r saddle: and you, not knowing
whether you was asleep or awake, for a man who is on duty, without his
night's rest, sometimes can't tell the difference, thought it was some
hobgoblin business?"

"No," said Curry, "that's impossible; for I was singing a song at the
time, and almost at the top of my voice. I had been sleepy enough before
that, just after I left Ninety-Six, near midnight, for I had ridden a
long way; but as it grew towards daylight I began to rouse up, so that
when this thing happened I was as much awake as I am now."

"Then it's a downright case of ghost," said the other. "It knew you was
upon a wicked errand, and so that back-handed blow was a warning to you.
These things are sometimes meant to be friendly; and who knows but this
oversetting you in the road might have been intended to signify that you
had better not meddle in cases of life and death. If you would take my
advice, you would just treat this Major Butler, that you took
prisoner"--

Curry looked at the speaker with a frown, as he made a motion to him to
be silent. "Remember where you are, and who may hear you," he said in a
cautious voice, as he glanced his eye towards Butler, who was leaning
his head upon the table, as if in slumber.

"Oh, I understand," replied the soldier of the guard. "I forgot he was
in the room."

"The weather holds up," said Habershaw, who now walked into the house.
"The rain has slackened; and so, orderly, if you have had a bite of
something to eat, the boys had better be got ready to march. We have a
long way to go, and as the infantry march with us we shall get on
slowly."

"I think so, noble Captain," replied Curry. "I shall be ready to join
you before you get your line formed."

Orders were now issued by Habershaw, both to the troopers of his own
squad and to the militia detachment, to put themselves in condition for
an immediate movement. The clouds, during the last half hour, had been
breaking away, and the sun soon burst forth upon the wet and glittering
landscape, in all the effulgence of mid summer. During a brief interval
of preparation the party of infantry and cavalry that now occupied the
hamlet exhibited the bustle incident to the gathering of the corps. Some
ran to one quarter for their arms, others to the stables for their
horses; a cracked trumpet in the hands of a lusty performer, who here
joined the troop, kept up a continual braying, and was seconded by the
ceaseless beat of a slack and du