un, followed by
the clatter of buckshot in the hall; but instead of that, there came the
calm, even tones of Mrs. Merrick's voice inquiring:

"What is it?"

"If I had that woman's pluck I'd be a general before this thing is
over," said Rodney, "I've always heard that a woman had more courage
than a man and now I know it."

"Listen," repeated Tom, who had by this time taken his hands down from
his ears.

There was no immediate response, for the party at the gate had looked
for somebody else to answer their hail. Presently the same muffled voice
inquired:

"Is Mr. Merrick to home?"

"He was a few minutes ago, but he is not in now," said his wife. "Have
you any word to leave for him?"

"No, I don't reckon we have. We'll ketch--we'll see him some other
time."

"Who shall I say called?"

"It don't matter. We're friends of his'n who wanted to see him on
business. Goodnight."

"Good-night," replied Mrs. Merrick, as if her suspicions had not been
roused in the slightest degree; and then she shut the door and came back
into the kitchen. She was pale now and trembling; and Rodney made haste
to offer her a chair while Tom poured out a glass of water.

"I told you they wouldn't hurt her," he found opportunity to say to
Rodney. "But if Merrick had gone to the door he would have been full of
buckshot now."

"They might as well shoot her as to scare her to death," replied Rodney.
"This is a terrible state of affairs."

"I believe you. And we haven't seen the beginning of it yet. What have
they got against your husband any way, Mrs. Merrick?"

The woman kept her eyes fastened upon Tom's face while she drank a
portion of the water he had poured out for her, and then she handed back
the glass with the remark:

"Mr. Merrick is Union and so are you."

"How do you know that?" demanded Tom. "Has he told you my story?"

"He hasn't said a word; but I have been over to a neighbor's this
afternoon, and while I was there, I saw you and a roan horse go into our
cow-lot. A little while afterward old Swanson rode up and told us about
a Yankee horse-thief who was going through the country, trying to reach
Springfield. That shows how fast news travels these times. And that
isn't all I know," she added, nodding at Rodney. "You are as good a
Confederate as I am."

"Then how does it come that I am colloguing with a Yankee horse-thief?"
exclaimed Rodney, who wanted to learn how much the woman really knew
about him and his friend.