mebody tie a handkerchief over his
eyes, and get through some time to-day."

"All right, cap'm," said Ropes. "Make ready now, boys, and take away
this table in a hurry, when I give the word."

"Hold on, there! What's going on?" cried an unexpected voice, and a
recruiting officer from the village made his appearance, riding up on a
white horse.

The summary proceedings were stayed, and the case explained. The man
listened with an air of grim official importance, his coarse red
countenance betraying not a gleam of sympathy with the prisoner. Yet
being the superior in rank to any officer present (Silas called him
"kunnel"), besides being the only one of them all who had been regularly
commissioned by the confederate government, this man held Penn's fate in
his hands.

"Hanging's too good for such scoundrels!" he said, frowning at the
prisoner. "As for this particular case, there's only one thing to be
said: his life shall be spared on only one condition."

Carl's heart almost stood still, in his eagerness to listen. Even Penn
felt a faint--a very faint--pulse of hope in his breast. The "kunnel"
went on.

"Let him take his choice--either to hang, or enlist. What do you say,
youngster? Which do you prefer--the death of a traitor, or the glorious
career of a soldier in the confederate army?"

"It is impossible for me, sir," said Penn, in a voice of deep feeling
and unalterable conviction--"it is impossible for me to bear arms
against my country!"

"But the Confederate States shall be your country, and a country to be
proud of!" said the man.

"I am a citizen of the United States; to the United States I owe
allegiance," said Penn. "So far from being a traitor, I am willing to
die rather than appear one."

"Then you won't enlist?"

"No, sir."

"Not even to save your life?"

"Not even to save my life!"

"Then," growled the man, turning away, "if you will be such a fool, I've
nothing more to say."

So it only remained for Penn to submit quietly to his fate. The
executioners laid hold of the table, and waited for the order to remove
it.

But just then Carl, breaking through the crowd, threw himself before the
officer's horse.

"O, Colonel Derring! hear me--von vord!"

"Von vord!" repeated the officer, with a coarse laugh, mocking him.
"What's that, you Dutchman?"

"You vill let him go, and I shall wolunteer in his place!" said Carl.

"You!" The officer regarded him critically. Carl, though so young, wa