Issued Weekly by the Dike Book Company. 37 Vandewater Street. Subscription Price, $2.50 per year. 
 Entered at the New York Post Office as second-class matter, April, 1898. 
 
 Vol. III. — No. 18~ Sew York, August 1, 1896. Priee 5 Cents? 
 
 THE GUNBOAT BOYS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE AMONG THE GUERRILLAS. 
 
 By ARTHUR A. RANKIN. 
 
 ARTIE SPRUNG UPON THE PROSTRATE GUERRILLA THE INSTANT HE REACHED 
 
 THE GROUND. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE; 
 
 —OR. — 
 AMONG TTIIE GUEKILL.A8. 
 
 BT A. RANKIN. 
 
 CHxVPTER I. 
 STIRRING TIMES. 
 
 The sun was just setting beyond the 
 village one evening early in the year 1861, 
 when a heavily-built, portly youth 
 emerged from the little railroad station 
 and walked rapidly up the street. A 
 minute or two after he left the station a 
 man came hastily out of it, and pinned a 
 bit of paper on the wall, seemingly to 
 attract the attention of the passers-by. 
 
 Our portly youth did not stop to learn 
 the contents of the paper — he well knew 
 it, but continued his gait, occasionally 
 breaking into a run, as if stimulated by 
 the utmost excitement. 
 
 At length, when he reached a turn in 
 the street, he increased his pace to the 
 top of. his speed, directing his steps to- 
 ward a modest little house set back some 
 little distance from the road. 
 
 He sprung over the low fence with an 
 ease ana grace that showed his weight 
 was well supported by good solid muscle. 
 
 A minute later he entered the door of 
 the house without ceremony. 
 
 The room he entered had a single oc- 
 cupant, a youth about his own age, who 
 was lying on a sofa. 
 
 " Hullo, Artie!" he cried, raising him- 
 self on one arm; "your face is full of 
 news. What's going on in the sleepy old 
 town? Nothing wrong down home 
 again, is there?" he added anxiously, 
 noticing that Artie paid no attention to 
 his rapid questions. 
 
 ••Oli, nb," replied Artie; "but I'll tell 
 yoa what," he continued, springing up 
 and coming close to the sofa, " they have 
 gone and done it." 
 
 "Who? What?" demanded the other, 
 astonished and fully aroused at the ex- 
 cited and abrupt manner of his com- 
 panion. 
 
 At this moment the sound of a bass 
 drum, beaten violently and without re- 
 gard to time, reached their ears. The 
 same sound reached them an instant 
 later from a number of smaller drums. 
 
 Artie went to the window and stood 
 looking out entranced, much to the dis- 
 gust of his friend, who had yet been 
 unable to learn the ea ise <>( the racket. 
 
 " Harry, I'll be back again this even- 
 ing." said Artie, springing to the door. 
 
 "Come back here!" shouted Harry, 
 
 just as the door was closing. " What -1o 
 you 2uean going oif that way, and )uol 
 telling me what all this fuss is aboutv 
 Come," he said, impatiently, as Artie sat 
 down again, "let me have it right away. * 
 
 "Well.it seems to me you ought td 
 guess," returned the other; "but if you 
 can't, here it is: I was in th<? railroad 
 station, a few minutes ago, and a mes. 
 sage came'fever the telegraph that th$ 
 rebels had tired on Fort Sumter, and 
 that the Union garrison had surren- 
 de red . " 
 
 Harry listened incredulously to this, 
 and when he received the import of it he 
 lay back on the sofa, and looked at his 
 friend without speaking. 
 
 "I s'pose the message is all over town 
 by this time, and that's what the noise 
 means,'' added Artie. 
 
 "Just what I've been wishing for,' 1 
 cried Harry, rubbing his hands in de 
 light, and not noticing Artie's last re- 
 mark. " Ever since last fall," he went 
 on, "I have wanted a chance to thrash 
 those high handed fellows down there, 
 and now we'll have it, sure. But," he 
 continued, "did you say they surren- 
 dered?" 
 
 He had grown quite grave now. 
 
 " Yes," answered Artie; "so the mes- 
 sage said; but how's your foot?" 
 
 "Oh, pretty nearly well. I'll be out in 
 a few days, as well as ever," he answered, 
 carelessly. 
 
 Harry was thinking of the news — such 
 stunning news — that thrilled every per- 
 son of the whole vast North. 
 
 Harry, ccol and far-seeing beyond his 
 years, felt that the struggle coming was 
 to be a terrible one, and he already be- 
 gan to repent of his expressed satisfac- 
 tion that war had really come. He plied 
 Artie with questions, but as yet the news 
 was meager, only the single brief mes- 
 sage, conveying the unwelcome tidings 
 that the United States had engaged in a 
 war, and had already been defeated. 
 
 Every one knows how that defeat sat 
 upon the feelings of .the proud North. 
 
 Every fiber of her vast territory tingled 
 with shame and anger, and above all 
 with a desire that the South should be 
 repaid in terrible principal and interest. 
 
 After a little more talk Artie started 
 out to see what action was to be taken in 
 the village, while Harry settled himself 
 comfortably on his sofa, to tl:i;K he 
 matter all over again. 
 
 While the two friends &„u i-opwrated, 
 we will take the opportuo" of making 
 the readers a little better acquainted 
 with them. 
 
 Harry Phillips lived with his motnerin 
 
 the neat little house in which tne pre- 
 
 1 ceding dialogue took place. His father 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 c5;ed about four years before, leaving his 
 wife and son fairly provided for. Harry 
 had been preparing for college, and ex- 
 pected to enter in the fall of the year of 
 the opening of our story. 
 
 He and Arthur Linden were steadfast 
 friends, though differing from each other 
 in almost every respect. While Arthur 
 was not, st/ictly speaking, portly, he in- 
 clined that way; on the other hand 
 Harry was slender, though constant 
 healthy exerci.-e had made both as tough 
 and wiry as gymnasts. Both were the 
 same height — vise feet eleven inches — 
 both excelled in out-door pursuits, and 
 Harry in school. 
 
 Arthur did not like school, and avoided 
 as many lessons as possible. Though not 
 a dull boy by any moans, he was quite 
 content to shamble along with any kind 
 of an average, declaring that he did not 
 have much brain, and t^at it wouldn't 
 stretch. 
 
 Harry, who wielded a.i immense in- 
 fluence over him, always fe t himself at a 
 loss here. When he coaxed 0>r threatened 
 Archur 'would merely laugh at him, and 
 say: ''You must hold up the intellectual 
 end of the partnership. 1 ' F<>\- these two 
 were, so to speak, partners, i..nd shared 
 everything alike. 
 
 Arthur s heme life was far f:,om pleas- 
 ant. His parents both died when he was 
 small, and he was sent to live with his 
 father's step-brother, who was appointed 
 guardian. 
 
 This man was sordid and avavicious to 
 the last degree. 
 
 His first wife loved the little boy, but 
 when he was ten years she too died, and 
 his guardian married a woman as mean 
 and unscrupulous as himself. 
 
 What the children of the amiable pair 
 were can be imagined; they continually 
 were endeavoring to get Arthur into 
 trouble, and they were the cause of fierce 
 quarrels between him and his half- 
 uncle. 
 
 He had long wished to leave so un- 
 pleasant a home, but his love for his 
 friend, and other considerations, had 
 induced him to stay there as a necessary 
 evil. 
 
 About three weeks previous to the 
 opening of this story, the two went squir- 
 rel hunting, and while crossing a gully 
 Harry's feet slipped from the wet anil 
 slippery log, which served as a bridge, 
 and he fell into the rocky bed of a dry 
 creek, about fifteen feet below. He tried 
 to get up, but found he was unable to 
 stand upon his left foot. Arthur coming 
 up at the moment pronounced the hurt 
 a sprain, and lifting him up carried him 
 the distance of a mile, to the nearest 
 house. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OFF FOR THE WAR. 
 
 A week has passed. The whole country 
 is in a fever of excitement and energy. 
 The President has called for 75,000 troops 
 to put down the rebellion. Cities, towns 
 and villages, Hammet among the rest, 
 are making preparations to send volun- 
 teers to the scene of action. 
 
 Harry Phillips' foot is so much better 
 that now he sits on the porch listeningto 
 his friend's excited remarks, as he lets 
 fall intelligence received during the day. 
 The two friends had fully decided that 
 they would "go to war," and just at 
 that time nobody could have persuaded 
 them that their country could do with- 
 out them in the pressing emergency. 
 
 Not a word had been said as yet re- 
 questing permission to go, but as soon as 
 Harry's foot was entirely well po time 
 was to be lost in making that move. 
 
 "Say, Artie, all this talk has been about 
 my permission," said Harry suddenly. 
 "Ho you suppose it will be all right with 
 you ?" 
 
 A shade of bitterness crossed Arthur's 
 face wdien he laughed, saying, "Oh, that 
 will be all right. I'll just tell them I'm 
 going. They'll be glad to be rid of me." 
 
 " Oh, I guess it isn't so bad as that," re- 
 plied Harry, soothingly. 
 
 " Isn't it!" rejoined Arthur, warmly. 
 "Why, they grudge the very food I eat as 
 if it was so much money thrown away." 
 
 "Well, you will be soon out of their 
 clutches whether they like it or not." 
 
 " I hope so," replied Arthur, grimly. 
 
 "I tell you what, Artie," said Harry, 
 "come around to-night and I'll ask 
 mother. I can't wait any longer, and 
 when you go home suppose you ask your 
 guard and see what he says."" 
 
 About half-past seven Arthur opened 
 the door of the Phillips house and 
 walked into the same room in which we 
 saw him on another occasion. Mrs. Phil- 
 lips and her son were already there. 
 
 Mrs. Phillips, who was a tall, fine look- 
 ing woman, greeted Arthur pleasantly 
 and said, "You and Harry must have 
 some scheme in your heads. He has 
 been expecting you for half an hour." 
 
 "I don't know whether you will call it 
 a scheme or not, Mrs. Phillips, though 
 whatever you call it I think you will 
 hardly like it." 
 
 Mrs. Phillips turned her eyes on Ar- 
 thur with a look of inquiry, when Harrv 
 broke in with, " Now, see'here, Artie, if 
 you are going to talk that way you had 
 better keep quiet. I can do better than 
 that myself." 
 
 "We'll, go ahead," replied Arthur, good- 
 humoredly. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 "Well, mother, it is this. We want to 
 join the army right away." 
 
 Mrs. Phillips gave a slight start, and 
 elevated her brews a little, but other- 
 wise seemed unaffected. 8hesimplysaid: 
 " You are foolish, Harry; you don't know 
 what, yon ask/' 
 
 " What are your objections?'' he asked. 
 
 " I didn't Bay 1 had any objections," 
 she replied. 
 
 This was the beginning of a long argu- 
 ment which lasted for several hours 
 without coining to any definite result. 
 
 Two weeks later our heroes stepped 
 aboard a small Ohio steamer en route to 
 Cairo, which was a great mustering- 
 ground during the late war. 
 
 They had no definite plans — they did 
 not know whether they would be as- 
 signed to army or navy service. 
 
 Mrs. Phillips had given in to her son 
 only after repeated and strong argu- 
 ments, while as Arthur predicted he had 
 no trouble in getting the consent of his 
 guardian. 
 
 When we see our friends again it is on 
 a Mississippi River gun boat, the Dragon 
 Fly, some months later. During the 
 time passed the first bugle-call of the 
 war had been forgotten in the greater 
 events which quickly followed. 
 
 The people of the North as reverse 
 after reverse struck them only became 
 more determined that the rebellion 
 should be subdued. 
 
 After the first few months of fierce ex- 
 citement and novelty passed by things 
 settled into the groove of steady perse- 
 verance on both sides, that nothing short 
 of absolute submission on the one side 
 and the acknowledgment of their inde- 
 pendence on the other side could move. 
 
 We must, however, go quickly to our 
 story. Harry and Arthur were put 
 through the exhaustive drills and exor- 
 cises which every one on a war vessel 
 must go through. 
 
 Under the eyes of watchful superiors 
 it was quickly ascertained in what our 
 heroes excelled and how they could be 
 made the most capable. 
 
 Arthur's ready knowledge of fire-arms 
 "was so marked that it promised for him 
 the position of commander of one of the 
 guns, while Harry had so completely per- 
 fected himself in the knowledge of the 
 different kinds of ammunition that he 
 was given charge of the magazine of the 
 gun-boat. 
 
 The commander of the Dragon Fly, 
 Captain Chewes, a man of shrewd ob- 
 servance, had already noted particularly 
 his two subalterns and told himself that 
 
 were they spared to the service great 
 things would come of them. 
 
 Nor was he mistaken. 
 
 At this time the Confederates held the 
 Mississippi as far up as Memphis, and it 
 was the purpose of the United States to, 
 open up the river for several reasons un- 
 necessary to mention here. 
 
 Life was very monotonous on the 
 Dragon Fly, which lay in the river un- 
 able to descend the stream on acjount of 
 the enemy's ships. 
 
 One day as the boat slowly steamed 
 from shore to shore, Harry came to Ar- 
 thur and sat down on the deck. 
 
 "Artie," he said, with a sigh of relief, 
 " we may have a, chance to get a-w-aj 7 from 
 here for a few hours." 
 
 '"What's going on?" asked Arthur, 
 eagerly. 
 
 N 'I understand that the captain has 
 received information that there is a band 
 of guerillas about ten miles buck in the 
 country who are up to all sets of mis- 
 chief, and from the way in which he 
 spoke to Mr. Flack, the first lieutenant, 
 I believe he is going to make a raid on 
 them." 
 
 " Who is he going to take?" asked Ar- 
 thur, with interest. 
 
 " That's just what nobody knows," re- 
 plied Harry. " He may take the first 
 company or the second or he may ask for 
 volunteers." 
 
 "He won't be likely to talie all the 
 force, then, you think?" 
 
 "Certainly not — somebody has got to 
 take care of the ship." 
 
 " Who do you suppose could harm this 
 gun-boat? ' asked Arthur, scornfully. 
 
 " There's no telling. Anyway, it would 
 never do to leave it with only half a 
 dozen men aboard.'' 
 
 " Is there any chance for us 4o go with 
 the party?" asked Arthur, returning to 
 the subject. 
 
 "I'll tell you how we'll fix it. Incase he 
 don't ask for volunteers and orders off 
 a company, we'll go up and ask him if 
 he can't make a place for us in the 
 party." 
 
 Just then Harry was called away and 
 Arthur himself set about something that 
 kept him busy till the evening mess. 
 
 Immediately it was over the order came 
 to muster out the first company. In a 
 few seconds it was standing in orderly 
 attitude before the captain, beside whom 
 was Mr. Flack, the first lieutenant. 
 
 Captain Chewes addressed a few words 
 to them, instructing them to obey im- 
 plicitly the commands of Lieutenant 
 Flack. "That is all, my lads." he said 
 in conclusion, "except that I expect you 
 to render a good account to me when 
 1 you return." 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 At this moment Harry advanced, with 
 cap in hand, Arthur immediately fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 " What is it, lads?" asked the captain. 
 
 " We would like to accompany the ex- 
 pedition, sir, if you have no objection," 
 replied Harry. 
 
 " I guess there is enough in the party 
 already. I dare not send too many.'' 
 
 Harry touched his cap and stepped 
 back deeply disappointed. 
 
 The captain noticed the look, and ap- 
 peared to meditate. 
 
 "The success of the expedition may 
 depend on the caution of such a steady 
 young fellow as he," he said to himself; 
 then aloud, "I think, after all, you two 
 may go — and learn as much as you can 
 about the county," he added, as he turned 
 aw a} . 
 
 Harry and Arthur thanked him, and 
 set about preparing themselves. 
 
 They were to etart as soon as it was 
 fairly "dark, and carry only light weapons. 
 Harry and Arthur provided themselves 
 with two navy revolvers each, and waited 
 impatiently for the order to start. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A CAPTURE. 
 
 It was about nine o'clock when the 
 boats put off from the Dragon Fly, and 
 headed for the Missouri shore. 
 
 It was very cloudy, and so dark that 
 had there been no guide it would have 
 been impossible to tind the rendezvous of 
 the guerillas. 
 
 The party numbered thirty-three, in- 
 cluding the first lieutenant, who com- 
 manded, and Harry ar.,d Arthur. The 
 guide was a recruit from Missouri, who 
 was entirely familiar with the country, 
 and easily recognized the house in which, 
 according to the captain's information, 
 the guerilla band was congregated. 
 
 The information received by the cap- 
 tain — and unfortunately he did not know- 
 whet her it was trustworthy or not — said 
 there were very few guerillas at the house 
 at present, but that later on there would 
 be more. So if the raid was to bo made, 
 it should be made at once. 
 
 As soon as a landing was effected the 
 utmost silence was enjoined, in order 
 that if any enemy was near their presence 
 would not be noticed. 
 
 The guide took the lead, and boldly 
 plunged into the shrubbery, which grew 
 thickly along the bank. 
 
 The rest of the party followed closely 
 in double file, with Harry and Arthur 
 bringing up the rear. 
 
 After moving at a. rapid walk for about 
 an hour, Harry whispered: "Artie, this 
 business don't look right to me." 
 
 "Why not?" asked Arthur, in a whis- 
 per. 
 
 "Because we have no guide, but one of 
 our own men. Suppose the news is all 
 false, what's to prevent us being led into 
 an ambush?" 
 
 "Do you suppose Andrews, our guide, 
 would lead us into an ambush?" asked 
 Arthur, in an indignant whisper. 
 
 " That's not what I mean," answered 
 Harry. "It's this — the captain got in- 
 formation; w here did he get it? Hedon't 
 know. It might have been from these 
 very guerillas. They might tell just how 
 to get to their place, and say there was 
 no force there; then they could run into 
 the country and get up a gang, and be 
 all ready for us. Don't you see?" 
 
 "I see what you mean," said Arthur; 
 "but there is no telling. The informa- 
 tion might be true." 
 
 "It might, but I doubt it," replied 
 Harry r . 
 
 They had been marching steadily for 
 about two hours, and had come about 
 eight miles. _ 
 
 If accounts were true t*e guerilla's 
 house was about two miles further on. 
 
 Here the lieutenant called a halt. 
 
 "I think, Andrews," he said to the 
 guide, "you had better go ahead and see 
 what things look like." 
 
 "I think we had all better go closer," 
 suggested Andrews. " You see, sir,"' he 
 said, addressing Lieutenant Flack, "it 
 would take me an hour to go there and 
 back, and that would bring us to twelve 
 o'clock; then it would take us a half hour 
 to go there from here, and if anything 
 would happen to keep us here after day- 
 light it might be a-long time till we see 
 the Mississippi again." 
 
 As tins was unquestionably the most 
 sensible view of the question, the lieuten- 
 ant gave in and the march was resumed. 
 
 After this extreme caution was used, 
 and the next halt was made within view 
 of the house. 
 
 The house itself could not be seen on 
 account of the intense darkness, but here 
 and there lights twinkled through half- 
 shut or carelessly drawn curtains. 
 
 Andrews was about to say something, 
 when all were startled by the sound of 
 voices close by. 
 
 "Down! down! in the grass for your 
 lives," whispered the lieutenant excitedly. 
 
 Luckily the grass was quite long, and 
 they were fairly out of danger of dis- 
 eoveiy. 
 
 From their position all heard the fol- 
 lowing conversation: 
 
 "I tell you they're afeard to come. 
 You say Cap Henry told us to be on hand. 
 Well, we will be, but they'll be no Yanks, 
 you bet." 
 
6 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 This was sa { d in a whining tone. 
 
 "Yas, they'll come," said another 
 voice, " er less they're the tarnalest ba- 
 bies as ever claimed to carry shootin' 
 iron." 
 
 "Did you say as how cap writ the 
 Yank eap'n a letter?" asked the whining 
 voice again. 
 
 " Tolable smart trick that; and he said 
 he'd hev three hundred men in the house 
 to-night, so if they did come he could 
 tike em all pris'ners. Tolable smart un, 
 Uap Henry is, ain't he?" 
 
 " Well, let's go down to the house, to 
 b > there if the Yankees show theirselves," 
 replied the other. 
 
 The sound of their footsteps soon died 
 away on the grassy ground, and in a few 
 minutes perfect silence reigned around. 
 
 "Men," said the lieutenant, springing 
 up, " we can't be of use here. It is plain 
 the captain of the Dragon Fly has been 
 played with by these fellows, and the 
 sooner we get out of this locality the bet- 
 ter it will be for us." 
 
 This was a rather inglorious ending to 
 the expedition, but no one had a right to 
 complain. 
 
 On the way back Harry observed, as 
 much as was possible in the pitchy dark- 
 ness, the features of tne country through 
 which they were passing. It seemed that 
 most of the route lay through a thinly- 
 grown forest, except within a few miles 
 of t lie river, where the larjd was culti- 
 vated. 
 
 The journey back was a little more 
 stirring than the first. 
 
 They had scarcely left the house two 
 miles behind, when they ran almost di- 
 rectly upon two men. 
 
 Andrews, being in the lead, collared 
 one, and pressed his pistol against his 
 head. " A word and you are dead," was 
 all that this fellow needed. 
 
 The lieutenant had more trouble. He 
 also seized his man by the collar, but be- 
 lie could do any more he was 
 promptly knocked down by a well-di- 
 rected right-hander that struck him full 
 bet ween the eyes. 
 
 The two men behind, however, sprung 
 upon the pugilistic Confederate, and 
 with one at his throat and another hold- 
 ing both his arms, he was quickly 
 brought to terms. 
 
 "An 1 who are you that stop honest 
 men on the public highway? Ain't you 
 from the shanty'.'" he demanded. 
 
 The lieutenant was too much dazed to 
 reply, so Hairy volunteered to answer 
 his quesl ions: 
 
 "We have been to the shanty," he said, 
 supposing the man to mean the guerilla 
 house. 
 
 ■' Waal, what d'ye mean ketchin' a fel- 
 
 ler up this here way?" demanded the man 
 again, supposing a joke was being played 
 on him by his friends. 
 
 "Oh, no," said Harry; "you are our 
 prisoner, and we'll take you to our gun- 
 boat." 
 
 "Eh? You Yanks?" he ejaculated, 
 greatly startled and alarmed. 
 
 "We belong to the United State; 
 Navy," replied Harry. "So you were 
 one of the gang we paid a visit to to- 
 night?" he added, hoping to gain some 
 information about the plans of the guer- 
 illas. 
 
 "You were thar, were you?" asked the 
 prisoner, who appeared to be greatly 
 amazed. 
 
 "Yes, we wei'e," said Harry, with a 
 laugh. "Y T ou ought to see the place 
 now." 
 
 "I b'l'eve you're lyin'," replied the 
 prisoner, incredulously. "You'd a-never 
 come away agin if you had ben thar." 
 
 "Well, we were there, as you could see 
 if you were there," answered Harry. 
 " That was a fine trap you thought you 
 laid for us. You thought you'd get us 
 there and take us all prisoners, but you 
 see we were too sharp for you." 
 
 Harry, while telling the truth alto 
 gether, had led the man to believe that 
 the guerilla house had been visited and 
 destroyed, and that their clever plan had 
 been found out. 
 
 He now put the finishing touch on his 
 work, by saying: 
 
 "Cap Henry couldn't write a smart 
 enough letter to fool us." 
 
 The guerilla seemed to think every- 
 thing known to this incomprehensible 
 youth, but Harry was afraid to question 
 him much, for fear of making a blunder. 
 
 By this-time the lieutenant had so far 
 recovered as to order the march to con- 
 tinue. 
 
 The two prisoners were secured be 
 tween the men, and the march was again 
 resumed. 
 
 It was two o'clock in the morning when 
 they reached the Dragon Fly, and all 
 were quite tired out by their profitless 
 vent a re. 
 
 Harry's active mind had conceived a 
 project on the march, which he was in 
 haste to lay before the commander, not- 
 withstanding his farigue. 
 
 CHATTER IV. 
 
 ON A MISSION. 
 
 The next morning, about nine o'clock, 
 Harry and Arthur were ushered into the 
 captain's presence. 
 
 " Well, lads," he said, briskly, as both 
 saluted, " what now?" 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 "I suppose you know, captain, or, 
 rattier, you remember we were both 
 on the expedition last night ?" began 
 Harry. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "And as the expedition was a failure, I 
 thought it would not be wrong to lay be-' 
 fore you a plan, by which I think we can 
 get rid of those guerillas with very little 
 loss of blood — possibly none." 
 
 "Ha!'' exclaimed the captain, growing 
 interested. "And how would you go 
 about it?" 
 
 "That's just what I came to ask per- 
 mission to do — burn them out," replied 
 Harry. 
 
 " What is j'our purpose?" demanded 
 the matter-of-fact captain. 
 
 Harry then explained in what manner 
 he intended to proceed. 
 
 "How long do you expect this venture 
 to occupy your time?" finally asked the 
 captain. 
 
 "Two nights and one day, at the 
 longest." 
 
 " When do you want to start?" 
 
 "The same time to-night as we started 
 last night." 
 
 " How many men? I wouldn't like to 
 trust any number in the territory just 
 now." 
 
 "Just our two selves, sir," replied 
 Harry. " We are used to each other, and 
 have all sorts of secret signals, which no- 
 body else would understand. The fewer 
 men the better on an enterprise of this 
 sort." 
 
 " You may go now," said the captain, 
 abruptly. "I'll Think the matter over." 
 
 Our heroes saluted and left the cabin. 
 
 " I tell you what," said Arthur, when 
 they reached the deck, "there is no tell- 
 ing from what the captain says what he 
 thinks." 
 
 "Just wait," said Harry, confidentially; 
 "he's all right." 
 
 As the day wore on, however, the boys 
 began to get anxious. Three o'clock 
 came and went, with no summons from 
 the captain. 
 
 Our heroes were together, in readiness 
 to wait on him the instant he gave the 
 order. 
 
 "We'll get ready to start, anyway, so 
 as not xo be delayed by the old man," 
 said Harry. 
 
 The sun was just setting when Harry 
 was again summoned to the cabin. 
 
 The captain, who was busily writing, 
 laid down his pen as Harry, cap in hand, 
 approached the table. 
 
 " I have questioned the prisoners you 
 brought *n last night, fully," he said, 
 "and wormed from them that this house 
 is.a rendezvous for guerillas of a territory 
 at least one hundred miles square. \i 
 
 such is the case I think I am justified in 
 ordering you to proceed as you have sug- 
 gested." 
 
 Harry bowed his thanks, and was with- 
 drawing when the captain called after 
 him: 
 
 " I tried to find out from the prisoners 
 if there was any other gang they knew of 
 on the west side of the river. Of course 
 they told me no. Make that a particular 
 object of your expedition, to find out 
 where another one is. Now do your best, 
 take care of yourself, and remember your 
 name will go to Washington in the event 
 of extraordinary service." 
 
 As Harry left the room the captain 
 again called out: "I'll be on deck before 
 you go." 
 
 "Very good, sir," replied our hero. 
 
 It took but a minute for him to find 
 Arthur, and tell him that everything was 
 satisfactorily arranged, and "that they 
 would leave the boat, as near as he knew, 
 about an hour after sunset. 
 
 Half an hour later both stood on the 
 river-bank, watching the boat that 
 brought them off, rapidly disappearing 
 in the gathering twilight. 
 
 "We are in for it now," said Arthur, 
 "and if I am not wrong we will wish we 
 were safe on board the Dragon Fly before 
 many hours." 
 
 " We can tell more about that to-mor- 
 row," was Harry's only reply. 
 
 They now struck directly"into the in- 
 terior, as they wanted an abundance of 
 time for their work. 
 
 "It will be two hours and a half before 
 we get there," said Harry, as they walked 
 rapidly along, " and at that time it ought 
 to be nice and dark." 
 
 They had brought with them a wad of 
 cotton, soaked in coal oil, and a box of 
 matches. Each had their two navy re- 
 volvers. Their two days' rations were 
 their only incumbrance. 
 
 They had gone, as near as they could 
 judge, about five miles, when Arthur 
 caught Harry's arm. 
 
 "1 think somebody's following us," he 
 whispered, softly. 
 
 "We'll soon find out," replied Harry. 
 "When I give the word we will separate. 
 You go to the right and I to the left, but 
 no further away from here than is nec- 
 essary for us to" get well hidden. Wait 
 till you see if anybody is coming. If we 
 don't get together again, you have 
 matches and coal-oil. Go ahead and make 
 for the house and look around for me. 
 Signal if you can withot being detected. 
 If you receive no answer from me set fire 
 to the place and make for the Dragon 
 Fly with all your might." 
 
 " I guess there is no need of us going 
 out of our way," replied Arthur, looking 
 
3 
 
 .HARRY ANI> ARTIE. 
 
 back. "The fellow, whoever he is, is 
 right behind us." 
 
 It was now so dark that they ran no risk 
 of being discovered in consequence of 
 their uniforms, so they walked along 
 without changing their pace till the 
 stranger was in a few feet of then). 
 
 Both turned around. Just then ahead 
 of light was cast into their faces, com- 
 pletely dazzling them for a few seconds, 
 while a voice rang out: 
 
 '•Yanks! Dogon me!" and a revolver 
 cracked and a bullet whistled past Ar- 
 thur's ear. 
 
 Arthur was the first to recover himself, 
 and he sprung toward their assailant; 
 but the stream of light instantly disap- 
 peared as if no such thing had ever been 
 there, and the rapid footsteps of the dis- 
 turber were heard retreating. 
 
 "After him!" cried Harry, who recov- 
 ered his presence of mind almost at the 
 same time as Harry. They rushed after 
 the retreating footsteps but had not gone 
 far till Harry, suddenly stopping, said, 
 "listen!" 
 
 Not a sound broke the stillness. 
 
 " It is no use to follow the scoundrel," 
 he said. "We don't know where we are 
 going in the dark and he can shoot us 
 down if he catches a glimpse of us with- 
 out danger to himself. We must get 
 out of this. Come on!" 
 
 They quickly retraced their steps. 
 
 "We must go forward as fast as we 
 can," said Arthur. " That fellow may 
 belong to the gang and will give the 
 alarm if he does. We must beat him 
 there.'' 
 
 They started forward on a rapid dog 1 
 trot. 
 
 All was quiet since the late disturbance, 
 and they proceeded rapidly until they 
 reached the spot, about two miles from 
 the house, where the party from the gun- 
 boat had stopped to consult the night 
 before. Here Harry, who was in the 
 lead, stopped abruptly. 
 
 " We must separate here," he said. "I 
 will go on up to the house and set fire to 
 it if I can. You wait here until you see 
 the smoke or the flame; but if they don't 
 appear inside of twenty minutes or half 
 an hour you work you way up and see 
 what you can do. Ciood-by." ' 
 
 In a moment Harry had disappeared 
 in the darkness. 
 
 " 1 guess I may as well look around a 
 little now that I'm left behind, and — by 
 gracious! What's that?" 
 
 Arthur ended his soliloquy rather ab- 
 ruptly. 
 
 A ball of light was shining through the 
 trees probably two hundred yards back 
 in the direction from which they had 
 cine. 
 
 Arthur pullet? out his revolve and 
 stepped behind a tree, keeping ms eyes 
 on the light, which was rapidly approach- 
 ing. Suddenly it disappeared. 
 
 " Ha!" thought Arthur to himself. 
 "It's the very fellow that ran into us 
 about an hour ago, a.nd he's making For 
 the house to tell what he's seen. We 
 beat him by a few minutes. I must stop 
 him by all means." 
 
 He shifted his position about ten feet, 
 and was hardly well behind a tree again 
 when the light shone forth not twenty 
 feet from him, and disclosed the guerilla 
 coining toward him on a loping trot. 
 His course would take him close by Ar- 
 thur's tree. 
 
 Our young hero had not long to wait 
 to put his plan into execution, and just 
 as the man came to the tree Arthur 
 threw out his leg and the guerilla was 
 dashed violently to the ground, and the 
 sharp crack told that one of his pistols 
 had been discharged by the shock. 
 
 The dark lantern flew from his hand, 
 and after making two or three somersaults 
 came to a stand-still some ten feet away, 
 unharmed and still burning. 
 
 Arthur sprung upon the prostrate 
 guerilla the instant he reached the 
 ground, and placing the muzzle of his 
 revolver at the other's head cried: " ISfot 
 a word above your breath." 
 
 His antagonist, far from being injured 
 by his fall, suddenly wheeled around, and 
 in a twinkling Arthur's revolver was 
 spinning through the air, knocked from 
 his hand by a well-directed blow. 
 
 The guerilla now began to struggle so 
 actively that Arthur needed all his 
 strength and agility to retain his posi- 
 tion on top of him. 
 
 The guerilla was tall and slim but ex- 
 tremely supple and powerful, and the way 
 he thrashed about made Arthur almost 
 despair of bringing him to terms. 
 
 He half rose to his knees, but Arthur 
 clung to him like a burr and bore him 
 down again, at the same time catching 
 him by the throat.' 
 
 The guerilla, realizing the danger of 
 such a hold, made a superhuman effort, 
 and putting up both his hands fairly 
 wrenched the hand from his throat. By 
 doing so, however, he released Arthur's 
 left hand and received a stunning left- 
 hander right from the shoulder, which 
 laid him out, limp as a wet cloth. 
 
 Voices near by made Arthur look up, 
 just as he was completing his conquest. 
 
 The sight appalled him. 
 
 The whole of the sparsely grown wood 
 was alive with lanterns all moving rapid- 
 ly toward him. 
 
 He sprung up to extinguish the tell- 
 tale lantern, but before he couiu accoiv 
 
HAftrii T AND ARTIE. 
 
 plish it the guerilla, who was only par- j 
 
 tiuily stunned, raised himself on his el 
 bow and made the woods re-echo with 
 his vigorous yells. 
 
 Arthur gave one look for an avenue of 
 escape and then bounded on, snatching 
 up the lantern and shutting off the light 
 its he went. 
 
 He had not gone one hundred feet 
 when he saw approaching three "lan- 
 terns. 
 
 Turning to the left he ran on some 
 distance further, when on reaching the 
 edge of a little brook he ran violently 
 against a guerilla who had been peering 
 into the bushes on the other side. 
 
 Arthur's forehead struck the back of 
 the guerilla's, head and both fell into the 
 brook, the guerilla at full length and 
 Arthur up to his knees. 
 
 He quickly waded out and glanced ap- 
 prehensively around, lor the ducked Con- 
 federate had given an unearthly yell. 
 either from fright or as a warning, as he 
 went in. 
 
 Lights were still seen here and there 
 through the trees, though at greater dis- 
 tances than before, and he was in great 
 danger of being captured if he remained 
 longer in that locality. 
 
 However, he had completely lost his 
 reckoning, as he had dodged and darted 
 about in so many different directions in 
 his flight that he could not tell one point 
 of the compass from another. He was in 
 great perplexity, as he did.not know what 
 to do. 
 
 Arthur was walking rapidly while 
 thinking, and his surprise was great, 
 on suddenly emerging from the trees, 
 to find himself before the big, gloomy 
 house that answered for the rendezvous 
 of the Confederate gang. 
 
 They had chosen with rare judgment 
 this mansion as their headquarters. A 
 good distance from the river and well out 
 of reach of the batteries of the vessels, 
 in a thinly-settled country, and the 
 forest, so thin and sparse in its entire ex- 
 tent, was so much more grown immedi- 
 ately around the house that a person 
 passing within one hundred yards of it 
 would not have been aware of its exist- 
 ence — all these conditions combined to 
 make the place safe and secure for the 
 purpose for which it was then used. 
 
 As Arthur stood gazing at the house 
 his reflections were suddenly interrupted 
 by the returning party of guerillas. 
 
 They were advancing in such a manner 
 that made his detection sure unless he 
 went straight forward. He quickly 
 crossed the yard, and came close to the 
 foundation of the house. 
 
 He learned then what he did not know 
 before, that, the first floor was raised 
 
 some eiyht feet above the ground, and 
 that there was a wide stone archway 
 leading to the basement and cellar, which 
 was secured by two light iron doors. 
 
 Hastily stepping up to the door of the 
 cellar he laid hold of the iron handle, and 
 to his great joy 't yielded, disclosing a 
 gentle declivity, which he at once de- 
 scended, closing the door after him. He 
 proceeded slowly and carefully, for the 
 place was opaquely dark. Suddenly he 
 stopped, and his heart almost leaped 
 into his mouth — somebody else was in 
 the cellar. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ARTHUR CAUGHT. 
 
 "When Harry left Arthur he walked 
 rapidly, but silently, toward the house, 
 keeping a bright lookout for prowling 
 guerillas. 
 
 He had proceeded but a little way 
 when he was startled by the report of a 
 pistol. 
 
 "That sounds as if it might come from 
 Arthur," he thought, in alarm. "He 
 couldn't have gotten into trouble any 
 sooner if he had tried." 
 
 His attention was now drawn to his 
 immediate front. 
 
 Shouts were heard, and lights came 
 rapidly toward him, as if the inmates of 
 the house were alarmed by the shot and 
 were approaching to investigate. 
 
 There seemed to be about twenty Ian- , 
 terns, but when they came nearer he 
 noticed that many of the men had none 
 at all. 
 
 He made a detour to avoid running 
 into the party, and watched them go by 
 at a safe distance. 
 
 " I wish I knew whether Artie fired 
 that shot," he muttered to himself, im- 
 patiently; "if he did, he didn't do it for 
 nothing, and he knows how to. take care 
 of himself." 
 
 The last of the guerillas just here 
 passed by, and Harry was struck with his 
 appearance. 
 
 He was a short, stout man, with a 
 heavy beard, the imperfect light shed by 
 the lantern he held did not give Harry 
 the opportunity to note its color. 
 
 This worthy was attired in a dingy and 
 faded uniform of a. captain of the Con- 
 federacy, and Harry at once put him 
 down for Captain Henry, about whose 
 courage and active partisanship he had 
 heard so much. 
 
 "It would give me a promotion," he 
 thought, "if I could take that fellow, 
 aboard the Dragon Fly a prisoner of 
 war." 
 
 As the Con federate captain disappeared 
 
10 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 Harry turned his attention to the object 
 of his expedition. 
 
 "It is just the time to do my work/' he 
 thought, '" while so many of the gang are 
 away." 
 
 He hurried forward, and arriving at 
 the edge of the woods he stopped to re- 
 eonnoiter. 
 
 The house stood silent and gloomy, 
 while here and there a light appeared 
 through the half-closed shutters of the 
 first floor; the upper story was closed 
 tight. 
 
 As Harry was about to step forward 
 his eye alighted on two men standing be- 
 fore a large iron door, flanked on either 
 side by a stone wall, slanting from the 
 top of the foundations to the ground, the 
 incline reaching the ground at a point 
 about twelve feet from the foundation. 
 
 The iron door was open, and Harry, 
 who was standing directly before it about 
 fifty feet away, saw a lighted lantern 
 swinging from the ceiling inside. 
 
 The men were conversing in low tones, 
 and to Harry, who could not hear what 
 was said, it was plain that he would have 
 to approach the house from another 
 quarter. 
 
 He drew back among the trees, and 
 made a circuit of the house without find- 
 ing a place to suit his purpose, and when 
 again he came in front of the iron door 
 the two men had disappeared. 
 
 Quickly approaching he slipped behind 
 one of the stone flanks of the doorway, 
 and leaning over peered into the cellar. 
 
 The light which hung from the ceiling 
 had also disappeared, and everything 
 appeared to be wrapped in repose. 
 
 He was deliberating on his next move 
 when lie was startled by the sound of 
 voices behind him. 
 
 Turning hastily he saw two men just 
 step around the corner of the house, and 
 approach the cellar door. 
 
 Both were talking earnestly, and they 
 seemed highly excited about something, 
 consequently they did not see our hero 
 step quickly over the wall and go. into 
 the cellar. 
 
 "Whew! 11 said Harry to himself, "it's 
 lucky for me this cellar was here."' 
 
 Taking his stand close to the iron doors 
 he awaited developments. 
 
 The men came to the cellarway, and 
 seemed disposed at first to go in, but 
 changed their minds and remained out- 
 side, where the following conversation 
 took place: 
 
 " I tell you, Pete, I don't b'lieve it, no- 
 how.* 1 
 
 "I do," answered Pete. "Jake ain't 
 no liar." 
 
 "But vvhar's the other feller, then? 
 Jake said they was two on 'em. He 
 
 wasn't like to tote off afore the boys went 
 out, an' they only seed one." 
 
 "Hovv'd you know that?" asked the 
 other. 
 
 ""Cause Hen Bullit jes came in fer 
 more lanterns and tole it all. He was 
 afeard o' gettin' his head broke, as sure 
 as my name's Jack Cobb," continued the 
 man, "but I give him as many as he could 
 kerry, and he went off." 
 
 "An' Hen said the young Yank wal- 
 loped Jake?" asked Pete, with interest, 
 
 " Yaas, an 1 the big dunder-head ain't 
 done seeing stars yet." 
 
 As may be imagined, Harry listened to 
 this conversation with the greatest in- 
 terest, and it partly explained the cause 
 of the pistol-shot, which had alarmed 
 him earlier in the evening, but he still 
 was in ignorance of what he wished par- 
 ticularly to know — whether Arthur was 
 still at large. 
 
 The conversation without was here re- 
 newed, and Harry again bent himself to 
 listen. 
 
 "What do you .s'pose one Yank was 
 doin' in tJiese yere woods?" asked Pete. 
 
 " We'll find that out when we ketch 
 him," answered Jack. 
 
 Just then a voice was heard calling: 
 "Jack! Jack! Jack!" 
 
 " Gilbert's callin' you," observed Pete. 
 
 "I'd ha' bin thar long 'go," grumbled 
 Jack, " if the horses hadn't a' bin out," 
 and stepping into the cellarway he 
 pushed the doors shut. 
 
 Harry drew a long breath as he beard 
 their footsteps dying away, and then 
 moving from the door he began to make 
 his way through the interior of the cellar. 
 
 He feared to strike a match, not know- 
 ing how many guerillas might be dis- 
 closed by its light. 
 
 He knew that as long as the night lasted 
 he might pass as one of the band, should 
 he unexpectedly meet any of them. 
 
 " Well, 1 must have a little light to see 
 what I am about, so — what's that?" 
 
 He stopped suddenly, as the cellar- 
 doors opened, and a form appeared an 
 instant in bold relief against the sky, and 
 stepped inside, while the doors swung 
 gently to again. 
 
 For a minute Harry stood spell-bound. 
 He certainly knew that form, and was 
 sure he had made no mistake on account 
 of the imperfect light that came through 
 the open doorway. 
 
 " That certainly was Arthu-," he said 
 to himself, as soon as he recovered" from 
 his surprise; "but how did he get here I 
 would like to know?" 
 
 He deliberated a moment as to how he 
 could satisfy himself of the truth, for no* 
 the slightest sound came from the iu 
 t ruder. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 ]1 
 
 He started to approach the quarter 
 
 where lie thought Arthur stood, when 
 
 his foot struck something lying loose on 
 
 'the floor, which made a harsh, grating 
 
 noise. 
 
 He stopped in alarm, thinking of the 
 consequences of his act if the intruder 
 were not his friend. 
 
 He wa# not given time for much 
 thought, however, for the doors opened 
 Iftgaiu, and another figure entered. 
 
 He walked about a. few minutes, in a 
 maniior which led Harry to think he knew 
 the place thoroughly. 
 
 To his great chagrin Harry heard him 
 pick up a lantern, and prepare to light it. 
 This was sure to lead to discovery, and 
 Harry was by no means ready for this. 
 
 So drawing his revolver he prepared to 
 control matters, if possible. 
 
 A pale blue speck, which gradually in- 
 creased to a. bright flame, disclosed to 
 Harry's eyes the guerilla Kneeling before 
 a lantern, and in the act of applying the 
 flame to the wick. 
 
 So full of the purpose of silencing him 
 Harry had forgotten the presence of the 
 first comer, and revolver in hand he 
 stood within a few feet of the last in- 
 truder. 
 
 When the latter arose to his feet he 
 felt the cold muzzle of a revolver against 
 his temple, and a voice said in his ear: 
 "Silence or you die.'' 1 
 
 " That's what I say," chimed in another 
 voice, and Arthur stepped up, brandish- 
 ing a revolver, and repeated the words. 
 
 "Give me that lantern. "ordered Harry, 
 who had no time for greetings. "Unarm 
 him, Artie: 1 ' 
 
 While Harry held the lantern Arthur 
 went quickly through the man's pockets, 
 and brought to light a revolver and a 
 clasp-knife. 
 
 "That replaces mine that I lost to- 
 night," said Arthur, placing the revolver 
 in his pojket. "Now, Harry, what do 
 yon want to do with this fellow?" 
 
 "Tie him up first," replied Harry. 
 
 While Harry kept him covered with 
 
 his revolver Arthur looked around and 
 
 found a strap, with Which the hands and 
 
 , feet of t he Confederate were securely tied. 
 
 " Find a place to put him," continued 
 Harry. 
 
 Picking up his lantern Arthur held it 
 aloft to survey the surroundings. 
 
 The room in which they were seemed 
 to be used as a stable and harness-room. 
 The walls were hung with saddles, 
 bridles, whips, and sabers, while along 
 mie end of the room was a tier of stalls. 
 A number of doors led out of the room in 
 different directions. 
 
 Arthur proceeded to the stalls and 
 found all empty. 
 
 "Take him back there," he said to 
 Harry, when he returned. 
 
 With one at his head and another at 
 his feet the guerilla was quickly placed 
 on his back in one of the stalls. 
 
 "Now," said Hairy to him, " we want 
 our questions answered, and," flourishing 
 his revolver in his enemy's face, " we 
 won't hesitate to use these things, if you 
 don't tell the truth. What's your name?" 
 
 "Jack Cobb." 
 
 "All right, Mr. Cobb; we won't do you 
 any harm, as long as you do as we "tell 
 you. What's your business about this 
 shanty?" 
 
 " I'm stable, boss," replied Jack. 
 
 " Where's the stable?" asked Harry. u 
 
 " You're in't now," answered the other. 
 
 "What did you come here for just 
 now?" Harry went on. 
 
 "None o' yer business." 
 
 "Be careful," admonished Harry, press- 
 ing his revolver against the guerilla's 
 head. "Answer my question.' 1 
 
 " I come to light the lantern." 
 
 "Once more," said Harr5 r , sternly, and 
 the ominous click told Jack he had gone 
 too far. 
 
 "The cap sent me here," he began, 
 hastily, frightened at his temerity, "to 
 find out how many saddles and bridies is 
 here." 
 
 " What did he want to know for?" con- 
 tinued Harry. 
 
 " He's goin' on an 1 expedition," replied 
 Jack. 
 
 " AVhat will he do when he finds you 
 don't come back?" 
 
 "Send somebody else to find out, I 
 s'pose." 
 
 "Where are the horses that belong 
 here?" asked Harry, after a moment's 
 thought. 
 
 " Hid in the woods, 'bout half a mile 
 away." 
 
 " What are they doing there?" 
 
 " The cap's goin' to use 'em to-night." 
 
 " How many of them are there?" 
 
 " Three." 
 
 " Good ones?" 
 
 "The best in thecountry. Say, Yank," 
 Jack continued, "I bin answerin' your 
 questions, now answer one of mine-. 
 What are vou keepin' me down this way 
 fer? Hey?" * 
 
 "Never mind that just now. How 
 manv men are there up-stairs?" 
 
 "'Bout thirty." 
 
 "Is there any dry wood and shavings 
 in this cellar?" demanded Hairy, ab- 
 ruptly. 
 
 Jack seemed astonished at the question. 
 
 "What fer?" he asked, when he re- 
 covered himself. 
 
 " Never mind," replied Harry, sharplv, 
 "is there?" 
 
12 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 ''They ain't none in this room, but 
 they is in another one. over there, but I 
 can't show it to you, 'kase you got me 
 tied." 
 
 ''Cut hi in loose, Artie," said Harry. 
 
 Arthur pulied the clasp-knife from his 
 pocket, and flirting the strap from his 
 feet assisted him to rise. 
 
 "Remember, now," said Harry, "we 
 have oar revolvers on you, and it will be 
 sure death to you if you lead us into the 
 hands of your friends." 
 
 Jack earnestly protested that none of 
 the band was below the first story. 
 
 "Just remember that we have the drop 
 on yon, and you know what is best for 
 you," was Harry's reply. 
 
 Jack now led them to the end of the 
 stable, which was opposite the door 
 through which they had entered. The 
 door, like all those that connected differ- 
 ent rooms in the cellar, was of iron grat- 
 ing, and secured by a spring lock. 
 
 " Reach up on the sill and git down the 
 key," said Jack. 
 
 Arthur looked up and noticed a small 
 projecting stone ridge, upon which he 
 found the key. 
 
 Inserting it in the lock the latch opened, 
 and they stepped into a long passage- 
 way. 
 
 After going some twenty feet Harry 
 stopped abruptly, and said: "Go back 
 and get a lantern, Artie. We can't see in 
 this place." 
 
 Arthur quickly went back to the stable 
 room, and was about to pick up one of 
 the lanterns, when the outside door was 
 kicked open and three guerillas came 
 in. 
 
 They stopped an instant in amazement, 
 and then, with an ejaculation of surprise, 
 rushed upon Arthur, who stood lantern 
 in hand, undecided how to act. 
 
 As the guerillas came upon him he 
 dropped the lantern just as the foremost 
 laid hold of him. 
 
 With one of his lightning blows Arthur 
 stretched tin's man on the floor, while 
 the other two came upon him at the same 
 instant. 
 
 Another right-hander, similar to the 
 first, dropped the second man, but the 
 third now presented his pistol on one 
 side, and the first, who had picked him- 
 self off the floor, presented one on the 
 other. 
 
 With a loaded pistol looking into each 
 eye Arthur knew that he was worsted, 
 BO he submitted without any trouble. 
 
 "Now, my young high-stepper, I 
 reckon we got you safe now," said one, 
 as be finished binding Arthur's hands 
 behind his back. 
 
 "Come alone:, now," said one. "I'm 
 mighty sure the cap'n 'd like to see you," 
 
 and Arthur was hurried out into the 
 open air again. 
 
 They took him around the house and 
 walked directly toward a flight of broad* 
 stone steps which seemed to Arthur to 
 lead into the front hall. 
 
 His conjecture proved true, for his 
 captors went quickly up the steps and 
 kicked open the magnificent oak doors 
 and entered a wide hall. 
 
 "These fellows have driven a Unionist 
 family from their house and taken pos- 
 session of it," was Arthur's first thought 
 after entering, but his attention was 
 quickly drawn to his own more pressing 
 affairs. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 BEFORE THE GUERILLA CAPTAIN. 
 
 His captors led him down the hall di- 
 rectly to the door that opened at the 
 other end. 
 
 Throwing open this door they stepped 
 into a room that was nearly full of men — 
 those who had not long since returned 
 from their unsuccessful search for Ar- 
 thur. 
 
 The entrance of the two guerillas and 
 their captive created the greatest sensa- 
 tion. They crowded around asking and 
 shouting questions, with exclamations 
 indicative of the greatest astonishment. 
 
 " Whar'd vou ketch 'im?" 
 
 " Who ketched the Yank." 
 
 These questions were propounded by 
 nearly everybody in the room, making 
 the babel of voices almost deafening. 
 
 This lasted only a moment when a 
 hoarse voice was heard shouting: 
 
 " What's ail this row about? Less 
 noise!" 
 
 A score of voices replied: 
 
 "The Yank's ketched, cap'n." 
 
 The mob fell apart to allow the captors 
 to bring the prisoner to their chief. 
 
 Making their way through the crowd 
 with Arthur still between them, they 
 presently stood before a short, heavily- 
 built man, with a bushy black beard. 
 
 He bent a sharp glance on Arthur and 
 demanded his captors to make their re- 
 port. 
 
 " We found this Yank in the stable, 
 cap'n." began one. 
 
 The captain started. 
 
 " Where?" he demanded. 
 
 " In the stable," repeated he who had 
 spoken. " An' here's Pete Bink an' Tern 
 Burk as was with me w'en I found him. ' 
 
 '" (to on," said the captain. 
 
 " He was standin'in the middle o' tfr > 
 floor w'en we went in an' we jus' lit om 
 him an' brought him up here. That'll 
 1 know about it," concluded the eprffc**- 
 man. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 J I 
 
 
 "What's the matter with your fore- 
 head?' asked the captain. "Did you run 
 Against the wail?" 
 
 The guerilla looked slowly around the 
 circle of interested listeners and then at 
 Arthur, before replying. 
 
 "The Yank gimme a knock," he said, 
 doggedly. 
 
 Serious as his position was. Arthur 
 could not refrain from joining in the 
 laugh at his captor's expense. 
 
 "Oh, it ain't me alone," said the guer- 
 illa, nettled at The mirth of his friends. 
 " Lcok at Pete Bink." 
 
 The gaze of the gang was instantly di- 
 rected toward Pete, whose one eye was 
 almost closed by the blow Arthur had 
 given him in the scuffle in the stable. 
 
 Pete was made the butt of innumer- 
 able jests on account of the black ap- 
 pearance of his eye. 
 
 "Did yer rub charcoal in yer eye, 
 Pete?" asked one. 
 
 " No, he run agin the cellar wall," said 
 another. 
 
 They kept on in this way till the chief 
 suddenly ordered silence. 
 
 Turning to Arthur, who had been 
 standing perfectly quiet all the while, he 
 said: 
 
 "Young man, how did you come to be 
 in our cellar?" 
 
 "I walked in the door," replied Ar- 
 thur. 
 
 "Why did you go in?" asked the guer- 
 illa chief. 
 
 "Because I wanted to escape your 
 band," replied Arthur. 
 
 "Were you the Yankee soldier or scout 
 or spy what raised an alarm in the woods 
 near here a short time ago?" 
 
 " I guess I'm the one you mean, though 
 I'm no spy." 
 
 "Ah!" said the captain. " What were 
 you doing about here, then?" 
 
 " I wasn't doing anything. I was walk- 
 ing along peacefully when one of — 1 sup- 
 pose — your men came along and " 
 
 Arthur was going to say "molested 
 me," when he remembered it was he that 
 stopped the guerilla and not the guerilla 
 who had stopped him. 
 
 The guerilla chief finished the sentence 
 for him. 
 
 "Yes,' 1 he said, "you were walking 
 along peacefully until he came along. 
 Then you saw fit to try and knock his 
 brains out. What was your business in 
 this placev" 
 
 " I have business in this place or rather 
 in this neighborhood," replied Arthur, 
 " but I refuse to divulge the nature of 
 it." 
 
 'In that case I must consider you as a 
 TC'.'/on spy and act acordingly," and rais- 
 ing his voice the captain called two men 
 
 "Take the prisoner up-stairs and see 
 that he is placed in a secure apartment." 
 
 "This is getting rather unpleasant," 
 thought Arthur,, as he was taken from 
 the room. "One good thing is." he con- 
 tinued to himself, "that Harry is still 
 loose and has that guerilla to guide him 
 around so he may get upstairs and get 
 me loose, too. 1 hope he won't set the 
 house on fire with me in it, tied." 
 
 They went into the wide hall, and as- 
 cending the broad stair-case went into 
 a room on the seuond floor. 
 
 By the light of a lantern which one of 
 the guerillas carried. Arthur noticed that 
 he was in a very large room totallv de- 
 void of furniture. At the high windows 
 hung torn and tattered lace curtains 
 which looked as if their appearance was 
 due more to hard usage than to age. It- 
 was altogether a gloomy-looking room 
 and the guerillas seemed" to be anxious 
 to get through their work quickly. 
 
 One of them ordered Arthur to lie 
 down, and taking a rope from his pocket 
 tied i t secu rely round his an k les, and pick- 
 ing up the lantern they left the room, 
 locking the door after them. 
 
 Arthur tossed about on the hard floor 
 for some time after they left, and finally, 
 fatigued with the long walk from the 
 river and by the exciting scenes through 
 which he had passed, he dropped into an 
 uneasy slumber. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ALMOST TRAPPED. 
 
 When Harry sent Arthur for a lantern 
 while he waited in the passage-way, he 
 thought his work nearly accomplished. 
 He had figured out a plan which in sub- 
 stance was this: He would immediately 
 set fire to the house by starting the shav- 
 ings in the room of which Jack, the 
 guerilla teamster, had spoken; then com- 
 pelling him to show them the way, they 
 would go and seize Captain Henry's 
 horses, all of which he calculated they 
 could do by the time the fire had alarmed 
 the inmates of the house. 
 
 When once they were seated on the 
 captain's horses he was sure, from Jack's 
 description of them, that he need be 
 afraid of no pursuit. 
 
 All this passed rapidly through his 
 mind as Arthur left him to procure a 
 lantern, and when he heard the voices 
 and the scuffle he knew that Arthur had 
 been discovered. 
 
 His own revolver kept Jack in subjec- 
 tion, but he waited apprehensively to 
 see if Arthur's captors made any investi- 
 gation of the cellar, but he was so close 
 he heard them declare their intea&w> ,t 
 
14 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 taking their captive before their superior 
 at once. 
 
 Their footsteps dying away almost 
 immediately assured him that nothing 
 was to be feared from that source. 
 
 "I must have a lantern," he said to him- 
 self, "or I can't get along." 
 
 Catching Jack by the arm he hurried 
 him back to the stable. 
 
 •• I want a lantern; not the one on the 
 floor, but another one," lie said. "Quickly, 
 where ran i get it?" 
 
 "They ain't none here," replied Jack. 
 " They was all took to hunt in the woods 
 feryer brother." 
 
 "I have to take this one, then," said 
 Harry. 
 
 He was about to pick up the one on 
 the floor, when he saw to his delight the 
 dark lantern that Arthur had brought. 
 
 "Lead the way." he said, hastily pick- 
 ing it up, "and be quick about it. ' 
 
 They started out into the passage-way 
 again, and in a few moments were stand- 
 ing before the door that they had started 
 to come to before. 
 
 Above the edge was the key, and open- 
 ing the door Harry stepped back, mak- 
 ing Jack enter first. 
 
 Harry locked the door after him and 
 was startled almost immediately by 
 hearing the shuffling of feet and voices 
 -on the floor above. 
 
 He instantly stepped up to Jack, and 
 putting his revolver against his temple, 
 said: "I told you I would shoot you 
 down and I meant it— if you lead me into 
 trouble." 
 
 This room was below the room in 
 which the guerillas were congregated 
 when Arthur was brought in a prisoner, 
 and Harry upon elevating his lantern 
 noticed a trap-door in the floor above, 
 against which was placed a ladder. 
 
 "Them fellers don't never come down 
 here," said Jack, sullenly. "An' you 
 wanted me to show you the shavin's." 
 
 In one corner was a huge pile of wood 
 and small shavings, though they looked 
 as if they had not been disturbed in 
 years. 
 
 " How do those shavings happen to 
 be here?" asked Harry. 
 
 " Don't know," answered the guerilla. 
 " They bin here as long as I have." 
 
 This was rather indefinite, seeing 
 Harry knew as little about the shavings 
 as about Jack, but he was not interested 
 in them except inasmuch as they an- 
 swered his purpose. 
 
 11," busied himself with pulling to- 
 gether a large pile of them. When this 
 was done he stepped back and surveyed 
 them approvingly. 
 
 Then he quickly placed the small wood 
 on top of it, after which he carefully laid 
 
 on a number of large boards. This 
 raised the pile to the height of about six 
 feet, or about two feet less than that of 
 the ceiling. 
 
 When this was finished he pulled from 
 his pocket his wad of cotton aud bottle 
 of coal-oil. and pouring the whole on the 
 cotton he placed it in the midst of the 
 shavings at the bottom of the pile. 
 
 "There." he said to himself, "that 
 ought to do the business. "' 
 
 Jack had watched the whole proceed- 
 ing in unspeakable surprise. 
 
 "What in tarnation are you goin' to 
 do?" he demanded again and again. 
 
 Harry, who had not seen lit to make 
 him any reply, now turned to and asked: 
 
 " Where did that three hundred men 
 come from that were here last night?" 
 
 "The cap'u gethered 'em in the ken- 
 try," replied the guerilla. 
 
 " Is there any other place where they 
 gather?" continued Harry. 
 
 " Not as I knows on." 
 
 Whether this was the truth Harry 
 could not be certain, as he had no means 
 of ascertaining whether his captive was 
 deceiving him or not. 
 
 The guerilla seemed to accept his situ- 
 ation gracefully, and his ready answers 
 gave him no time for prevarication, un- 
 less he was very expert in that accom- 
 plishment. 
 
 "Now, I tell you what I want you to do," 
 said Harry, abruptly changing the sub- 
 ject. "I want you to take me up stairs, 
 and help me to liberate that young fel- 
 low that came here with me. Will you 
 do it?" 
 
 " I can't," replied Jack, evasively. 
 
 " Well, there is a private stair-way in 
 the house that leads all the way to the 
 garret, isn't Vhere?" 
 
 "It's no private stair-way, but there is 
 one,'' answered the guerilla. 
 
 " Well, take me to it, right away." 
 
 They went out of the room, locking the 
 door after them. 
 
 They had not gone but a few feet when 
 a light suddenly appeared at the other 
 end of the passage-way. 
 
 One of the guerillas was approaching 
 with a lantern in his hand. 
 
 Harry and his captive were just at a 
 door when the light first appeared, and 
 he instantly shut off his lantern, warning 
 Jack at the same time to keep silence. 
 
 Hastily reaching up above the door he 
 seized the key, and unlocking the door 
 pushed Jack in, while he himself fol 
 lowed. 
 
 Just as the door closed the guerilla in 
 the passage called out: 
 
 Jack! Jack! where ar you? You lazy 
 lubber. I sent for you half an hovJc 
 ago." 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 But Jack was silent, Harry's ready re- 
 volver being; again called into play, 
 while he looked around for some place of 
 concealment. 
 
 The doors of The cellar, as has before 
 been noted, being grated, the guerilla 
 had only to raise his lantern and hold it 
 against the bars to get a complete view 
 of the room, except the small space along 
 the front wall on each side of the door. 
 
 •' Who is that out there? 1 ' asked Harry, 
 in a whisper. 
 
 " It's Gilbert, I guess," replied Jack. 
 "Who's he?" asked Harry again. 
 "He's the captain's leftenant," an- 
 swered Jack. 
 
 " Wdl he look in the rooms as he goes 
 ilong?" 
 " I guess so," was the cheering response. 
 "Well, we must get close to the wall, 
 and keep out of his sight, if we can," and 
 they shifted their positions accordingly. 
 Gilbert, however, did not search much 
 for his missing man, but passed by, re- 
 peating his call every minute or so, and 
 muttering to himself in a manner that 
 boded ill for Jack. 
 
 In the course of about five minutes he 
 returned still more enraged at the fruit- 
 lessness of his search. 
 
 " I'll put the scoundrel on bread and 
 water a week for this, an' I'll find him 
 to-night if he's in this building if I have 
 to send every man that's upstairs down 
 here," he growled, as he repassed the 
 room in which the two were concealed. 
 
 As his footsteps died away Harry de- 
 manded: 
 
 " How will he get up-stairs? the way 
 we go up?" 
 
 "Yes; unless he goes out the back way 
 and up," answered Jack; " but that ain't 
 likely." 
 
 "Well, we must follow him right away 
 in case he sends somebody down here to 
 hunt you up. Come on." 
 
 They were once more in the passage- 
 way walking rapidly. 
 
 "We turn off here," said Jack, ab- 
 ruptly, stopping where another passage 
 intersected the one in which they were. 
 
 "This leads to the stairs, does it?" 
 asked Harry. 
 
 "Yes," answered the other, and they 
 proceeded down the new passage-way. 
 
 They had not gone far when they were 
 
 again startled by footsteps behind them. 
 
 Just as they turned another guerilla 
 
 came into view in the passage they had 
 
 just left. 
 
 He stopped short on seeing our hero 
 and his captive, and after giving one 
 stare he fled from the spot as if pursued 
 by demons, while the bullet sent after 
 him by Harry whistled harmlessly past 
 his head. 
 
 "Hurry up, now," said Harry, sharply, 
 to the guerilla hostler. "That fellow 
 will make mischief enough for me." 
 
 Indeed, the other guerilla was doing 
 his best to raise the occupants of the 
 mansion. He kept up a continuous yell- 
 ing and pounding which, added to the 
 noise of Harry's shot, made racket 
 enough to be heard far and wide. 
 
 Meanwhile Harry had pushed Jack 
 along at a rapid rate, and after changing 
 their course once more they finally 
 reached a small door of iron built into 
 the wall. 
 
 "Where's the key? Quick!" demanded 
 Harry, impatiently, looking back every 
 moment to see if their pursuers had yet 
 come in sight. 
 
 " Don't need no key," answered Ja'ck, 
 who now began to show obvious signs of 
 unwillingness to act as guide any longer. 
 "How do you get through, then?" de- 
 manded Harry, finally. "Remember, I 
 stand no fooling," and the revolver was 
 again raised. 
 
 "They is a spring in the upper corner. 
 Put yer finder on't and the door will 
 slide," replied Jack, once more subdued. 
 Harry held up his lantern but saw 
 nothing that looked like a spring, and 
 he suspected the guerilla was deceiving 
 him; nevertheless he pressed on the 
 corner and the door slid back. 
 
 Motioning Jack through he looked 
 down the passage again; it was still 
 empty, but the shouts and footsteps jtoid 
 that a party of the rebels was not far 
 distant and approaching rapidly. 
 
 " How far does this door shut?" asked 
 Harry, observing that it remained open 
 after he went through. 
 
 "Give it a push an' it'll slide shut 
 agin," replied Jack, starting up the nar- 
 row stair-way. 
 
 After proceeding till he reached about 
 the level of the first floor, Harry asked: 
 " Where does this lead to?" 
 "Clear up to the garret." 
 " Are there no doors leading from it on 
 each floor?" 
 "No." 
 
 " Why is that?" asked Harry, sur- 
 prised. 
 
 "Don't know," was Jack's reply. 
 He seemed to know but little of the 
 whys and wherefores of the house, if he 
 told the truth, and what he didn't know 
 he seemed content to remain in igno- 
 rance of. 
 
 "Well, we'll stop here a few minutes 
 anyway, till those fellows have time to 
 get into the cellar." 
 
 Jack stopped, and as he did so mar- 
 veled at how completely he was in the 
 Yankee's power. It is true his hands 
 were bound, but then he had always Do 
 
16 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 lieved like the larger part of the rebels 
 that one of their soldiers was a match for 
 at least two Union soldiers, and he 
 awakened, as did many others, to the error 
 of their idea before they fought many 
 iut>i: r hs of t lie war. 
 
 *' Where do yon confine your prisoners 
 in this house?" asked Harry, suddenly 
 breaking in upon his reverie. 
 
 " Never had any afore." 
 
 " Where do you suppose Arthur is?" 
 asked Harry, impatiently. 
 
 " Maybe in the cellar or on the first 
 floor or on the second," replied Jack. 
 
 Harry, in disgust, ordered him to pro- 
 ceed up stairs, thinking he could use his 
 time more profitably otherwise than in 
 questioning the perverse guerilla. 
 
 The stair way Seemed very long, and it 
 6eemed to Harry that they must have 
 come very much higher than the house 
 could possibly be. 
 
 At last they stepped under a trap-door, 
 ■which upon opening, Harry was suprised 
 to find himself looking out upon the flat 
 roof of the house. He turned fiercely to 
 the guerilla, and demanded why he had 
 brought him here. 
 
 "Wait a minit," replied Jack, coolly, 
 and stepping out upon the roof he di- 
 rected his steps to one side a short dis- 
 tance. 
 
 " Here," he said to Harry, who followed 
 closely, "is the trap that lets down into 
 the garret." 
 
 "Is it safe to go down there?" asked 
 Harry. 
 
 "They ain't anybody there, if that's 
 what you mean." 
 
 "Go ahead, then," commanded Harry. 
 
 The guerilla stepped carefully upon 
 the ladder which served the trap as steps, 
 and with Harry following closely, they 
 descetided into a large garret un parti- 
 tioned and unfinished. Jack, without 
 stopping, led the way to the other end, 
 and lifting another trap-door with his 
 feet disclosed another small stair-way. 
 
 "That leads to a little room on the 
 second floor," he explained, "an' that 
 opens to the hall." 
 
 " All right," said Harry. " Go ahead." 
 
 Jack started down the stairs, and when 
 they reached the little room they heard 
 the noise of the search which was being 
 vigorously prosecuted. 
 
 Harry went, to the door that led to the 
 hall and opening it a crack peered out, 
 and then turning around quickly mo- 
 tioned Jack to his side. " Who's .that?" 
 he whispered. 
 
 Jack peered through the crack and 
 drew back nodding his head expressive- 
 ly, "That's cap," he said. 
 
 It was the same short, thick-set, heavi- 
 ly-bearded man that Harry had seen a 
 
 couple of hours before in the woods, and 
 he was walking rapidly down the hall. 
 
 At length, reaching a door he unlocked 
 it and stepped inside 
 
 " Come on," said Harry, and they hui 
 ried after him. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 A FIRE STARTUP. 
 
 It seemed to Arthur that he had 
 scarcely fallen asleep when a heavy hand 
 was laid on his shoulder and a voice said 
 in his ear; 
 
 "So ho! my young bird, it's not you, 
 then, that's making this disturbance:'" 
 
 The captain had just betaken himself 
 to his rest when the uproar was raised in 
 the cellar, and the first thing he thought 
 of was his prisoner — hence his visit to 
 Arthur. 
 
 Arthur with difficulty collected his 
 scattered senses. He did not know where 
 he was at first, and just as his where- 
 abouts and the condition of things began 
 to dawn on him the captain of the guer- 
 illa band spoke again. 
 
 '• What has become of your partner?" 
 he asked. "There were two of you 
 roaming around this evening, bit I 
 neglected to seize the other lad when I 
 did you." 
 
 As the captain was speaking the door, 
 opened softly and two figures stole si- 
 lently in. 
 
 Arthur, who was lying face to the door, 
 saw the whole proceeding, while the 
 guerilla chief, who was facing Arthur, re- 
 mained in ignorance of it. 
 
 " I guess you would have seized him if 
 you could when your men captured me," 
 replied Arthur, bluntly, not knowing 
 just what to say to hold the captain's at- 
 tention. 
 
 "Still," said the captain, "you haven't 
 told me where the oth«»- spy is." 
 
 " Here he is!" exclaimed another voice. 
 
 The captain sprung up, only to find 
 himself confronted by th« navy revolver 
 that had quelled his unde" ling so effectu- 
 ally and so often during the past two 
 hours. 
 
 "Walk into that corner avd don't say a 
 word," commanded Harry, j*nd stooping 
 down he cut Arthur's bonds, vt the same 
 time keeping an eye on his two captivos. 
 
 " We must tie the captain up, Artie," 
 he said. "Get something quf".k. it's 
 getting too warm around here for us." 
 
 Arthur cast his eyes about the room, 
 and then stepped up to the window <md 
 tore down the curtains. 
 
 "They'll hold him, I guess," he mat- 
 tered, "and it's the only thing there I ." 
 
 In the course of a few seconds the Jul 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 17 
 
 tain was in the same plight in which he 
 nail found Arthur only a few moments 
 before. 
 
 When Harry said it was getting too 
 warm for them, he felt that he had been 
 too long coming So that conclusion. He 
 might well think that, after creating snch 
 a disturbance among the guerillas, and 
 keeping out of their power so long, they 
 would take particular precautions to pre- 
 vent him and Arthur from escaping 
 finally. 
 
 That they could easily do this he did 
 not doubt, and if fortune came not to his 
 aid very soon the future looked gloomy 
 enough. 
 
 Still the guerillas, thus far, had not 
 shown any remarkable sagacity, and tak- 
 ing their stupidity for granted he hoped 
 to outwit them by their own actions, 
 rather than by any brilliant move on his 
 own part. 
 
 One cause of his perplexity was Jack, 
 the hostler — he did not know what dis- 
 position to make of him. 
 
 He feare/1 to take him along on the 
 move that he was about to make, and he 
 hesitated about leaving him with the 
 guerilla chief. 
 
 While his brows were knit over these 
 matters the sounds of the search were 
 gradually coming nearer, as if a party of 
 the guerillas were about to begin "on the 
 first floor. 
 
 Realizing that whatever was to be done 
 must he done quickly, Harry said: 
 
 ".Where can we put this fellow, Artie?" 
 nodding toward Jack. " We want to get 
 him out of the way." 
 
 "We might tie his feet and put him 
 into the next room," suggested Arthur. 
 "There's a door. See where it leads too." 
 
 Harry opened the door indicated, and 
 by the aid of the lantern discovered an- 
 other room, somewhat smaller than the 
 one in which they were. He was about 
 to close the door when he noticed a small 
 door in the wall on th« opposite side, 
 about four feet high by one broad. 
 
 "What is that little door used for?" he 
 demanded of the prisoners. 
 
 Jack Cobb looked at his chief, expect- 
 ing him to reply, but the captain re- 
 mained silent. 
 
 "Speak out!" exclaimed Harry, impa- 
 tiently, drawing his revolver, but for 
 once in the evening he had mistaken his 
 man. 
 
 The guerilla chieftain was a brave man, 
 and he looked into the muzzle of the re- 
 volver without flinching, at the same 
 time saying calmly: 
 
 "If you think you are more likely to 
 get information from me by shooting me, 
 &■*•/• are welcome to make the attempt." 
 
 Aarry looked at him a moment in as- 
 
 tonishment, and then without a word 
 turned to the other guerilla, and repeated 
 his question. 
 
 "Jack," interrupted the guerilla chief, 
 "if you reply to tliat question remember 
 that you have an account with me to 
 settle, and a severe one, too." 
 
 But Jack had already caught the cap- 
 tain's spirit, and had refused to make 
 reply. 
 
 Harry put his revolver back in his pock- 
 et, turning as he did so to the guerilla 
 chief. 
 
 "You are right," he said. "I could 
 gain nothing by taking the lives of either 
 of you," and going directly to the little 
 door with a lantern and opening it, he 
 disappeared beyond it. 
 
 Arthur, who had said nothing during 
 the whole proceedings, waited apprehen- 
 sively for the result of Harry's trip. 
 
 Presently Harry came back, and catch- 
 ing the guerilla hostler by the shoulders 
 motioned Arthur to seize his feet, which 
 had been bound together. 
 
 "Now." said Harry, when they had de- 
 posited their burden in the next room, 
 " we'll leave." 
 
 "Whereto now?" questioned Arthur. 
 
 "Come on, I'll show you," answered 
 Harrv, once more stepping put into the 
 hall." 
 
 Leading the way to the small room in 
 which were the stairs leading to the gar- 
 ret, he was about to ascend, when a series 
 of unearthly yells and shouts burst upon 
 his ears. 
 
 Our two friends looked at each other in 
 dismay. 
 
 Both realized that they had made a 
 serious mistake in neglecting to gag their 
 two prisoners. 
 
 Before their shouts could be suppressed 
 the alarm would be all through the 
 house. 
 
 "Be quick," cried Harr} r , springing up 
 the stairs; " we haven't a moment to 
 lose " 
 
 " Bolt that door behind you," he cried, 
 on reachiug the head of the stairs. 
 "Now, notice where you are going," he 
 continued, when Arthur joined him. 
 "Follow me, and lock every door that has 
 a fastening." 
 
 With the aid of their lantern they soon 
 found the ladder leading up to the roof. 
 
 When they pushed off the trap door 
 Arthur whispered to Harry, who carried 
 the lantern: "Shut off the light; there 
 may be some of the rascals out in the 
 yard." 
 
 When they reached the door that led 
 to the cellar they listened a moment, but 
 if there was any persons coming they 
 could neither see nor hear them. 
 
 Unluckily for them there was no bolt 
 
18 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 on the inside of this door, and all they 
 could do, as they went through, was to 
 pull it tight shut. 
 
 They proceeded as quickly and as si- 
 lently as possible down the narrow stair- 
 way, and as they n eared the bottom the 
 shouts and noises had nearly .ill died away. 
 "This miist lead to the center of the 
 earth,'' said Arthur, in surprise. "How 
 did you happen to find this out Harry?" 
 •' Ob, I've been around the whole place 
 while you've been running afoul of every 
 guerilla that has come within a mile of 
 you." 
 
 " I did run most terribly foul of one of 
 the rascals. Just look at my forehead," 
 replied Arthur, chuckling. 
 
 " What did that?" asked Harry, notic- 
 ing a large red spot much swelled. 
 
 " I ran into a fellow out in the woods, 
 and struck him on the back of the head 
 with my forehead, and knocked him into 
 a little brook head first. Just look at my 
 feet how wet they are. I went in, too," 
 and Arthur surveyed his feet ruefully. 
 
 " Well, we must be moving, or you will 
 be worse off than that by a good bit," 
 suid Harry, hastening on. 
 
 In a few moments more they reached 
 the bottom of the stair-way. 
 
 Listening a moment Harry opened the 
 door cautiously and peered out. The pas- 
 sage was in darkness, and not a sound 
 greeted their ears except from above. 
 
 Stepping out they moved quickly down 
 the passage, intent on reaching the room 
 where the pile of shavings had been 
 heaped. 
 
 Turning off at the first intersection of 
 passages Harry stopped a moment to 
 think. 
 
 " I guess this is the right way," he mut- 
 tered, stepping forward again. In a few 
 seconds they reached the main passage, 
 and there Harry recovered his reckoning. 
 A few steps brought them to the door of 
 the room for which they were making, 
 and on noticing it Harry stopped short. 
 
 It, was not as he left it — locked, but 
 wide open. 
 
 The guerillas had evidently been in it, 
 as in every other room in the cellar, 
 searching for him. 
 
 He wondered what they thought of the 
 pile of combustible material, and whether 
 they suspected its purpose. 
 
 After making sure that nobody was 
 there he stepped in. 
 
 •Humph!" he said to Arthur, as the 
 condition of the room fell upon his eyes. 
 " They must have thought we were hiding 
 under that pile." 
 
 Something, indeed, they must have 
 thought, for the pile was there no longer, 
 and what went to constitute it was scat- 
 tered over every inch of the floor. 
 
 Boards, shavings, and small wood were 
 lying about in the most promiscuous 
 fashion, and the odor of the coal-oil that 
 Harry had used pervaded the room. 
 
 The two set to work with all haste tc 
 set the pile up again. The cotton wad 
 saturated with oil was found in a corner, 
 and as many of the soaked shavings as 
 could be gathered were placed upon it. 
 
 In the course of a quarter of an hour 
 the heap touched the sleepers in the floor 
 above. 
 
 " We'll get her started, anyway," mut- 
 tered Hairy, as he knelt down and struck 
 a match. 
 
 Holding it a moment until it blazed up 
 brightly, he applied it to the cotton wad, 
 then to several other points. 
 
 In a minute the whole pile was in a 
 blaze, and the smoke rolling out com- 
 pelled them to vacate the room as quickly 
 as they could. 
 
 Upon reaching the passage-way they 
 looked back to see how the tire was pro- 
 gressing. Through the smoke they could 
 see the flames licking the ceiling, which 
 was already much blackened. 
 
 "Come on," said Harry, moving off. 
 " The quicker we get away from here the 
 better it will be for us." 
 
 They started in the direction of the 
 stable, but hearing voices there they 
 paused* 
 
 " Wait a second," whispered Arthur, 
 "and I'll take a peep and see who's 
 there." 
 
 Stepping softly forward he stood a 
 moment before the door which led into 
 the stable. 
 
 "Well?" said Harry, when hereturnedc 
 
 " Eight of them there," was the reply. 
 
 Turning about they started back to- 
 ward the fire again. When they passed 
 the door they could see that the fire had 
 caught the floor above and was spreading 
 rapidly. 
 
 " Let's turn off here," suggested Ar- 
 thur, pointing to a passage that they had 
 not yet had occasion to use. 
 
 Just then they were startled by shouts 
 of "fire! fire!" 
 
 "Hurry up!" both exclaimed, darting 
 down the passage. 
 
 The cry of fire was taken up and echoed 
 and re-echoed through the whole house. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PURSUIT. 
 
 When the guerilla chief was taken and 
 bound so cleverly by Harry, he knew 
 that he would not remain long a captive, 
 as somebody was sure to come to the 
 room to look after the captive they had 
 placed there only a short time before. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 lft 
 
 The captain was therefore surprised 
 that no move was made to gag either 
 himself or his hostler, and accordingly 
 congratulated himself that the tables 
 would be once more turned, and this 
 Time in his favor. 
 
 He had no sooner satisfied himself that 
 the Yankees were out of sight, than 
 lie and Jack Cobb set the house in alarm 
 by shouting at the top of their voices. 
 Their situation, however, prevented their 
 being heard for some minutes, thus giving 
 our heroes a valuable start. 
 
 Though Cobb had been placed in the 
 next room, it was more for the purpose of 
 preventing him assisting the captain to 
 release himself, than to put him out of 
 reach of his chief's voice; consequently 
 the following dialogue took place, with- 
 out material inconvenience to either cf 
 them: 
 
 "How did you happen to fall in with 
 those two Yanks?" was the captain's first 
 question. 
 
 •'They dropped on me when I went to 
 the cellar to see 'bout them saddles an' 
 bridles,'' answered Jack.- 
 
 "Hum'.'' growled the captain. "It's 
 funny you should let two spring chickens 
 like those fellows take you in." 
 
 " I couldn't do nothin' w'en each stuck 
 a revolver 'most down my throat," re- 
 plied Jack, sullenly, thinking at the time 
 that his chief had not done any better, 
 when he was captured a few minutes be- 
 fore. 
 
 " Weren't you there when Pete Bink 
 and the other two caught the big Yaflik? 
 Why didn't they get the other one?" 
 "'Cause they didn't see him." 
 " Where was he?" 
 
 '* In the main cellar, and the other was 
 in the stable." 
 
 "How did they happen to be sepa- 
 rated?" 
 
 "The big feller went back for a lantern, 
 and that's how he fell in with Pete's 
 crowd." 
 
 "And left his mark on them, too," 
 added the captain to himself; then rais- 
 ing his voice he asked: "What did the 
 Yanks want in the cellar?" 
 
 " One o' them axed me if they was any 
 shavin's an' wood in the cellar, and told 
 me to take him around," answered Jack. 
 The captain started. 
 " That's a very suspicious circum- 
 stance," he muttered; then louder, "tell 
 me all that happened until you reached 
 this room." 
 
 Cobb thereupon rehearsed the various 
 maneuvers above and below, and was 
 just finishing when hurrying footsteps 
 in the hall announced that their shouts 
 had been heard and assistance had ar- 
 rived 
 
 The half-dozen guerillas who opened 
 the door stood speechless with surprise 
 at the sight of their bold chief lying 
 bound in the heart of his own strong- 
 hold, which hitherto no enemy bad 
 approached nearer to than five miles. 
 
 "Well, men," growled the captain, not 
 relishing much the thought of the spec- 
 tacle he presented, "don't stand staring 
 there like a lot of fools, but get me 
 loose." 
 
 With a chorus of ejaculations and im- 
 precations against those who had the 
 audacity to reduce their chief to such a 
 plight, the guerillas crowded into the 
 room, and quickly releasing Captain 
 Henry, demanded who had bestowed 
 the indignity upon him. 
 
 The captain pointed expressively to the 
 spot where Arthur lay, at the same time 
 saying: 
 
 "Where's our prisoner?" 
 Some were starting out tt renew the 
 search, when the chief ordered them to 
 await his commands. 
 
 "Go into the next room and bring Cobb 
 here, before anything else is done." 
 
 Two of the group about the captain 
 instantly went to the next room, and in a 
 moment reappeared with Jack Cobb. 
 
 " Is there anybody still looking for the 
 Yanks?" demanded the captain. 
 
 A number of the guerillas answered in 
 the affirmative. 
 
 " Whereabouts?" asked the captain. 
 "Some in the cellar an' some on the 
 first floor, an' we come up-stairs to see 
 what the hollerin' was fer," was the 
 answer. 
 
 " Co down to the cellar," said the cap- 
 tain to the speaker, "and tell those who 
 are there to guard all ways leading out, 
 and to shoot the first person that goes 
 out, no matter who he is." 
 
 Then turning to another he said: 
 "Gilbert, how many have we heiv to- 
 night?" 
 
 "About thirty," answered that worthy. 
 
 "Take four other men and surround 
 
 the house to catch the blue-jackets in 
 
 case they get out. We must have them 
 
 at any cost." 
 
 Others were given orders to search the 
 first and second floors, while the captain 
 purposed, with Cobb's assistance, to take 
 upon himself a special search. 
 
 When all had taken their departure 
 save Cobb, the chief went up to him and 
 said: 
 
 " You were in that room. Are you sure 
 the blue-jackets didn't go down there?" 
 indicating the small door, two by four 
 feet, the purpose of which, it will be re- 
 membered, Captain Henry declined to 
 acquaint Harry. 
 
 "No; he came up an 1 took me in the 
 
20 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 next room, an' then they both went out 
 into the hall," answered Cobb, positively. 
 
 The room of which the captain spoke 
 was a small room, about eight feet square 
 aud seven feet from floor to ceiling-. It 
 was placed, by some strange whim, be- 
 tween the first aud second floors, under 
 the stair-well', so that its existence would 
 never be known, except for the small 
 door, before spoken of, in the room be- 
 hind that in which Arthur had been con- 
 lined. 
 
 What the original intention of placing 
 the room there was, not even the guer- 
 illas knew, and they set it down to the 
 eccentricity ot the" builder. When one 
 thinks of the extensive cellar and devious 
 maze of passage- ways and the secret 
 stairs it is not surprising that they should 
 come to such a conclusion. 
 
 The captain of the guerilla band, for 
 reasons best known to himself, had kept 
 the existence of this apartment a pro- 
 found secret to his men until a short time 
 previous, when one of them discovered 
 it during the captain's absence. 
 
 In consequence of its discovery, Captain 
 Henry issued orders that no one but him- 
 self and his lieutenant, Gilbert, should 
 under any circumstances enter the room. 
 The reason for this was that the place 
 was a store-house for what ammunition 
 the band used and what they captured 
 from United States supply wagons, and 
 for any other articles the captain deemed 
 it expedient to keep out of the hands of 
 his men. 
 
 The captain mused a moment when 
 Cobb told him that our heroes had not 
 gone to the magazine-room, as it was 
 called, and motioning Jack to follow he 
 stepped out into the hall. 
 
 They iirst went to a number of places 
 that the captain considered of sufficient 
 security to attract the attention of Harry 
 and Arthur, Cobb meanwhile adding 
 some incidents that he had left untold, 
 when the guerillas crowded into the room 
 to effect their release. 
 
 By this time the captain had reached 
 the little room that led to the garret and 
 thence to the roof, when he recollected 
 that he was unarmed. 
 
 He turned around and said: "Jack, 
 go and get me a couple of pistols and get 
 a musket for yourself. Hurry up." 
 
 Jack stepped out of the room and in 
 the course of a few minutes returned with 
 the required articles. 
 
 "Now," said the captain, "yougoahead 
 and show me just where they have been, 
 so that 1 can tell what they have not 
 found out." 
 
 The stair door through which they 
 passed had been wrenched off its hinges 
 by the party already sent to the garret, 
 
 and the captain paused as he noted it; 
 but just as he was about to make an in- 
 quiry a wild shout from below fell upon 
 his ear. 
 
 "Fire! fire P' was the cry. "Fire! fire! 
 The house's on lire! Hi! hi!" 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AN EXPLOSION. 
 
 When Harry and Arthur heard the 
 alarm of fire started and taken up 
 throughout the whole house, they knew 
 that matters with them were fast ap- 
 proaching a crisis. They might escape 
 in the confusion resulting from the fire, 
 but if not, it was hard to tell what the 
 guerillas, already so furious, would do 
 to them. 
 
 As matters stood then there was, 
 though the boys didn't know it, four dif- 
 ferent parties searching for them, one on 
 each floor and one outside. The fire- 
 alarm, so unexpected, might reduce this 
 force for the purpose of suppressing the 
 fire, but even if such was the ease theii 
 prospects of escape were not very briuht. 
 
 Harry, however, congratulated him- 
 self that the work which he had come on 
 the expedition to perform was done, and 
 so he could look to the future with a 
 lierhter heart than if the whole matter 
 had resulted in failue. 
 
 Another cause for congratulation was 
 that both of them were still at large, and 
 he was confident if they could only re- 
 mai,n so till the vigor of the search had 
 passed by, they would then have an ex- 
 cellent chance to make their way to the 
 river. 
 
 It was part of Harry's plan in the first 
 place to lire the house and get out of 
 it before the alarm was raised, but it has 
 been seen that from the first there was a 
 series of interruptions and obstacles to 
 the carrying out of this plan, which 
 might never have been surmounted had 
 it not been for Arthur's capture. 
 
 They were now trying to find their 
 way out of the cellar. Harry was not 
 familiar enough with it to accomplish 
 this. 
 
 They had just entered a passage-way 
 hitherto unnoticed when the alarm ot 
 lire reached them, and stopping, they 
 listened a few seconds to the hub-bub 
 that instantly arose. 
 
 They then proceeded to examine each 
 room as they went, by holding their 
 lantern above them and peering between 
 the bars of the door. 
 
 There was nothing encouraging to be 
 found, for nothing greeted them but bare 
 stone walls. 
 
 " Let's go to the end of this passage 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 2 J 
 
 before we look at anything else/' said 
 A rt h u rim patien t 1 y. 
 
 '"All right," replied Harry, handing 
 him the lantern. "Go ahead; I'll stay 
 here and watch." 
 
 Arthur took the lantern and started 
 down the passage at a rapid walk. He 
 noticed that the doors got wider apart as 
 h'.. ; went along, and near the end of the 
 passage there was a space of nearly 
 twenty feet between them. He was sur- 
 prised also to find t lie passage turn ab- 
 ruptly just as he thoughc he had reached 
 tin- end. 
 
 Before turning the corner he closed the 
 lantern and listened intently. Hearing 
 nothing lie advanced cautiously in the 
 darkness, feeling his way along the wall 
 with his hand. 
 
 After moving along about ten feet in 
 this way he brought up suddenly, and 
 feeling about concluded he had reached 
 the end. 
 
 A ray of light from the lantern showed 
 him he was not wrong. 
 
 Turning on the full light again he 
 clohely examined the wall, which seemed 
 to be a bit of solid masonry thrown 
 across the passage. 
 
 Arthur's sharp eyes detected an almost 
 imperceptible crack running from the 
 top to a point about a foot from the bot- 
 tom of the wall. 
 
 " That must mean something," he mut- 
 tered, and stepping up closer he went 
 over the whole surface again. 
 
 " Ha!" he exclaimed, as he discovered 
 two horizontal cracks meeting and run- 
 ning at right angles from the first. 
 
 "Another secret door, as sure as I 
 live," he said to himself. "I wonder 
 where it leads tof 
 
 Picking up the lantern he left the place 
 to call Harry, and going hastily back he 
 held it up to attract his attention, but 
 not seeing him Arthur went further, at 
 the same time saying to himself: "I 
 thought the place I left him was nearer." 
 
 He walked almost to the end of the 
 passage, greatly surprised and alarmed to 
 find no trace of Harry. 
 
 He was about to go further when the 
 sound of a number of feet approaching 
 compelled him to beat a hasty retreat in 
 the darkness. 
 
 Upon reaching the private door he 
 stopped to think what could have caused 
 Ha* ry to disappear so completely and in 
 so .ittle time. 
 
 He surely would not have given up to 
 tbr guerillas," thought Arthur, "with 
 ol ' a struggle and I should have heard 
 th«»'v. We have the confoundedest luck," 
 he growled to himself, his wrath begin- 
 ning to rise at their successive failures to 
 Leep together. " How am I goinsr to 
 
 help him or he help me when neither 
 knows where the other is/ Just as a 
 place to get out is found " 
 
 Arthur shopped; he was not sure that 
 this was a place to get out, and without 
 more grumbling he set to work to find 
 out. 
 
 He went carefully over the whole wall 
 again, but he was rewarded by finding 
 nothing more. Then he searched for a 
 spring in the door and on both sides, but 
 in this also he failed. . 
 
 He stepped back and again looked 
 over the whole surface, and not finding 
 anything said to himself: 
 
 " I'll have to try it this way, I guess." 
 
 Putting both hands close to the edge, 
 opposite the one that held the hinges," if 
 there were such things in its make-up, he 
 gave a gentle push, but the door did not 
 budge. 
 
 Repeating the action with more 
 strength, he saw with delight that it 
 moved inward about half an inch, but as 
 soon as he withdrew the pressure it re- 
 sumed its first position. 
 
 "Ha! Spring hinges," he said to him- 
 self, applying himself to it again. 
 
 It was only by the exercise of all his 
 strength that he was able to open it 
 enough to see beyond, but he was grati- 
 fied beyond expression to see that it was 
 all that was between him and the yard. 
 
 "I don't know that I can do "better 
 than to get out of this, so if Harry is 
 captured I can do something for him, 
 maybe." 
 
 So saying Arthur drew back, and pick- 
 ing up the lantern prepared to leave the 
 cellar. 
 
 When he pushed open the stone door 
 again it worked much easier. 
 
 "Those hinges must be awful rusty," 
 he commented, as he forced himself 
 through. 
 
 Noticing the coast was clear he stepped 
 entirely out into the yard, still bearing 
 the faithful lantern. 
 
 He turned around to look for the door, 
 % but it had swung back, and all trace of it 
 was lost in the rough stone foundation. 
 
 Just then a thought came to him that 
 almost took his breath away. 
 
 " Suppose the fire had been put out." 
 
 It was still dark and he saw no trace or 
 sign of anything like fire. 
 
 He stole away, making for the border 
 of trees, resolved to hide himself there 
 and await developments. 
 
 About twenty feet to the one side of 
 him was the large cellar door by which 
 he had entered. Upon the top of one of 
 the side walls stood a man looking in at 
 the window placed above the cellar-way. 
 
 He was so interested in what he saw 
 within that he did not 6ee Arthur step 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 quickly across the yard and into the 
 bushes. 
 
 This move was not made a moment too 
 soon, for he had scarcely entered the 
 woods when a bright light shot up from 
 the top of the house, illuminating the 
 surroundings with a lurid glare. 
 
 The fire had burst through the roof, 
 and th (guerillas were about abandoning 
 their efforts to extinguish it. 
 
 In a few moments they began to pour 
 our of the house at all points, and Arthur 
 was compelled to exchange his position 
 for one deeper in the woods. 
 
 The guerillas were almost exhausted by 
 their fierce 4>at tie with the flames, and 
 most of them lay down on blankets in 
 the yard to catch a little sleep before the 
 dawn of day, which was fast drawing 
 near. 
 
 A half-dozen others took lanterns and 
 began to search the woods, as if looking 
 for something, but just as they reached 
 the bushes the captain and two others 
 burse from the burning building, and 
 running toward the recumbefnt group 
 shouted something in a loud voice. 
 
 Immediately all started up. and with 
 exclamations of surprise and fear started 
 for the woods at the top of their speed. 
 
 Before Arthur had to think what could 
 lie the cause of their terror, a terrific con- 
 cussion shook the ground under Ids feeT, 
 and stone and burning wood were thrown 
 hii?h in the air, and one of the walls of 
 the d <K ened house fell inward with a loud 
 crash, sending forth a golden cloud of 
 sparks. 
 
 The explosion seemed to end the fury 
 of the flames, and by daylight nothing 
 but a, smoking heap of ruins was left of 
 the once noble stone mansion. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IN A REBEL PRISON. 
 
 We left Harry alone in the passage-way 
 looking after Arthur's retreating figure, 
 and wondering if they would be able to 
 circumvent the guerillas in the end. 
 
 He thrust his hands deep into his pock- 
 ad leaned against the wall, thinking 
 of all they had passed through that 
 night, when he was startled to see the. 
 light of Arthur's lantern disappear. 
 
 *" I wonder if he hears any of the rebels," 
 he said to himself, anxiously, straining 
 his earsto catch the slight est sound. 
 
 He waited a few minutes, and was about 
 to sicd after Arthur when he heard 
 voices iii the opposite direction. 
 
 Hastily deciding upon his course he 
 went to the nearest door, and getting the 
 key from the sill above it, unlocked it 
 and went in. 
 
 He remembered as he endeavored to 
 find some piace of concealment that 
 when looking into this room a few min- 
 utes before he had seen a door of wood 
 on the opposite-side. 
 
 He at once decided to get beyond it, 
 but on pushing it open it gave a creak 
 that frightened him so much that he shut 
 it with a bang that attracted the atten- 
 tion of the guerillas in the passage. 
 
 Looking through the key-hole he saw 
 two of them stop at the door which led 
 into the passage and survey carefully the 
 interior of the room, but as he had locked 
 that door and the one he last opened, he 
 did not much fear them, unless they used 
 force to get in. 
 
 What was his surprise then to see one 
 of the men pull a key from his pocket 
 and open the outer door, saying at the 
 same Time: ''That must-be the one we 
 heard," pointing to the door behind 
 which Harry stood. 
 
 When he heard this Harry felt that his 
 freedom was about to end. Nevertheless 
 he quickly inserted the key in the lock to 
 prevent the guerilla using his, if he had 
 one; then drawing a match along the 
 wall he saw by its li^ht another door, 
 through which he passed just as lie 
 heard the rebel endeavoring to get his 
 key in the other lock. 
 
 Having by this method i^ot the start of 
 his pursuers he passed through several 
 other rooms, and going so far from where* 
 he left Arthur that he could not have re- 
 turned if he would. 
 
 The fire now made an unexpected bar- 
 rier to his progress. The room be had last 
 entered was next tqonein which he could 
 hear the roaring and crackling of the 
 burning timbers, and all around echoed 
 theshontsof the guerillas, who were mak- 
 ing strenuous efforts to subdue it. 
 
 It was so hot in the room that he found 
 he would have to get out of it at any cost. 
 
 There were only two doors in it — the 
 one by which he had entered and another 
 on the opposite side. 
 
 Fearful of running into the two guer> 
 illas from whom he had just escaped, he 
 chose the latter, and unlocking it he 
 peered cautiously out. 
 
 Only about twenty paces away the 
 flames were roaring fiercely, and licking 
 UD the huge dry timbers with great ra- 
 pidity. 
 
 He was about to draw back and seek 
 an escape by the other door, when his 
 arm was roughly seized and two loaded 
 revolvers were thrust into his face, while 
 a voice hissed in his ear: 
 
 "I've got you this time for good." 
 
 When Harrv recovered himself he found 
 that he was in the possession of Captain 
 Henry and his hostler, both of whom he 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 23 
 
 hail left bound up-stairs not more than 
 half an hour before. 
 
 He was ordered savagely to go down 
 the passage-way as quick as he could 
 move, and as he heard the guerilla chief 
 mutter something about "Yankee fools 
 that, would stand around a burning pow- 
 der-magazine till they were blown up," 
 he remembered for the first time since he 
 went into the little secret room up-stairs 
 what he had seen there. 
 
 He judged from Henry's remark and 
 from his haste to leave the locality that 
 the tire was perilously near the powder- 
 room, and not wishing, any more than 
 the captain, to be blown up, he increased 
 his pace accordingly. 
 
 "Hurry up, cap'n," said Jack Cobb, 
 whose face was white with fear. " We'll 
 be dead men if we ain't outeu this in no 
 time." 
 
 They were already running down the 
 passage-way at the top of their speed, 
 and Harry, who was much lighter of foot 
 than either of them, was forging ahead 
 when the captain ordered him to regulate 
 his pace in accordance with theirs. 
 
 They passed through the stable with- 
 out stopping, and upon reaching the 
 yard and seeing his men stretched on the 
 grass preparing to sleep, the captain 
 yelled: "Get up out of that, men, the 
 place is full of powder.- Every mother's 
 son of you will be blown to bits if you 
 don't move!" 
 
 As one man the prostrate group ros« 
 with yells of astonishment and consterna- 
 tion, and flew from the spot like fright- 
 ened deer, hardly gaiwing the shelter of 
 the woods when the explosion took place. 
 Captain Henry, Jack Cobb and their 
 prisoner being the last received a number 
 of bruises from the falling fragments. 
 The captain received a smart rap on the 
 knuckles from a bit of falling stone, 
 while pieces of mortar struck Cobb and 
 Harry in their downward course. 
 
 "Secure the prisoner," said the cap- 
 tain, curtly, when he reached the spot in 
 the woods where they intended to pass 
 the remainder* of the night, and then, 
 moving to a convenient spot, he gloomily 
 watched the progress of the fire which 
 had deprived him and his band of their 
 elegant quarters. 
 
 In accordance with his orders Harry 
 was bound hand and foot and placed 
 upon the ground like a billet of 
 wood, where wearied in body and har- 
 assed in mind he fell into an uneasy sleep. 
 When he awoke it was broad daylight 
 and the guerilla chief was bending over 
 him. 
 
 As soon as he saw Harry was awake he 
 demanded: "Where is the other feller? 
 Unless you know something about him 
 
 he was probably blown up in the explo- 
 sion!" 
 
 Harry was horror struck. He had 
 thought all along that Arthur was again 
 a prisoner of the guerillas, and the cap- 
 tain's query threw him into che greatest 
 excitement and dismay. He would at 
 that moment far rather have seen Ar- 
 thur a prisoner than believe what the 
 rebel chief had told him. 
 
 "Don't you know where he is?" he 
 asked, anxiously. 
 
 "No," replied the captain. "That's 
 what I just asked you." 
 
 " Well, we got separated in the cellar," 
 replied Harry, too much disturbed to at- 
 tempt fo deceive the captain, "and he 
 left me; that is the last I saw of him.' 1 
 
 " I guess he met his just dues, then," 
 said the captain, coolly. "It's likely 
 that he only forestalled the action of the 
 commander of this district. I wouldn't 
 give much for the lives of those who did 
 the damage here last night." 
 
 With this significant remark the guer- 
 illa left Harry a prey to the most pain 
 ful reflections. 
 
 Aside from the uncertainty of Arthur's 
 fate his own situation was perilous in the 
 extreme. 
 
 He recalled the captain's remark con- 
 cerning the workers of the destruction of 
 the guerilla stronghold and shuddered. 
 Stdl it was comforting to think that his 
 lite was not at the disposal of this law- 
 less band, and indeed he was not so 
 down hearted when he thought that he 
 had considered all the probable dangers 
 of his enterprise before he left the Dragon 
 Fly. 
 
 What troubled him most was the dis- 
 appearance of Arthur. He remembered 
 now what had slipped his mind before — 
 that he had Deglected to tell Arthur the 
 contents of the magazine-room, not 
 dreaming they should again be sep- 
 arated. 
 
 For this Harry reproached himself 
 severely. It was unintentional of course, 
 but then Arthur might have tound a 
 means of escape, instead of using which 
 he preferred to remain in the building 
 to wait for Harry, thus placing himself 
 unconsciously in the danger of being 
 blown up. 
 
 All this and much more Harry thought 
 over while lying on the ground in the 
 midst of the guerilla camp, but however 
 much he might ponder and reason, he 
 could explain nothing satisfactorily that 
 troubled him, so he wisely concluded to 
 wait till they explained themseives. 
 
 As near as he could guess it was about 
 nine o'clock when three horses were 
 brought to the camp and tied to trees 
 near by, by Jack Cobb. 
 
24 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 A few minutes later he saw the guerilla 
 chief ami bis lieu tenant, Gilbert, engaged 
 in earnest consultation, pointing now to 
 the horses anu then waving their hands 
 toward the woods. 
 
 Gilbert listened attentively to what his 
 superior said, occasionally nodding and 
 pointing in various directions, as if to 
 be sure he understood. 
 
 At length, as the conference ceased, 
 
 the captain handed a large sealed envelope 
 
 to him, while Gilbert called one of the 
 
 guerillas that Harry afterward ascer- 
 
 : (1 was Pete Bink. 
 
 Giving Pete an order he turned and 
 walked up to one of the horses^patting 
 it affectionately. 
 
 Pete calling another guerilla ap- 
 proached Harry, and cutting the fasten- 
 ings from liis ankles lifted him to his 
 feet, while the other approached with 
 one of the horses. 
 
 They placed Harry astride the animal, 
 at the same time tying his hands before 
 him instead of behind as they had been 
 during the night. This was probably to 
 render riding more easy for him, though 
 he was at a loss to know why they took 
 such pains to make him comfortable. 
 
 As soon as lie was placed to their satis- 
 faction, Gilbert and Bink sprung into 
 their saddles and they rode off, each hav- 
 ing a hold on Harry's brjdle. 
 
 Their course held due south from the 
 ruins of the stoue house, and for about 
 two miles their road led 'through the 
 wooils which surrounded the house. 
 
 After they reached a more open coun- 
 try they turned their horses' heads 
 slightly to the southwest. 
 
 The few houses they passed were large- 
 ly those of rebel sympathizers, who 
 cheered lustily the guerillas and jeered 
 the blue uniform. • 
 
 " Humph!" said Harry to himself. "I 
 thought the people through here were 
 Unionists. They don't seem to be par- 
 ticularly struck with me, at any rate." 
 
 The slow trot of the horses was very 
 tiresome and Harry asked " can't you go 
 faster. ' 
 
 The horses themselves were magnifi- 
 cent animals and they seemed To like the 
 gait as little as did Harry, but Gilbert 
 checked them every time they showed a 
 disposition to increase their speed. 
 
 " They are going fast enough," was his 
 reply to Harry. 
 
 : ' Where are we p; mm'.'"' asked Harry, 
 hoping t<> get something our of one or 
 the oi her. 
 
 "See here, Yank," said Gilbert, turh- 
 
 inur sharply around, " the less you open 
 
 your jaw to me the better I'll be satis- 
 
 I. You hear urf" 
 
 "I understand," said Harry. "Tell 
 
 me what I asked and I'll t>other you no 
 more." 
 
 But Gilbert rode on in silence, taking 
 no notion of the last question, so Harry 
 was compelled to be satisfied. 
 
 Failing in his efforts to gain some in- 
 formation, he began to find the journey 
 grow very monotonous. It was now not 
 more than twelve o'clock, and at the 
 rate they had been moving they could 
 hardly have made more that twelve 
 miles, but had he known it the &low pace 
 at winch they moved became of the 
 greatest service to him afterward. 
 
 It was probably between one and two 
 o'clock in the afternoon when they came 
 in sight of a long, low wooden building, 
 set down in a shallow hollow. 
 
 It looked like a rebel barracks, but be- 
 fore it had been many minutes before his 
 eyes Harry kaevv its present use was 
 that of a prison. 
 
 His opportunity for observation was 
 very small, as the lieutenant put spurs to 
 the horses as soon a.s the prison came in 
 sight, as if anxious to get through his 
 duty after lingering so long on the road. 
 They rode up to the wooden palisade 
 that surrounded the place .and knocked 
 on the gate for admittance. In a few 
 minutes the gate was opened? and they 
 were let into a dirty yard, where here 
 and there a few prisoners were seen lying 
 about under the eye of a guard, who 
 carried a musket in the hollow of his 
 arm. 
 
 Gilbert was received by a stout, red- 
 nosed man in the uniform of a captain of 
 the Confederate States of America, but 
 before having any conversation a man 
 was ordered to take Harry down and lock 
 him up. 
 
 As Harry was disappearing he saw Gil- 
 bert pull the letter from his pocket and 
 present it to the commander of the rebel 
 prison. 
 
 Harry was led through a narrow hall 
 to a stair-way leading to the cellar, into 
 which he was ordered to proceed. He 
 knew resistance was hopeless, and he 
 descended the stairs, resolving to make 
 an attempt to escape that very night, 
 teeiing if it was postponed he might never 
 have another opportunity. 
 
 He was locked into a cell placed nearly 
 in the center of the cellar, with no light, 
 natural or artificial, nothing but four 
 bare stone walls, relieved by the single 
 door. 
 
 He felt around to see what the room 
 contained, but if he expected to find any- 
 thing he was disappointed. There was 
 not even a shake-down on which to 
 stretch himself. 
 
 With an exclamation of disgust lie 
 pulled off his jacket, and spreading it on 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 25 
 
 the floor threw himself upon it, and after 
 tossing about some time fell into a sound 
 Bleep. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ARTHUR'S TRANSFORMATION. 
 
 When it is remembered that Arthur 
 had passed the last two nights practically 
 without sle^p, it will be supposed that he 
 was in poofc condition for the labors of 
 the day immediately succeeding the de- 
 struction of the guerilla stronghold. 
 
 After escaping so fortunately from the 
 house he dared not lay down to sleep 
 without placing himself in danger of be- 
 ing recaptured by the rebels, who were 
 encamped within a stone's-throw of the 
 place where he was hidden. 
 
 He could easily have stolen away in the 
 darkness and slept in security till day- 
 light, but by doing so there was every 
 probability that Harry would be disposed 
 of in some way before he could return. 
 
 After going carefully over the prob- 
 abilities and possibilities of the case, Ar- 
 thur decided it was better to risk some- 
 thing himself and be sure of Harry's 
 whereabouts, than to leave theneighbor- 
 hood and probably miss something that 
 was of vital consequence for him to know. 
 As he had seen nothing of Harry he 
 had some doubts as to whether he had 
 gotten out of the burning building, but 
 the rebels remained perfectly quiet after 
 their scare, and he had to wait for posi- 
 tive information till morning. 
 
 As the gray light of dawn came slant- 
 ing through the trees Arthur looked 
 about for a position from which he could 
 observe the movements in the camp with- 
 out d.-inger of detection. 
 
 That his observations were not inter- 
 rupted was due to the fact that the guer- 
 illas believed he had perished in the ex- 
 plosion. 
 
 It was some time after the sun rose 
 when he reached a little hillock, which 
 at its tip reached the elevation of one 
 hundred feet. It was about an eighth of 
 a mile from the camp, which could be 
 seen sufficiently plain for Arthur's pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Choosing a sheltered spot he began his 
 observations. 
 
 Notwithstanding the small opportunity 
 
 given them for sleep that night, most of 
 
 t lie guerillas were astir, nd several fires 
 
 'just started indicated that they were 
 
 about preparing their breakfast. 
 
 Arthur scanned the camp anxiously in 
 bores of catching a glimpse of Harry, 
 but the distance was too great for him to 
 distinguish the features of anybody there. 
 The sight of the fires and their evident 
 purpose reminded him that he had tasted 
 
 nothing since six o'clock the evening be- 
 fore. Fortunately the guerillas had not 
 thought it necessary to remove his haver- 
 sack, in which there was stored, accord- 
 ing to the captain of the Dragon Fly's 
 orders, sufficient rations to see him 
 through to the end of the expedition. 
 
 "1*11 just eat my breakfast, too," he said 
 to himself. "I don't know when I'll have 
 more time." 
 
 His long fast made hirn eat heartily, 
 though every few minutes he got up 
 from the fallen tree on which he sat and 
 carefully swept his eye over the camp, in 
 order that no move of importance should 
 be made there without his knowledge. 
 
 "If Harry had only come along with 
 me instead of standing in that cellar to 
 let himself be caught, we might be 
 aboard the Dragon Fly by this time," he 
 said, .as he finished his meal. 
 
 Seating himself as comfortably as pos- 
 sible he watched the camp drowsily, oc- 
 casionally turning his head iu other di- 
 rections as a precaution against surprise. 
 
 The minutes wore slowly by, and at 
 nine o'clock he thought it must be nearly 
 noon. 
 
 The horses being brought into camp 
 about this time by Cobb had the effect 
 of making him interested and attentive 
 to what followed. 
 
 When a few minutes later Harry, 
 whom he recognized by the blue uni- 
 form, was lifted upon one of the horses 
 and two guerillas mounted the others, 
 he began working his way toward the 
 camp with as great speed and care as he 
 could command. By the time he had 
 made fifty feet the horses had started, 
 and he immediately stopped to note the 
 direction th^y took, which was almost 
 at right angles from his. 
 
 " I wonder where they're taking him 
 to," he muttered, as he dodged among 
 the trees in pursuit. "I'll lose them, sure." 
 
 His prospects were not good for fol- 
 lowing on foot the horses of the guerilla 
 band, which were said to be the best in 
 the country. 
 
 He reached the edge of the woods some 
 two miles from the little hillock before 
 he again caught sight of the retreating 
 trio. There he stopped, at the same time 
 noticing the leading guerilla turn his 
 horse's head a little to the southwest. 
 
 Arthur considered a few moments be- 
 fore making another move. It was mad- 
 ness, he thought, to attempt to follow 
 them on foot, and there was not a hou-e 
 in sight where a hoise might be pro- 
 cured. Even if he had a horse he could 
 not follow them without bt-ing discov- 
 ered. 
 
 He looked again at the horseman. 
 They seemed to be moving very slowly ; 
 
»6 
 
 HARRY A1NTC) ARTIE. 
 
 at any rate they had not much increased 
 The distance between him and them since 
 he readied the edge of the woods. 
 
 '* If that's" all the faster they go 111 fol- 
 low them as 1 am," he continued, and he 
 waited till they got SO far ahead that his 
 pursuit would not be seen. 
 
 The country was a long, rolling swell, 
 and on this account he was able to keep 
 of their sight nearly all the time. He 
 would wait till they rode into the hol- 
 1 »ws and while they were out of sight he 
 would move rapidly. When they reached 
 the top of the swell Arthur was in the 
 trough, so to speak. 
 
 When they passed a farm-house or 
 through a little village he was compelled 
 to make a detour, which in some cases 
 hi in iose considerable time. 
 
 Still the route of the guerillas was so 
 direct that he had no difficulty in keep- 
 ing on their track. 
 
 It was about noon when he passed by 
 a small house around which he had to 
 make a circuit, when he saw a youth of 
 about his own age working in a field not 
 far from a little belt of timber through 
 which our hero was passing. 
 
 As Arthur looked at him an idea came 
 into his head, and he hastened on, mut- 
 tering: 
 
 " Just you stay there about two hours 
 longer and you won't be the same look- 
 ing fellow y m are now, neither will I." 
 
 He pushed rapidly on, as he was nearly 
 a mile behind, and he did not know what 
 minute the guerillas might change their 
 course. 
 
 Stopping a moment to take a drink at 
 a littie brook that ran through the belt, 
 he hurried on, unslinging his knapsack as 
 he went. 
 
 The great tax on his powers of endur- 
 ance made him desperately hungry, and 
 it is doubtful, at the rate he ate on this 
 day, whether his rations would last the 
 required time. 
 
 It was shortly after one o'clock when 
 he caught up with the guerillas and their 
 prisoner, and he just arrived at the top of 
 a, swell in time to see them leave it at the 
 gate of the prison. 
 
 He dropped on the grass at once and 
 surveyed the place minutely. 
 
 "So that's the place they've got him. 
 Whew! what a journey they've led me." 
 
 And assuring himself he could find his 
 way back to the place, he turned about 
 and started rapidly back in the direction 
 from which he came. 
 
 "There's no time to be lost,"' he said 
 to himself. " He's got to get out of there 
 right away or not all." 
 
 Arthur's anxiety was usually expressed 
 in few words, and he was thoroughly 
 anxious now. 
 
 He had resolved upon a plan of action 
 that would be the means of Harry's es-. 
 cape or the placing himself in the same 
 condition as Harry was now. 
 
 If his plan failed he did not doubt that 
 the rebels would dispose of them at once 
 to prevent them making more disturb- 
 ance and trouble. 
 
 The four or five miles back to the belt 
 of timber were accomplished in a little 
 more than an hour, and he was greatly 
 delighted upon reaching it to find the 
 young rustic still at work in the field 
 close by. 
 
 Arthur approached as near to him as 
 he could without being discovered, and 
 then stopped to consider how best his 
 plan could be carried out. 
 
 If he walked boldly from his place of 
 concealment the fellow might take fright 
 at his uniform, or if not he would have 
 time to prepare for fight, and this was 
 something in which Arthur did not care 
 to take any unnecessary risk. 
 
 At length he concluded to decoy him 
 into the trees, where if a serious fight did 
 come off it would not be in sight of any 
 prying eyes. 
 
 Raising his voice Arthur called out, 
 " Hey, there!" 
 
 The young rustic straightened himself 
 
 up and' looked around in every direction. 
 
 In a moment the call was repeated, 
 
 and he turned his gaze to the patch of 
 
 woods. 
 
 " Come over here, pard. I want to talk 
 to you," came the voice again. 
 
 " Whar air you? Why don't you show 
 yerself?" demanded the youth, guardedly. 
 " 1 dassent walk in the hot sun,' was 
 Arthur's reply. 
 
 " W'at you want wi' me?" demanded 
 the rustic again. 
 
 " Come oyer here an' see. You won't 
 be sorry, neither," answerecTArthur. 
 
 Stimulated by curiosity the youth 
 dropped his hoe, and came slowly toward 
 the trees. 
 
 "Tarnation!" he exclaimed, as Arthur 
 suddenly stepped in front of him. "What 
 did you come frum?" 
 
 "i want to make a trade with you," 
 began Arthur, ignoring the question, and 
 proceeding directly 1 o his business. " I'll 
 trade you my clothes for yours, even. 
 What do you saj ?" 
 
 The young farmer stepped back and 
 looked Arthur over from head to foot. 
 A light seemed to break upon his under- 
 standing as the blue uniform impressed 
 itself upon him. 
 
 "Say." he said, looking up suddenly, 
 " air you a Yank?" 
 
 "No matter what I am." answered Ar- 
 thur, impatiently. "Hurry up. Yes of 
 no." 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 2? 
 
 But the rustic drew back. 
 
 " Yes, you air a mean, sneakin' Yank. 
 Yip!" and before Arthur could lift his 
 arm the young Confederate sprung at 
 him and knocked him down. 
 
 With another yell he sprung upon Ar- 
 thur to complete his conquest, but was a 
 moment too late. 
 
 Arthur had risen upon one knee almost 
 the instant he touched the ground, and 
 as the young farmer sprung upon him he 
 warded off the blow aimed at his head, 
 but the violence of it knocked him back 
 again, while his antagonist went sprawl- 
 ing over his head in Ins eagerness. 
 
 This put them on equal terms, and Ar- 
 thur, believing he could end the fight 
 quicker on his feet, sprung up. The 
 other immediately did the same, but be- 
 fore he was fah'ly on his feet one of Ar- 
 thur's terrific 1 ight-handers stretched him 
 out on the ground, while his conqueror, 
 pulling out a revolver, said firmly: 
 
 " Now, get up and turn your head away 
 from me, and get out of that coat and 
 trousers as quick as you know how." 
 
 The revolver had a most, wholesome 
 effect on the spirits of the young Confed- 
 erate, and doing as bidden he divested 
 himself of his garments in a vary short 
 space of time. 
 
 When he turned around according to 
 an order he saw that Arthur had also 
 taken off his outer garments. 
 
 '"Here," said the latter, "take these 
 and put them on, and be quick about it." 
 
 In a few moments the two wero en- 
 tirely transformed — Arthur into an evil- 
 looking guerilla, and the other into a 
 fairly-decent United States marine. 
 
 " Now, back up there against that tree," 
 was Arthur's next command, and he pro- 
 ceeded to tie his prisoner to it, notwith- 
 standing the latter's remonstrance. 
 
 Remembering their mistake of the 
 night before, he securely gagged his 
 prisoner, and satisfying himself that the 
 youth would be in no danger, he made 
 ready to leave the place, as it was con- 
 siderably after three o'clock. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 HARRY'S RUSE. 
 
 It was about seven o'clock when the 
 red nosed officer who had received (.-fil- 
 bert and his prisoner that afternoon, 
 walked leisurely into the box-like apart- 
 ment near the gate, that answered for 
 his office, and threw himself into the 
 chair before a small desk. 
 
 It was already twilight and the office 
 was lighted by a small lantern which 
 hung from the ceiling. The officer had 
 just returned from placing the sentinels 
 
 about the prison, and he looked long- 
 ingly toward a large bottle that stood on 
 the desk, as if only awaiting the moment 
 when he could enjoy its contents. 
 
 He was about to take a nap in his 
 chair when a call at the gate attracted 
 his attention. 
 
 "Who's there now?" he muttered. "I 
 don't want any more prisoners brought 
 here to-night." 
 
 A few minutes later a man entered the 
 office. 
 
 "Ah, Henry, how are you?" sain! the 
 officer, rising and taking the other's 
 hand. " I didn't expect you here. Any- 
 thing wrong?" 
 
 "Nothing later than what Gilbert 
 brought you this afternoon," repeated 
 the other. "I suppose you have the 
 prisoner safe?" he asked, abruptly. 
 
 The guerilla leader might have received 
 more satisfaction if he had put his ques- 
 tion differently. Nothing provoked the 
 commander of the prison more than to 
 be asked if his prisoners we#e safe. Dur- 
 ing the short, existence of the prison no 
 prisoner had ever yet escaped" its wads; 
 consequently he said, curtly, •'did you 
 ever know any to get away after they 
 were once here? You needn't disturb 
 yourself about him.'' 
 
 " Have you any place to put me over- 
 night?" Henry asked, changing the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 " I guess I can find you some place if 
 you want to stay," replied the other. 
 
 He was thoroughly angry now, for he 
 imputed the guerilla captain's motive in 
 coining to the prison was to be sure that 
 his prisoner was safe. 
 
 "He must think I don't know how to 
 take care of his pesky prisoners," mut- 
 tered the officer, angrily, as he walked 
 out to give the necessary orders. 
 
 He returned in a few minutes with a 
 guard who was to stable the captain's 
 horse. 
 
 "Our accommodations are not very 
 good but you'll have to put up with 
 them," he said, as Henry left the office 
 with the guard. 
 
 It was hardly five minutes after the 
 guerilla captain left the room when an- 
 other loud call and knock was heard at 
 the gate. 
 
 "Who can that be?" growled the 
 officer, starting up and going to the 
 door. 
 
 He saw the gate open and one oi the 
 guards question the new-comer. 
 
 At length the man approached, and 
 touching his cap respectfully, said there 
 was a country fellow that wanted to 
 speak to him. 
 
 " What does he want?" demanded the 
 officer of the prison 
 
28 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 " He won't tell us but wants to see 
 you. 1 ' replied the guard. 
 
 " Well, send him in," said the cora- 
 rnandant, going into his office again. 
 
 In the course of a few minutes the 
 new comer appeared at the door escorted 
 by two of the guards. 
 
 lie wore an old brown suit that looked 
 as if it had seen bard service in the fields, 
 and his whole appearance was of the 
 style that is commonly denoted fcang- 
 dog. | 
 
 An old slouch hat pulled low over his 
 brow left nothing but the lower part of 
 his face visible. 
 
 As far as the captain of the prison 
 could judge, he appeared to be about 
 twenty years old. 
 
 " Who are you, and what do you want?'' 
 asked the officer, sharply. 
 
 The stranger raised his head an instant 
 and cast a meaning glance upon the two 
 guards, who were still standing, inter- 
 ested to know what the newcomer 
 wanted in til* prison. 
 
 The officer understood the motion. 
 " Leave the room," he commanded. 
 
 '• Now," he continued, turning to the 
 stranger, "tell me what you want, for I 
 have no time to waste." 
 
 " I want to get attached to this yere 
 prison," replied the other. "I'm a handy 
 feller to have around an' I thought 
 you'd like to have some feller ter black 
 yer boots an' things around." 1 
 
 " What was the use of making such a 
 secret of a thing like that?" demanded 
 the officer, sharply. 
 
 "'Cause I thought you wouldn't want 
 the soldiers to think you wasn't payin' 
 fer yer things, an' I am willin' to do 'em 
 fer nothin'." 
 
 " Bright fellow, you," sneered the com- 
 mandant. "Don't you suppose if I 
 wanted any such things done 1 could ask 
 the men to do it, without one of them 
 daring to refuse?'' 
 
 " You better take me, cap 11," persisted 
 the other. "They ain't one on "em as 
 kin do your errands as good as I kin." 
 
 " I didn't say 1 wouldn't have you," 
 interrupted the captain. "You can make 
 yourself useful, 1 guess. There — take 
 those lour muskets in the corner and 
 nut 'em into shape, till I see what you 
 can do." 
 
 The stranger mumbled thanks as he 
 turned to the muskets. 
 
 When he reached the corner lie pushed 
 his slouch hat back for a moment. Any 
 one who had ever seen him before would 
 have recognized him as our old friend, 
 Arthur Linden, though they might well 
 doubt his identity upon casting a glance 
 Upon his clothing. 
 
 He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he 
 
 pulled his hat down again over his eyes. 
 One of the hardest stages of the advent- 
 ure in which he was enlisted was to get 
 inside the prison, and after it was over 
 he was astonished to find how easy it had 
 been. He would trust to Providence and 
 his own resources to get out with Harry, 
 now that he was in. 
 
 He was in a quandary as to the method 
 to be used in ascertaining the situation 
 of Harry's place of confinement, and be 
 thought rapidly while he polished up the 
 dingy barrels of the muskets. 
 
 Suddenly a bright thought struck him. 
 
 "Cap'n," he said, without turning or 
 raising his head, "I saw a Yank this 
 arternoon." 
 
 " Y'ou did?*' asked the commandant, 
 looking up from the desk at which he 
 was writing. 
 
 " Yes, an' two sogers had him tied on a 
 hoss. They passed clost to my pap's 
 place." 
 
 "Humph!" said the commandant. 
 "That fellow's safe down-stairs, now, 
 but what's your name, and who's your 
 * pap?' " 
 
 This question threw Arthur into some 
 alarm. For all he knew the officer might 
 know all the people within miles around, 
 and if such was the case he would in- 
 stantly detect any false statement as to 
 name. 
 
 However, after an instant's hesitation 
 he answered: 
 
 "I'm Jake Reid, an' I live 'bout twelve 
 miles from here." 
 
 " You must be near Henry's headquar- 
 ters, then?" said the captain, laying down 
 his pen. 
 
 Arthur would just as willingly not 
 heard his name, but t he answered with as 
 much indifference as he could: 
 
 " Y'es, Cap Henry ain't fur from us." 
 
 " Why didn't you join him instead of 
 coming 'way over here?" asked the officer. 
 
 "'Cause I heerd he Wasn't the man 
 you was," replied Arthur, venturing upon 
 a little bit of flattery. 
 
 Before the officer could make any reply 
 a footstep sounded outside, and presently 
 a man stood in the door-way. 
 
 " (iood-night. Adams,'' he said, "T am 
 going to bed. I.t.'s a little early, but I 
 didn't get much sleep last night." 
 
 "Good-night," growled Adams, as the 
 man left the door. 
 
 Arthur, however, dropped his rag as if 
 petrified with surprise'. He knew that 
 voice to belong to the leader of the guer- 
 illas, the man whom he wished to avoid 
 of all others. He alone of the inmates of 
 the prison might be able to penetrate his 
 disguise, and if he did Arthur did not 
 like to think of what would follow. 
 
 What brought him here was the next 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 29 
 
 question that presented itself to Arthur. 
 He was the horseman, then, that he had 
 seen ride up to the gate, only a few min- 
 utes before he himself came in, but for 
 what he could only conjecture. 
 
 He recovered himself as quickly as pos- 
 sible, infinitely glad that Adams had not 
 noticed his confusion. 
 
 One thing more he had learned was 
 that Harry was down stairs somewhere, 
 and he concluded that the principal pris- 
 oner were kept in the cellar. 
 
 He was interrupted h&ie by the voice 
 of the officer, who said: 
 
 "That wa3 Henry. I suppose you 
 know him?" 
 
 " It were?" replied Arthur, striving to 
 appear indifferent. "I didn't see 'iin; 
 my back was to Jim. I guess that pris- 
 'ner was ketched by his fellery," he con- 
 tinued, endeavoring to get the officer 
 started on the subject of his latest capture. 
 
 "Yes, he was caught over there some- 
 where," answered the officer curelessly, 
 resuming his writing. 
 
 "I wonder if he's the feller General 
 
 R sent out a special order 'bout? 
 
 The one as ketches him or brings him to 
 the general gets a com — m, comm — what 
 you call 'em?" 
 
 " "W hat's that you're saying?" and sud- 
 denly becoming interested Commandant 
 Adams again laid down his pen. 
 
 Arthur repeated his statement, careful 
 not to contradict himself. 
 
 "If I thought he was the fellow I'd 
 take him to headquarters to-night, yet 
 I've sent no report," muttered the officer. 
 
 " I wasn't close this afternoon w'en I 
 see this feller, but they was 'most the 
 same size, an' mebbe you have 'iin right 
 in yer hands.'' 
 
 " What do you know about their size?" 
 demanded the commandant. 
 
 "Oh, I seed the feller the general's 
 arter a couple o' months ago, over in 
 Tennessee, knock down a parcel of our 
 sogers as if they wasn't nothin', an' git 
 away from em .without any trouble 'tall. 
 He's a fast one, I can tell you." 
 
 Arthur spoke indifferently, as if noth- 
 ing interested him less than this " Yank," 
 that he was talking so glibly about. 
 
 "Can you identify him if you were 
 to see him now?" asked the commandant 
 in excitement. 
 
 " 1 ought to, 'cause he nearly knocked 
 a hole in rny head the time I was tellin' 
 you 'bout," answered Arthur. 
 
 " I know now what that robber Henry 
 wanted here to-night," muttered the 
 commandant angrily to himself. "But 
 I'll show him that he can't get ahead of 
 me," and reaching up he took the lan- 
 tern down from its hook and called upon 
 Arthur to follow him 
 
 Putting his hands to his pockets and 
 finding his weapons where they could 
 immediately be brought to service, he 
 rose from his corner and started after the 
 commandant, who had already left the 
 office. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 They crossed the yard quickly, and the 
 guards, who seemed quite numerous, paid 
 no attention to Arthur as he was accom- 
 panying their officer. 
 
 " I'm glad that old guerilla has gone 
 to bed," thought Arthur to himself, as 
 they entered the hall. "If he'd have 
 been around much where I was I 
 wouldn't have stood much show for get- 
 ting through this business." 
 
 The commandant said nothing till he 
 reached the stair-way leading to the 
 cellar, then he said: 
 
 "You are sure you know that fellow 
 the general is after?'' 
 
 Arthur stoutly asserted that he did, 
 mentally calling the officer a fool to take 
 his word for authority as to what orders 
 the Confederate general had issued. Still 
 it was so much the better as it was, or 
 neither of our heroes would ever have 
 seen his Northern home again. 
 
 The commandant opened several cells 
 before he reached the right one, but at 
 last he perceived a form lying on the 
 floor in the fourth after he "bad opened 
 three vacant ones. 
 
 Harry started up as his two visitors 
 entered the apartment, looked sharply 
 at them for a moment, then sitting down 
 he looked sullenly at the floor while the 
 commandant let the nght of the lantern 
 fall upon him, at the same time turning 
 to Arthur with a look of inquiry on his 
 face. 
 
 " Set the lantern on the floor an' turn 
 his face up so 't I can see," said Arthur, 
 in a hoarse, unnatural voice. 
 
 He hoped that it would not be recog- 
 nized, for he feared that Hairy might be 
 so surprised as to attract the Confed- 
 erate's attention. 
 
 Notwithstanding his precaution, Harry 
 started slightly, and raising his eyes cast 
 a penetrating glance upon the speaker. 
 
 To Arthur's relief the Confederate 
 seemed to attribute Harry's agitation to 
 the supposition that he wa? about to be 
 identified as the noted spy for whose ap- 
 prehension the general was so anxious. 
 
 He approached, therefore, and just as 
 he put his hand under Harry's c m the 
 muzzle of a revolver was thrust against 
 his head, and Arthur's voice rung in bis 
 ear, " Move a muscle and I'll blow your 
 brains out." 
 
80 
 
 HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 The commandant, however, disre- 
 garded the order. 
 
 Springing back he opened his mouth 
 to give a shout; that would have aroused 
 the whole post, but Harry had sprung 
 up and seized him by the throat in the 
 nick of time. 
 
 Arthur in the meantime tore a piece of 
 his tattered brown coat off and thrust as 
 much of it as he could into the officers 
 mouth, as the best and safest means of 
 keeping him quiet. 
 
 •'Now, Harry, get something to tie 
 him tip with. This is our last chance. 
 If we lose we are goners." 
 
 Wnile Arthur was speaking he was 
 tearing the Confederate uniform off of 
 the officer as fast as he could, and by 
 the time Harry had that worthy bound 
 it was lying on the floor. 
 
 "(jret"out of that U. S. N. now, Harry, 
 and into this thing," he said, speaking 
 rapidly and pointingto the pile of clothes 
 on the floor. 
 
 It took Harry less than two minutes 
 to dress himself out in the rebel's 
 uniform and announce himself ready to 
 proceed. 
 
 Arthur picked up the lantern, saying: 
 " Remember now, you are the command- 
 ant and general boss of this establish- 
 ment; your name is Adams. Don't say 
 a* word unless you must or you will be 
 detected. I am your serving-man. Come 
 on." 
 
 Arthur led the way upstairs, and when 
 he reached the door which opened into 
 tln> yard he turned and whispered to 
 Harry: '" 1'ou take the lead now, and 
 walk along as if you owned the place. 
 Make straight for the gate." 
 
 Nearly all the guards had disappeared 
 when they stepped into the yard, and 
 they reached the gate without molesta- 
 tion. 
 
 "Thecap'n says you shall leave the 
 gate open fer him. He'll be back soon," 
 called Arthur to the nearest guard, as 
 they stepped out the gate. 
 
 An exclamation of astonishment burst 
 from oneof the men, and Captain Henry's 
 votee was heard shouting: '"Follow them, 
 men; there's something wrong there." 
 
 'Run! run! Harry, that's Henry, and 
 he recognized my voice,'' whispered Ar- 
 thur, bounding forward. 
 
 The bustle and commotion increased 
 within the prison, and in a few moments 
 two horsemen appeared at the gate. 
 
 They were amply provided with weap- 
 ons — Arthur with those of the guerilla, 
 i. and Harry with I hose of the officer 
 of the prison. , 
 
 They started due east, hoping to reach 
 the river betore daylight, and work their 
 way up to where the Dragon Fly lay. 
 
 They had not proceeded any distance 
 before they heard the report of a musket 
 and a ball whistle close above their heads. 
 The clatter of hoofs sounded close be- 
 hind, and if there had been any number 
 of pursuers they would undoubtedly have 
 been recaptured. 
 
 "We must stop them, Harry," cried 
 Arthur, drawing his revolver. "You 
 take the right-hand one and I'll take the 
 left." 
 
 All four fired almost at the same mo- 
 ment, and Dairy felt a sharp pain in his 
 arm as he saw the rebel at whom he fired 
 throw up his hands and drop from the 
 saddle. 
 
 The horse of the other carried him al- 
 most up to Arthur, who was nearly run 
 down. 
 
 Neither of these had done any damage 
 by their shots, and Arthur caught his 
 pursuer by the throat, dragging him out 
 of the saddle. 
 
 "Now, Johnny Reb, I'll give you five to 
 leave," cried Arthur. " One, two, three, 
 four, five," and he covered the man with 
 his revolver till he had disappeared. 
 Then he turned to Harry. 
 " Where's the other horse?" he asked 
 quickly. 
 
 "He ran off when the rebel dropped off 
 of him." replied Harry, speaking as if in 
 great pain. 
 
 "What's the matter with you?" de- 
 manded Arthur in alarm. 
 
 " I guess that fellow hit me in the arm; 
 but never mind, we haven't time to 
 bother about it now," a,nswered Harry. 
 
 "Well, jump on behind me, and we'll 
 make this horse take us to the river," 
 said Arthur, looking back, expecting to 
 see u oi;e pursuers. 
 
 He assisted Harry on the horse, and 
 theu sprung up himself, saying: 
 
 " As soon as we get to a safe place we'll 
 stop, and I'll look at your arm." 
 
 Harry found the riding motion so pain- 
 ful that after bearing it about an hour he 
 declared he could stand it no longer. 
 
 Arthur at once dismounted, and tying 
 the horse to the tree under which they 
 stopped, he lit the lantern, which they 
 still had with them, and examined the 
 wound. 
 
 Fortunately it was inflicted by a small 
 ball in the fleshy part of the arm, con- 
 sequently no bone was touched, but it. 
 was very painful, and there was nothing 
 with which to bind it up. 
 
 Arthur hesitated to take the dirty 
 cloth which composed his impromptu 
 suit, fearing that it would do more harm 
 than good. Finally he cut a strip from 
 the uniform that Harry wore, and bound 
 it as carefully as possible to prevent 
 cold settling in it. 
 
HARRY AND ARTIE. 
 
 31 
 
 Then they remounted, Arthur putting 
 the horse on a walk, so as to make the 
 pace as easy as possible. 
 
 Their progress in this manner was nec- 
 essarily slow, and they put in the time by 
 telling each other all that befell them 
 during the time they were separated, and 
 it was midnight before they halted in a 
 little belt of trees within sight of the 
 liver. 
 
 After looking carefully over the spot 
 and making sure that they were its only 
 occupants, Arthur decided that they 
 should pass the rest of the night there 
 and then start up the river in the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 It was their first opportunity for sleep 
 for two nights, and Arthur fell asleep 
 almost immediately upon lying down, 
 but Harry could not, owing to the pain 
 in his arm. 
 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 BACK TO THE GUN-BOAT. ' 
 
 The sun was just rising when Arthur 
 sprung up, feeling very hungry, and he 
 only then remembered that they had 
 nothing to eat. 
 
 They consoled themselves with the re- 
 flection that if all went well it would not 
 be long till they were amply supplied, 
 and then they began to lay their plans 
 for the day's operations. 
 
 Arthur began to be seriously alarmed 
 at the state of Harry's arm, which was 
 very much swelled and so stiff that he 
 could not raise it. 
 
 While they were considering the ques- 
 tion as to what was best for them to do, 
 Arthur constructed a rude sling and 
 placed Harry's arm in it. 
 
 "I tell you what, Harry, I want to get 
 you to the surgeon before many more 
 hours go by," he said, as he completed his 
 work. 
 
 " We're ten miles from the Dragon Fly," 
 groaned Harry, "and it'll kill me to go 
 that distance." 
 
 But Arthur was firm, and accordingly 
 they made preparations to resume the 
 journey. 
 
 He had fixed Harry as comfortably as 
 possible in the saddle, while he himself 
 intended to lead the horse, in the hope 
 that by doing thus he would save Harry 
 any jolts and give him a more comfort- 
 able seat. 
 
 It was about ten o'clock in the morning 
 when they reached a bend in the river 
 that seemed familiar. 
 
 "The Dragon Fly has often been down 
 here," said Arthur, in some excitement. 
 "That must be her smoke above there." 
 
 In about ten minutes they saw the little 
 
 vessel in the middle, of the river, about 
 half a mile further on. 
 
 In the course of ten minutes more he 
 made the signal"by which they were to 
 be recognized on board. 
 
 By the commotion which immediately 
 followed he knew it had been seen, and 
 directly a boat put off and headed to- 
 ward them. 
 
 Arthur meanwhile lifted Harry from 
 the saddle and helped him down to the 
 water's edge just as three rousing cheers 
 from the boat's crew greeted them. 
 
 He replied with a will and even Harry 
 caught the spirit of the moment and 
 chimed in. 
 
 When it was ascertained m the boat that 
 Harry was wounded there were anxious 
 inquiries, as he was a prime favorite 
 with all connected with the Dragon Fly. 
 He was helped carefully into the boat, 
 where Arthur said he was able to speak 
 for himself. 
 
 A few minutes later the captain re- 
 ceived them on the Dragon Fly, but see- 
 ing Harry was wounded ordered him to 
 the surgeon at once. 
 
 Then turning to Arthur, he said: "You 
 may report to me in an hour, or just as 
 soon as Phillips' arm has received proper 
 attention." 
 
 When Harry made his appearance it 
 was in a brand-new uniform, and his 
 wound, properly dressed, felt vastly bet- 
 ter. 
 
 Arthur at once went to prepare for his 
 audience with the captain, and our two 
 friends looked vei\y different when they 
 went to the cabin than when they came 
 aboard a little while before. 
 
 As Harry was so much brighter Arthur 
 stood back, as he always did, and let his 
 friend relate to the captain what had 
 occurred and the success of their enter- 
 prise. 
 
 "But," said Harry, as he finished, 
 "though I originated the plan in the 
 first place, it is due to my friend here." 
 indicating Arthur, "that it has suc- 
 ceeded. If it hadn't been for him I 
 
 would probably now be hanging in a " 
 
 "It's no such a thing, captain," inter- 
 rupted Arthur, quickly. "Excuse me 
 for speaking as I did, but I might say, 
 while we are talking of obligations, that 
 if Harry had not been along I also would 
 be hanging somewhere, for I was accused 
 of being a spy, too." 
 
 " Well, well, never mind.'' said the cap- 
 tain, with a smile. "You have both done 
 excellent service, and you have my hearty 
 thanks for it. I hope soon to be able to 
 announce to you," tapping some papers, 
 "something of more consequence than 
 mere thanks. That is all now." 
 
 THE END. 
 
THE GEM LIBRARY 
 
 Contains the best stories that can be procured. It is Original; full of Thrill- 
 ing Adventures and Stirring Scenes. It contains Detective Stories, War Stories, 
 Frontier Stories, Indian Stories — all by the best American authors. 
 
 EVERY BOOK IS COMPLETE. 
 
 . . EARLE LYNDON, THE SHADOW ; or, Trailing the King of the Smugglers. By Beau 
 
 T» T* O f* fi. ( I P 
 
 . , THE SILENT AVENGER ; or. The Fate of the Crooked Nine. By M. Y. Hand. 
 
 . . JERRY, THE WEASEL ; or. The Boy Spy's Mission. By Louis Bernard. 
 
 . . COOL NED, THE CYCLONE ; or, The Road Agent's Doom. By Ned Buntling. 
 
 . . HUMAN WOLVES; or, The Boy Ventriloquist. By Major Downing. 
 
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 Rankin. 
 . CRAFTY JACK HARPER ; or. A Scout That Is a Scout. By T. P. James. 
 . SLIPPERY MILT, THE SCOUT ; or, Running the Gauntlet of Island No. 10. By Lieut. 
 
 Henry Downs. 
 WALTER COLLIER'S PLUCK ; or, Down the Mississippi in a Yacht. By W. II. 
 
 Atkinson. 
 
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 each. The complete set— 35 titles in all— will be sent, postage paid, for GO cents. 
 Do not neglect this chance to get thirty-five splendid stories for such a small sum. 
 KARTZ & GRAY, Box 407, New York, IV.Y. 
 
 «*A6 
 
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