Miss Hallie," she whimpered. "I wan' stay here wid
you! Ou-ou!"

"But you can't, I tell you," her mistress answered, as the certainty of
the girl's helplessness before a questioner flashed through her mind.
"You'd tell everything."

"Oh, come on, you big baby," Virgie urged, pulling at Sally Arm's
sleeve. "_I'll_ take care of you." Then her eye fell on Susan Jemima
lying neglected on the bench and she gave a faint scream at her
heartlessness. "Goodness gracious, Mother," she cried, as, still holding
on to Sally Ann, she ran and caught up her beloved doll. "I nearly
forgot my child!"

With the clank of sabers and the sound of gruff commands already in her
ears, Mrs. Cary turned peremptorily to Uncle Billy.

"Remember, William! If the Yankees ask for my husband _you haven't seen
him!_"

"Nor'm, dat's right," was the prompt answer. "I dunno you eben got one.
But you go in de house, Miss Hallie. Dat's de bes' way,--yas'm."

"Perhaps it _is_ best," his mistress answered. "The longer we can detain
them the better for Captain Cary. You'd better come in yourself."

"Yas'm," replied the faithful old man, although such action was farthest
from his thoughts. "In des' a minnit. I'll be dar in des' a minnit."

But once his mistress had closed the door behind her Uncle Billy's plan
of operations changed. Hurrying down the steps he plunged his arm under
the porch and drew forth--a rusty ax. With his weapon over his shoulder
he hastened up on the veranda and stood with his back against the door.

CHAPTER III

The thudding feet came nearer. A bugle call--a rattling of accouterments
and then, from the other side of the hedge, came a half dozen troopers
in blue, led by a Sergeant with a red face and bloodshot eyes.

"This way, boys!" the Sergeant shouted, and at the sound of a harsh,
never-forgotten voice Uncle Billy's grasp on his ax grew tighter. "_I_
know the place--I've been here before. _We'll_ get the liquor and silver
while the Colonel is stealing the horses, eh?" Then his eyes fell on
Uncle Billy and he greeted him with a yell of recognition. "Hello, you
black old ape! Come down and show us where you buried the silver and the
whisky. Oh, you won't? Then I'll come up and get you," and he lurched
forward.

"Look here, white man," Uncle Billy shouted, lifting the rusty ax high
in the air, "you stay whar you is. Ef you come up dem steps I'll split
yo' ugly haid! I know you, Jim Dudley," he cried. "Mars' Cary don