could not help realizing that their situation was hopeless. They had
not offered to come to the assistance of Captain Coonly when he was in
the gripe of the stalwart sergeant; for the carbines of the cavalrymen
still covered them, and they saw that they would be shot down if they
attempted to descend the stairs without orders, or fired upon their
assailants in the hall.

The captain was conducted into the sitting-room, and a man was placed
at the door to keep watch of him. But he was harmless by this time; as
Win expressed it, "the fun had all gone out of him." Deck began to
think he had spent time enough over the affair; and he was in a hurry
to return to the Millersville Road.

"Up-stairs there!" he called to the ruffians, who remained there
because they could not escape without the certainty of being shot
whether they attempted to leave by the windows or the stairs. "Is
there any officer among you?"

"Lieutenant Billock is here," replied one of them.

"Let him show himself."

"That is my name," responded a fellow nearly as big as Life Knox at the
head of the stairs.

"Your commander is a prisoner, and you rank next to him. What do you
propose to do, fight or surrender?" Deck inquired of him.

"What can I do?" asked the big fellow; and he had not the air of a
fighting-man, in spite of his ample proportions.

"That is for you to decide," answered Deck.

"We are surrounded by double our own number, and caged here like a lot
of mules. Give me five minutes to talk to the boys," returned the
guerilla lieutenant.

"All right; but not a minute more than five," added the officer of
cavalry, as he looked at his watch.

"What are you gwine to do with 'em when you get 'em?" asked Life in a
low tone.

"Turn them over to Captain Gordon when I have done my share of the
job," answered Deck.

"We have concluded to surrender," said Lieutenant Billock at the head
of the stairs. "I don't see 's we kin help ourselves under the
sucumstances."

"Very well; I shall hold you as prisoners, and treat you as I did your
captain. Call in six more men, Life."

This additional force, carbine in hand, was stationed in the hall by
the officer, with orders to shoot any man who resisted or tried to
escape; and the orders were given in a loud tone, so that the prisoners
on the floor above could hear them.

"Now you will form a line up there, and march down in single file, six
feet apart. Each man will deposit all his weapons on t