or run. Is it sunrise yet?"

"It is sunrise, and a beautiful morning! The fresh rays come to us here,
sifted through the dewy trees. Sit down on this rock. Find the luncheon,
Carl. Ah, Carl!"--Penn regarded the boy affectionately,--"I am glad to
have you with me again, but I can't forget that you are a rebel! and a
deserter!"

"I a deserter? you mishtake," said Carl. "I am a prisoner."

"You disobeyed me, Carl! I told you not to enlist. You did wrong."

"Now shust listen," said Carl, "and I vill tell you. I did right. Cause
vy. You are alive and vell now, ain't you?"

Penn smilingly admitted the fact.

"And that is petter as being hung?"

"I am not so very certain of that, Carl!"

"Vell, I am certain for you. Hanging ish no goot. Hunderts of vellers
that don't like the rebels no more as you do, wolunteer rather than to
be hung. Shows their goot sense."

"But you have taken an oath--you are under a solemn engagement, Carl, to
fight against the government."

"You mishtake unce more--two times. I make a pargain. I say to that man,
'You let Mishter Hapgoot go free, and not let him be hurt, and I vill be
a rebel.' Vell, he agrees. But he don't keep his vord. He lets 'em go
for to hang you vunce more. Now, if he preaks his part of the pargain,
vy shouldn't I preak mine?"

"Well, Carl," said Penn, laughing, while his eyes glistened, "I trust
thy conscience is clear in the matter. I can only say that, though I
don't approve of thy being a rebel, I love thee all the better for it.
What do you think, Mr. Villars?"

"Sometimes people do wrong from a motive so pure and disinterested that
it sanctifies the action. This is Carl's case, I think."

"Hello!" cried Carl, jumping up from the bank on which they were seated.
"Guns! They are at it again! I vill go see!"

The boy disappeared, scrambling down the dry bed of the torrent.

The firing continued at irregular intervals for half an hour. Carl did
not return. Penn grew anxious. He stood, intently listening, when he
heard a noise behind him, and, turning quickly, saw the glimmer of
musket-barrels over the rocks.

"Fire!" said a voice.

And Penn threw himself down under the bank just in time to avoid the
discharge of half a dozen pieces aimed at his head.

"What is the trouble?" asked the old man, who was lying on some blankets
spread for him there in the shade.

Before Penn could reply, Silas Ropes and six men came rushing down upon
them. Stackridge had been ou