Voices had come to them from down the road--the sounds of a party of men talking and laughing as they marched along.
Cary's face took on again the grim lines which had been wiped away momentarily by their little bit of play.

He was trying to make himself believe that the approaching party might be friends, although he knew only too well that such a possibility was full of doubt.

There were too many scouting parties of Federals ready to pounce on Rebel patrols in these perilous days to allow any but large forces of men to venture far from Richmond, and when his own men sallied forth they did not go with laughter but with tightly drawn, silent lips.
"S-s-s-h," he whispered, and held up his finger again, as she seemed ready to burst into questioning.
Immediately she snuggled close to him and whispered hotly in his ear, "Who are they, Daddy ?" "I don't know, honey," he whispered back.

"But I'm afraid they're Yanks.
Keep quiet till they pass." And quickly deserting the stone under the trees where they had had their "belt supper" he drew her with him behind the large ledge of rock from under which the spring flowed out.

Looking behind them he saw that with good luck they could reach the shelter of the woods and get up over the hill without being seen.