Here the guerillas rode, choosing their sides as suited them best, and robbing as paid them most.

Nor did these rough men hesitate at murder.

So he rode most of the time with his hand on the butt of the pistol at his belt, and whenever he went through woods, which was most of the time, he kept a wary watch to right and to left.
The first person whom he passed was a boy riding on a sack of grain to mill.

Dick greeted him cheerfully and the boy with the fearlessness of youth replied in the same manner.
"Any news your way ?" asked Dick.
"Nothin' at all," replied the boy, his eyes enlarging with excitement, "but from the way you are comin' we heard tell there was a great battle, hundreds of thousands of men on each side an' that the Yankees won.

Is it so, Mister ?" "It is true," replied Dick.