reached the end of the field, George became suddenly
aroused. Brushing away the tears that dimmed his eyes, he placed
himself at the head of the party, and started on at a rapid pace
through the woods.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Almost Betrayed.

Whither he was leading them no one knew, or cared to ask; for, if they
had entertained any suspicions in regard to George, the scene at the
house had dispelled them; and knowing that he had as much, if not
more, cause to dread recapture than themselves, they relied implicitly
on him to get them out of their present difficulty.

The woods were pitch-dark, but George seemed to understand what he was
about, and, for two hours, not a word was spoken, except, perhaps,
now and then a growl of anger, as some one stumbled over a log or bush
that lay in his way. Finally, the softness of the ground under their
feet indicated that they were approaching a swamp. George now paused,
and said:

"Major, with your permission, we will stop here until daylight. It is
impossible to go further in this darkness, for it is an ugly road to
travel."

"What makes you take to the swamp?" inquired Frank.

"It is a short cut across the country," answered George, "and if we
are pursued by blood-hounds we can more easily elude them."

Between sleeping and listening for the noise of pursuit, the fugitives
passed the night. As soon as day began to dawn, they made a hasty
breakfast on the provisions which they had obtained at the plantation,
and resumed their journey. George led the way into the swamp, and,
as he seemed to choose the most difficult path, their progress was
necessarily slow and laborious. About the middle of the afternoon the
swamp became almost impassable, and the major was about to suggest the
propriety of picking out an easier path, when George suddenly halted
on the banks of a narrow, but deep and sluggish, stream, and, wiping
his forehead with his coat-sleeve, said, with something like a sigh of
relief:

"Here we are, at last."

"I see we are," said the major, gazing impatiently about on the
labyrinth of trees and bushes with which they were surrounded, "but
I had rather be almost anywhere else. You might as well get us out of
this swamp by the shortest and easiest path you can find."

"I will, if you order me to do so," answered George; "but we are now
at as good a harboring place as can be found in a country filled with
enemies, bent upon our capture, and thirsting for our b