omptly:

"In Clar--"

"Hold on, there! I didn't ask you," interrupted the young fellow; "I
haven't a bit of doubt but that you can tell every township that
furnished a man, and probably name every man in the regiment if
necessary; but you have had to do a lot of talking for your crowd, and I
would like to hear this man answer the question."

I now knew that we were caught, and I almost laughed, even in my
misery, at the picture before me.

Miller was almost paralyzed. He hemmed and hawed an instant and looked
inquiringly at the lieutenant and myself.

"Answer the question," sharply said that worthy, as he at once caught
the drift of the young fellow's remarks and had all his old suspicions
awakened again by the pitiful uncertainty of Miller's actions.

"In--In--In Clar--Hem! In Clar--Hem! Hem!--H-e-m! Really, gentlemen--"
he said, as he rubbed his hands and made all sorts of faces and turned
all colors, while vainly trying to recall some names that he might
safely use.

He finally stammered out:

"The adjoining counties to--to--in the northern part of the State."

His questioner then remarked quizzically:

"Well, I'll be ----, if here ain't a fellow that has been in the army
over three years and can't name the counties in which his regiment was
raised."

"Take these men to the jail," now ordered the lieutenant, and we were
led off to that place of abode, hearing, as we left the room, various
interesting comments and much laughter.

They put us in a cabin, which was lined throughout with sheet iron, and
which had no opening in it except the door. A pine torch furnished the
light. The floor was covered with filth, and we had not been in there
five minutes before the atmosphere had become almost unbearable.

I kicked loudly against the door, and soon a sergeant came to know what
was wanted. He was told that we wanted to see the lieutenant at once,
and he went away to call him.

When the officer came he was followed by a curious crowd, and, as they
opened the door, I stepped forward and asked pleasantly if that was the
way to treat Federal prisoners.

The lieutenant said that we were held as suspicious parties who could
not account for themselves, and who were probably endeavoring to join
the Yankee regiments now being organized in Little Rock, but that if we
could satisfy him that we were Federal prisoners he would let us out and
treat us as such.

Having made up our minds that our best course now was