“You will believe, Mrs. Dean,” he said, “that this was something I had to do.”

Mrs. Dean bent her head slightly.

“Certainly, mother,” said Dan.  “Don’t blame Lieutenant Chad.  Morgan will have
Lexington in a few days and then I’ll be free again.  Maybe I’ll have
Lieutenant Chad a prisoner—­no telling!”

Chad smiled faintly, and then, with a flush, he spoke again—­warning Mrs. Dean, in the kindliest way, that, henceforth, her house would be under suspicion, and telling her of the severe measures that had been inaugurated against rebel sympathizers.

“Such sympathizers have to take oath of allegiance and give bonds to keep it.”

“If they don’t?”

“Arrest and imprisonment.”

“And if they give the oath and violate it?”

“The penalty is death, Mrs. Dean.”

“And if they aid their friends?”

“They are to be dealt with according to military law.”

“Anything else?”

“If loyal citizens are hurt or damaged by guerrillas, disloyal citizens of the locality must make compensation.”

“Is it true that a Confederate sympathizer will be shot down if on the streets of Lexington?”

“There was such an order, Mrs. Dean.”

“And if a loyal citizen is killed by one of these so-called guerillas, for whose acts nobody is responsible, prisoners of war are to be shot in retaliation?”

“Mother!” cried Margaret.

“No, Mrs. Dean—­not prisoners of war—­guerillas.”

“And when will you begin war on women?”

“Never, I hope.”  His hesitancy brought a scorn into the searching eyes of his pale questioner that Chad could not face, and without daring even to look at Margaret he turned away.

Such retaliatory measures made startling news to Dan.  He grew very grave while he listened, but as he followed Chad he chatted and laughed and joked with his captors.  Morgan would have Lexington in three days.  He was really glad to get a chance to fill his belly with Yankee grub.  It hadn’t been full more than two or three times in six months.

All the time he was watching for Jerry Dillon, who, he knew, would not leave him if there was the least chance of getting him out of the Yankee’s clutches.  He did not have to wait long.  Two men had gone to get the horses, and as Dan stepped through the yard-gate with his captors, two figures rose out of the ground.  One came with head bent like a battering-ram.  He heard Snowball’s head strike a stomach on one side of him, and with an astonished groan the man went down.  He saw the man on his other side drop from some crashing blow, and he saw Chad trying to draw his pistol.  His own fist shot out, catching Chad on the point of the chin.  At the same instant there was a shot and the Sergeant dropped.

“Come on, boy!” said a hoarse voice, and then he was speeding away after the gigantic figure of Jerry Dillon through the thick darkness, while a harmless volley of shots sped after them.  At the edge of the woods they dropped.  Jerry Dillon had his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud.