es
of his pale questioner that Chad could not face, and without daring
even to look at Margaret he turned away.

Such retaliatory measures made startling news to Dan. He grew very
grave while he listened, but as he followed Chad he chatted and laughed
and joked with his captors. Morgan would have Lexington in three days.
He was really glad to get a chance to fill his belly with Yankee grub.
It hadn't been full more than two or three times in six months.

All the time he was watching for Jerry Dillon, who, he knew, would not
leave him if there was the least chance of getting him out of the
Yankee's clutches. He did not have to wait long. Two men had gone to
get the horses, and as Dan stepped through the yard-gate with his
captors, two figures rose out of the ground. One came with head bent
like a battering-ram. He heard Snowball's head strike a stomach on one
side of him, and with an astonished groan the man went down. He saw the
man on his other side drop from some crashing blow, and he saw Chad
trying to draw his pistol. His own fist shot out, catching Chad on the
point of the chin. At the same instant there was a shot and the
Sergeant dropped.

"Come on, boy!" said a hoarse voice, and then he was speeding away
after the gigantic figure of Jerry Dillon through the thick darkness,
while a harmless volley of shots sped after them. At the edge of the
woods they dropped. Jerry Dillon had his hand over his mouth to keep
from laughing aloud.

"The hosses ain't fer away," he said. "Oh, Lawd!"

"Did you kill him?"

"I reckon not," whispered Jerry. "I shot him on the wrong side. I'm
al'ays a-fergettin' which side a man's heart's on."

"What became of Snowball?"

"He run jes' as soon as he butted the feller on his right. He said he'd
git one, but I didn't know what he was doin' when I seed him start like
a sheep. Listen!"

There was a tumult at the house--moving lights, excited cries, and a
great hurrying. Black Rufus was the first to appear with a lantern, and
when he held it high as the fence, Chad saw Margaret in the light, her
hands clinched and her eyes burning.

"Have you killed him?" she asked, quietly but fiercely. "You nearly did
once before. Have you succeeded this time?" Then she saw the Sergeant
writhing on the ground, his right forearm hugging his breast, and her
hands relaxed and her face changed.

"Did Dan do that? Did Dan do that?"

"Dan was unarmed," said Chad, quietly.

"Mother," called the gi