n was assembled,
and then all surrounded the prisoners.

"You don't mean to say this is all the men you have?" demanded the
leader of the signalmen.

"I haven't any others very near," said Deck.

"Well, that's the time I was fooled for fair. I thought you had a full
company stuck up there among the trees."

"Are you prepared to go along peaceably?" asked Deck, to change the
subject.

"Being unarmed, how can we help ourselves?"

"I see you have a large stock of common sense, even if you were
captured," said Deck, with a laugh. "All right, you shall ride, but your
animals must be chained to our own, or they might run away with you in
the darkness."

"Which means that we might try to run away on them."

"I didn't put it quite so pointedly, Captain."

"But you meant it, nevertheless. Well, it's all right,--'fortune of
war,' so to speak, and I shan't complain. Who are you?"

"Major Deck Lyon, of the Riverlawn Cavalry of Kentucky."

"And I am Captain Vallingham, of the South Carolina volunteers,--now on
detached duty."

"You seem to have been running a sort of a signal station up there,
Captain Vallingham."

"Oh, we have been amusing ourselves."

"Do you think the persons who were signalled to were likewise amused?"

"How do you know we were signalling to anybody?"

"I take it for granted you didn't wave those pine knots to the stars.
You are too intelligent a man to believe in negro voodooism."

"Perhaps I am not as intelligent as you imagine, Major. Remember, I
surrendered when I should have fought. We were three to two, and it
would have been a pretty fair contest."

"But we had the drop on you."

"True, but it was pretty dark."

"Yes, and it is too dark now to suit me, Captain. Life, let us light up
a bit."

"Here is an opening in the brush, Major," answered the Kentuckian, who
imagined he understood what the young commander had in mind.

Evidently the leader of the signalmen also understood, or thought he
did, for as the group turned into the clearing Life had mentioned, he
was observed by the watchful major to throw a small note-book over the
bushes.

"Halt!" cried Deck. "Brady, let me have that lantern you brought along."

The sharpshooter addressed complied, the lantern was lit, and the major
began a hunt. The note-book lay wide open on some short brush, and was
easily discovered, along with two letters beside it. With the articles
in his hand, Deck returned to the Confederate signalmen