s quarry. When
they were well away from the fire, Jack came close and called, "Bill."

The sentinel stopped and faced about.

"You've forgotten something," said Jack, in a genial tone.

"What is it?"

"Your caution," Jack answered, with his pistol against the breast of
his enemy. "I shall have to kill you if you call or fail to obey me.
Give me the rifle and go on ahead. When I say gee go to the right, haw
to the left."

So the capture was made, and on the way out Jack picked up the sentinel
who stood waiting to be relieved and took both men into camp.

From documents on the person of one of these young Britishers, it
appeared that General Clarke was in command of a brigade behind the
lines which Jack had been watching and robbing.

When Jack delivered his report the Chief called him a brave lad and
said:

"It is valuable information you have brought to me. Do not speak of
it. Let me warn you. Captain, that from now on they will try to trap
you. Perhaps, even, you may look for daring enterprises on that part
of their line."

The General was right. The young scout ran into a most daring and
successful British enterprise on the twentieth of January. The snow
had been swept away in a warm rain and the ground had frozen bare, or
it would not have been possible. Jack had got to a strip of woods in a
lonely bit of country near the British lines and was climbing a tall
tree to take observations when he saw a movement on the ground beneath
him. He stopped and quickly discovered that the tree was surrounded by
British soldiers. One of them, who stood with a raised rifle, called
to him:

"Irons, I will trouble you to drop your pistols and come down at once."

Jack saw that he had run into an ambush. He dropped his pistols and
came down. He had disregarded the warning of the General. He should
have been looking out for an ambush. A squad of five men stood about
him with rifles in hand. Among them was Lionel Clarke, his right
sleeve empty.

"We've got you at last--you damned rebel!" said Clarke.

"I suppose you need some one to swear at," Jack answered.

"And to shoot at," Clarke suggested.

"I thought that you would not care for another match with me," the
young scout remarked as they began to move away.

"Hereafter you will be treated like a rebel and not like a gentleman,"
Clarke answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you will be standing, blindfolded against a wall."

"That kind