"Drop them guns." The rebels did as they were ordered, and the major said: "Now we will talk to you.

Who and what are you ?" The men hesitated for a moment, and at length one of them, turning to his companion with a meaning look, said: "We're caught, any way we can fix it, Jim, and we may as well make a clean breast of it.

We are deserters." "What are you doing here ?" "We came here to get out of the way of you fellows who were sent after us.

It is as good a place of refuge as we could find, and, to tell the truth, we did not think you would discover it.

You must have followed us with blood-hounds." "No, sir; we did not," exclaimed the major, indignantly.