanded the young captain, who felt by no means satisfied at his
companion's words.

"I'll give it up--no, I won't, I'll go forward and investigate," came
from the major. "There they go, around the turn, and walking just as
fast as they can. If we want to catch up to them, we will have to
hurry."

"We don't want to get too close, major. They are not the game we are
after, remember."

"True, captain, but it won't do any harm to find out what we can of
them. We may be doing General Lawton a great service by such an
action."

The night was cloudy, and as they pushed forward to the bend in the
road it became darker than ever, until they could see hardly anything
of what was ahead of them. The way was evidently little used, for the
grass grew thickly even in the centre of the highway.

The pair were going on, side by side, and with eyes strained to catch
sight of those who had gone before, when suddenly Major Morris felt
the ground giving way beneath him. "My gracious!" he ejaculated, and
caught Ben by the arm. At the same instant the young captain uttered a
cry, and also felt himself going down. Then came the snapping of
slender bamboo poles, and the scattering of some loose grass, and down
into darkness and space s