car
loaded down with bluecoats come along, wouldn't he hide, all right?
Well, that goes without saying, fellows. As it is he might never
suspect a thing. I've often seen as many fellows jammed in a car, and
so have every one of you."

"One good thing is, Waller ought to know that section pretty well,"
remarked the old traveler. "He's been brought up here, and scoured the
country as if he had a fine tooth comb, many a time. He will know how
to close in on Jules, if the fellow is hiding there, which I doubt."

"Why do you say that, sir?" asked Frank, who had a genuine respect for
the opinions of the veteran, based as they were on long experience and
observation in all parts of the world.

"It is only a surmise on my part, Frank," replied the Colonel. "We all
admit that Jules is a very clever and long-headed rascal. Very well.
Don't you suppose that he may regret having given way to sudden
temptation, and fired at you boys this morning? He will, on
reflection, fear that you may guess who did it; for of course Jules
does not know that his escape has been kept a secret all this week, in
the hope that he might be recaptured, and nothing need be told. Follow
me, boys?"

"Oh! yes, sir," Frank declared. "And in that case the Chief will have
all his trouble for his pains, since Jules will have made tracks long
before this. He may be out of the county by night."

"That is true; providing that he does not allow a fierce desire for
revenge to stay his feet," replied the old man, soberly.

Usually the veteran was not the one to imagine trouble where there was
none in sight; and knowing this Frank looked at him somewhat uneasily.

But before anything more could be said they were surprised to see
Stammering Nat coming toward them on a run, for he had been watching
the last of the bonfire to make sure it did no harm; and of course, as
he was brimful of excitement, he had lost all power of control over his
voice.

He tried the best he knew how, to regain the mastery of his vocal
chords; even resorting to an old expedient of whistling, that perhaps
had served him on some previous occasion. Finding everything of no
avail, he clutched Andy by the sleeve, and started dragging him around
the corner of the shed.

"Hey! what ails you, Nat?" shrilled the struggling Andy, wondering
whether the other could have lost his mind because of his great
affliction.

Another moment and the rest heard Andy give tongue in a way that