rk."

"I doubt very much if any Confederates are so close to us. I was
thinking, however, we might spot a camp-fire before midnight."

"If they have any camp-fires."

"They won't do without them in this fall weather unless ordered
especially to that effect, Life. An Alabama mountaineer loves his
camp-fire almost as well as he loves his moonshine whiskey."

"But the mountaineers are not exactly what we are after," insisted the
Kentuckian, who wanted to "corner" his companion, if he could, just for
the fun of it.

"A mountaineer can tell a lot of things, if you can make him talk," was
the major's significant response. "If Wheeler's cavalry is in this
vicinity you can lay odds on it that all the inhabitants of this wild
territory know it."

"Well, I reckon you are about right,--as you always are, Deck. If
we--Hullo, what's the meaning of that?"

Life drew rein suddenly, and pointed toward the rocky elevation to one
side of the trail. Deck looked in the direction, but could make out
nothing unusual.

"What are you pointing at, Life?"

"It's gone now. It was--There it is again!"

Deck now saw that which had attracted his companion's attention. A light
had appeared, evidently a pine torch. It was swung around in a circle
several times, then moved up and down,--and then it vanished as before.

"It's a signal, Life!"

"They moved it that way before," answered the captain of the seventh
company. "What can it mean?"

"It means that one detachment of the Confederates is signalling to
another," ejaculated Deck. "Come ahead; I am going to learn the
particulars of this movement if I can."

CHAPTER XXIII

AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE ON THE MOUNTAINS

Major Deck Lyon felt certain that they had not only made a discovery of
importance, but that this discovery, if followed up, would lead to
something of still more value to know.

He felt, however, that not a moment was to be lost. Already the shades
of night had fallen across Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain, casting
deep patches of gloom among the several valleys. In the darkness, the
trail would become dangerous, if it was not already so.

The five sharpshooters were halted, and the situation was explained to
them. Then two were sent on the back trail, to cover their rear, two
were sent up the creek, one on either side, and the remaining man
accompanied Deck and Life to the base of the rocky hill from which the
signal had been flashed.

"You will take care o