be back--to punish you all," burst out Mrs. Bradner, and then
covered her face with her hands, as she realized the mistake she had
made. "Oh, what have I done now?" she wailed.

"Made a fool of yourself again," answered the colonel, bluntly. "That
speech may cost Dan his life."

"Oh, I didn't mean it;" and she burst into tears. Leaving her husband to
comfort her as he saw fit, the Unionists left the couple in the sitting
room. Several weapons they had possessed had been taken from them, and
now a guard was stationed in the hallway outside of the door, and
another guard in the garden under the sitting-room windows. This done,
the three captains prepared to capture Major Dan Gossley as soon as he
should make his appearance.

CHAPTER XVII

THE CAPTURE OF THE CONFEDERATE SPY

As previously agreed upon, the mounted infantry had secreted themselves
about the mansion and along the foot-path leading across the brook
bridge in the rear. The latter point was well wooded, and it was an easy
matter for the thirty or forty men stationed at that point to keep out
of sight. It still rained incessantly, and the riders were glad enough
to keep under the densest trees they could find.

Artie and Life took positions at the head of the company across the
bridge, leaving Captain Fordick on the opposite side of the foot-path
with half of the soldiers. In these positions nearly an hour went by
without anything unusual turning up.

Artie had been worrying about what the general would say if Life and he
did not report at headquarters, but the tall Kentuckian assured him that
matters had been arranged by having one of the mounted infantrymen take
a written report. "Others have already tried to get through, and found
the road impassable," he added. "So the news won't be new even when it
does come."

Presently from a distance came the splashing of a horse's hoofs through
the pools of water formed in the path, and Artie held up his hand
significantly. "Wait until we make sure it is not the wrong person," he
whispered.

A few seconds passed, and a man rode up. He was dressed in the suit of a
Union soldier, and was not Gossley. He headed directly for the mansion,
but soon turned and rode for the barn.

"What can this mean?" asked Life, but Artie shook his head in
perplexity. Then came the sound of another horse's hoofs, and Major
Gossley rode into view. He, too, started for the mansion, but the other
arrival hailed him from the b