"One thing I want ye all to understand," he said, with great concern. "That gal, what the rebels took in, is in one of them cabins, and no shot must be fired into 'em for fear o' hurting her. Remember, not a hair o' her head must be touched."
They halted, and Uncle Dan, with twelve picked men, dismounted and proceeded ahead on foot, while the others remained under cover, until a signal should be given to surround the cabins.
It happened, that the red-headed rebel, Jackson, had gone to the stream with two pails to bring water for his wife. A thin skim of ice overlaid the stream, which Mr. Jackson must break in order to get his water. Not finding any stick or other implement at hand, he used the bottom of one of his pails, and the thumping and splashing made so much noise that our friend did not hear the footsteps gradually approaching him, and, so much engaged was he, that he did not observe two men in blue uniform standing just behind him until he had filled his pails and turned to go to the house.
Had two ghosts suddenly started up before him, he could not have dropped his buckets more quickly.
"Bless me!" gasped Jackson. "Where in the world did you come from?"
Uncle Dan laid his hand on Jackson's shoulder telling him he was a prisoner.
"Yes, I kinder expected that for some little time," he answered, looking about in blank astonishment, as the soldiers, one by one, stole noiselessly from among the thick bushes.
"Do you belong to that house?" said Uncle Dan, pointing in the direction of the cabins.
"I did," replied Jackson, bowing politely to the veteran scout, "before you took me in charge."
"How many men are up there now!" asked Uncle Dan.
"My wife, sir, and the wife of Captain Tompkins."
"Wife of Captain Tompkins! When was he married?"
"Then, sir," said Uncle Dan with vehemence, "all I have to say is, that you have a d--d rascal for a captain."
"He went back to the command, sir, but will be here in a few minutes with more men."
"Bang!" came a musket-shot, and the ball whistled over the heads of the men grouped on the banks of the stream. The shot came from the direction of the cabins.
Uncle Dan gave the signal, and the thunder of twenty horses' feet coming down the hill instantly followed.