r
as possible out of reach of Tom's gaze, "and he's got more pluck than
any other fellow I ever saw. He needs it, poor fellow, if Captain Howard
told the truth when he said that every little community in the State is
divided into two hostile camps. But his father owns slaves, and Tom
never stole a horse."

It so happened that all the inmates of the cabin were too much
interested in what Mr. Westall was doing to notice the swift glance of
recognition that passed between the two boys when Tom Percival was
brought in. They were waiting to hear what he had to say regarding the
papers Rodney had given him to read.

"I suppose you are acting is a sort of advance agent for your company to
see what arrangements you can make with General Price?" said Mr. Westall
at length.

"No, sir. I am acting on my own hook, and without any regard to the
course the company may see fit to take," replied Rodney. "The members
don't want to be sworn into the service of the Confederate States, and
the proposition to leave Louisiana in a body and offer ourselves to
Price, was voted down. I do not know what the rest of the boys will do,
but I am going to join the Missouri State militia if they will take
me."

"Oh, they'll take you fast enough," said Mr. Westall, with a laugh.
"They have already taken everybody they can get their hands on without
stopping to inquire what State he is from. We five are some of Jeff
Thompson's Emergency men."

"I don't think I ever heard of such men," said Rodney doubtfully.

"Probably not. You don't need them down in Louisiana, and we may not
have much use for them here; though, to judge from the exploits of this
young man Percival, we may be called out oftener than we expected to
be."

Rodney hoped that Mr. Westall would go on to tell what his friend Tom
had been guilty of to get himself into such a scrape, and what they
intended doing with him now that they had got him into their power; but
in this he was disappointed. The man handed back Mr. Graham's telegram
with the remark that he had never heard of a person of that name, and
then proceeded to read the letter of introduction, which was addressed
to a well-known Confederate of the name of Perkins, who lived somewhere
in the neighborhood of Springfield.

"I am acquainted with this man Perkins in a business way," said Mr.
Westall, after he had run his eye over the letter, "and know him to be
strong for Jeff Davis and the cause of Southern independence. He