he foot of the stairs, and the men came leaping down. The cry was
taken up, and from every building about the square the men were pouring.
Mayo had no time to rally his force; indeed, it was beyond his power,
for his men were panic-smitten. Into the fields and toward the woods
they ran for their lives. It was now a chase. Bang, to right and the
left, and in the fields the fleeing blacks were falling, one by one.
Once or twice they strove to make a stand, but hell snorted in their
faces--and death barked at their heels. In their terror they were swift,
but from afar the rifles sucked their blood. The woods were gained and
now they were better protected in their flight, dodging from tree to
tree; some of them faced about and white men fell, and thus was caution
forced upon the pursuers. So much time was gained that Mayo rallied the
most of his men, but not to stand and fight. He had another plan. In a
small open space, once a cotton patch, stood a large church, built of
logs, and thither he hastened his men, and therein they found a
fortress. The Major called in his scattered forces. They gathered in the
woods about the church.

"Are you going to charge them?" old Gideon asked.

"No, sir, that would be certain death to many of us. Hemmed in as they
now are they'll be deadly desperate. We'll have to manage it some other
way." A shower of buck-shot flew from the church.

"I gad, Major, they've got buck-shot," said Gid. "And they could mow us
down before we could cross that place. They still outnumber us two to
one--packed in there like sardines. Don't you think we'd better scatter
about and peck at 'em when they show an eye? I'd like to know who built
that church. Confound him, he cut out too many windows to suit me."

"Dodge down, men!" cried the Major. "Mr. Low, get back there, sir!"

"Be so kind as to oblige me with the time," said Low. "The rascals have
smashed my watch. Punch a hole in my bath and then ruin my watch, you
know. Most extraordinary impudence, I assure you."

"It is half-past three," said the Major. "And what a day it has been and
it is not done yet."

Jim Taylor came forward. "Look out," said the Major. "They'll get you
the first thing you know. Why don't you pick up a few grains of sense
as you go along?"

"Why don't some one scatter a few grains?"

"Hush, sir. I want no back talk from you."

"But I've got an idea," said the giant, with a broad grin.

"Out with it."

"Why, right over yonder