hat's what you mean, for there hasn't
been any to speak of outside of St. Louis; but we have been tolerable
busy making it hot for the Union men in and around the settlements where
we live. However--"

Here Mr. Westall stopped and nodded in Tom Percival's direction, as if
to intimate that he did not care to say more on that subject while the
prisoner was within hearing.

The conversation ran on in this channel during the half hour or more
that Nels and his helper spent in getting ready the corn-bread and
bacon, but Rodney, although he appeared to be listening closely, did not
hear much of it, or gain any great store of information regarding the
course he ought to pursue during his prospective ride from Cedar Bluff
landing to the city of Springfield. The thoughts that filled his mind to
the exclusion of everything else were: What had Tom Percival done to
bring upon him the wrath of the Emergency men, and how was he going to
help him out of the scrape? For of course he was bound to help him if he
could; that was a settled thing. Tom Percival was Union all through, and
Rodney had seen the day when he would have been glad to thrash him
soundly for the treasonable sentiments he had so often and fearlessly
uttered while they were at Barrington together; but that was all past
now. Tom was his schoolmate and he was in trouble. That was enough for
Rodney Gray, who would have fought until he dropped before he would have
seen a hair of Tom's head injured.

"Now then, gentlemen, retch out and help yourselves," exclaimed Nels,
breaking in upon the boy's meditations. "We aint got much, but you're as
welcome as the flowers in May."

The invitation was promptly accepted, the single room the cabin
contained being so small that the most of the hungry guests could reach
the viands that had been placed upon the table without moving their nail
kegs an inch. Rodney had eaten one good supper aboard the _Mollie Able_,
but that did not prevent him from falling to with the rest. Tom Percival
kept his seat in the chimney corner and a well-filled plate was passed
over to him, and his cup was replenished as often as he drained it.
Whatever else his captors intended to do to him they were not going to
starve him. Of course the talk was all about the war, which Mr. West-all
declared wasn't coming, and the high-handed action taken by the
Washington authorities in sending Captain Stokes across the river from
Illinois to seize ten thousand stand of