ortant despatch, I fancy."

"It's a despatch, then," said Bob.

"Yes, a despatch to General Jackson. You'll find him at Mobile, and it
isn't more than sixty or seventy miles across the country. I bought
three compasses in Pensacola to-day, and you can take one of them with
you. I can't give you my map, but I'll copy it for you on a sheet of
paper. Go to bed now, and be ready to start at daylight. I'll cook up
some food for you, so that you needn't stop on the way to do any
cooking. You must make the distance in the shortest time you can!"

"After delivering the despatch, then what?" asked Bob.

"Well, if you want to, you can come back here."

"Of course I want to," said Bob.

"But you must rest first, and I'm not at all sure that you'll find us
here. Perhaps you'd better wait in Mobile, at least till my next
despatch comes. Then General Jackson will tell you what to do."

"If you'll just give me permission to start right back, I'll be here
in a week. I kin make twenty-five miles a day, easy, an' that'll more
'n git me back here in that time."

"Very well, come back then."

At daylight Bob was off, and when the boys awoke they were full of
curiosity to know the meaning of his absence. While Thlucco was around
Sam would tell them nothing except that he had sent Bob away on an
errand. When Thlucco went to the boat to arrange something about the
fishing tackle, Sam briefly explained the matter, and cautioned the
boys to talk of it no more.

An hour later they went fishing on a slack tide, and when it turned
and began to run too full for the fish to bite they sailed their boat
to the shore, with fish enough in it to satisfy the most eager of
fishermen.

During the afternoon Sam sent Sid Russell, into the town, nominally to
buy some trifling thing but really with secret instructions to find
out what he could about the British forces, their movements, their
purposes and their plans.

"Injun go town, too," said Thlucco, and without more ado "Injun" went.

When he returned, about ten o'clock that night, he brought with him a
gun of superior workmanship, and a pouch full of ammunition.

"Where did you get that?" asked Sam in surprise.

"Pensacola," said the young savage.

"How?"

"Injun 'list. Big-hat-red-coat-white man give Injun gun, drill Injun."

"What in the world did you do that for?" asked Sam.

"Um. Injun got eyes. Sam got no guns. Sam need um. Injun git um. Injun
'list agin. Big-hat-red-coat-white