ox!"

Life rode up to him, saluted, and waited for further orders.

"With fifteen men you will move to the left through the woods till you
come to the mansion now directly in front of us. Move without noise,
and halt your force as near the house as you can without being seen by
the enemy, who are too busy to notice anything just now. When the bugle
sounds the 'Advance,' you will march at a gallop to the east side of
the house. Do you understand me, Life?" said Deck, speaking very
clearly, but in a low tone.

"I'll bet I do; shall I repeat the orders?" replied the sergeant.

"It is not necessary."

Deck then directed Corporal Tilford, another non-commissioned officer,
to take twelve men and proceed to the right, through the cornfield,
concealing himself behind the hill mentioned by Win, and halt in the
grove. At the same signal, a second time given, the corporal was to
march his men in haste to the front of the mansion. The two detachments
went to the left and the right as directed, and the lieutenant
continued the march directly to his destination. The stable of the
plantation was the first building they saw, for the west side of the
mansion was concealed by a dozen lofty trees. If the ruffians were
still in the house, they appeared to have taken no precautions to guard
against a surprise: for there was no sentinel, and no person could be
seen near the mansion.

"Platoon--halt!" said Deck, when he had led his men into the shelter of
the trees; but he spoke in a very low tone, for he was not more than
fifty feet from the mansion.

Taking the bugler and the guide with him, he crept carefully around the
principal building, halting at the corner. From this point he obtained
a full view of the ground in front. He counted twenty-two horses,
secured to a fence and in other places where it could be done. This he
concluded was the force of the enemy. He could hear very loud noises
and shouts within the mansion, and the sounds appeared to come from the
upper story of the building. It was evident that the marauders had
searched the lower part of the house, and were now engaged in going
through the upper portion.

"Was it known that Mr. Halliburn had a large sum of money in his
house?" asked Deck in a whisper of the guide.

"Probably it was; he kept it in several banks till recently. When he
withdrew the money from the banks, the officers of these institutions
were incensed against him; for his example would be followed