The brief respite had so restored the strength of the young soldier that he ran swiftly over the loose planks until he had gone several yards from the place where he had stopped.

Compelled then to slacken his pace, he glanced anxiously about him as he moved on through the unfamiliar country. The storm was still severe, though heavy, broken clouds now were to be seen in the darkened sky.

Noel was fleeing through a country with which he not only was not familiar, but which also provided many perils of its own. Fortunately, as he believed, there were few people whom he was likely to meet at such a time and in a pouring rain. The thought of Stuart's cavalry, however, caused him to be doubly watchful, for he knew of the report that horsemen had been thrown out to intercept any stragglers that might be striving to make their way to the army of General McClellan.

An hour or more elapsed, and as yet Noel had not discovered any one on the old roadway. Once when he had passed a humble cabin the barking of the dogs had caused him to hesitate. He was defenseless and was unaware of the sympathies of the inmates of the little house. The uncertainty, however, caused him to resume his flight, although he still was ignorant of his destination.

His chief thought was that, by placing the greatest possible distance between him and the enemies whom he had left behind him, he might then be able to obtain help or find a place in which he could hide throughout the day and resume his flight when night again came. Even in his alarm and perplexity, he smiled as he recalled the statement of Dennis, when the young Irishman had outlined his plan for escape, "that he didn't know where he was going, but he knew he wanted to go there mighty quick, and he wanted to go mighty bad."

The night now was almost gone. Noel was aware of this from the slight change that appeared in the eastern sky. There was as yet no promise of the passing of the storm, though its violence had markedly decreased.

It was strange, the young soldier thought, that all through the hours of his flight he had not discovered any of his enemies. At that moment, however, Noel saw coming from a lane at the left of the road a man who was carrying a burden in each hand. Around his neck hung a yoke the cords of which were attached to bundles.

It was too dark to enable Noel to determine whether or not the man was a soldier. He halted abruptly, and, prepared to flee instantly if occasion should demand, eagerly watched the approaching stranger. As yet he apparently was unaware of the presence of Noel in the road. Suddenly, however, he glanced in the direction of the young soldier.

The man's alarm was so manifest at his discovery that under other circumstances Noel would have laughed heartily. The light was sufficiently strong to enable him to see now that the man was not a soldier, and a moment later, when the stranger spoke, the young soldier's fears were relieved when it became manifest that he was a negro.

"Who dat? Who dat?" asked the colored man as he stopped abruptly.

"Where did you come from?" demanded Noel, striving to speak sternly.

"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "Is yo' all come from—" Whatever the place from which the negro thought he came, he did not complete his sentence, and consequently Noel was left in ignorance.

"Who lives here?" demanded Noel.

"Massa Hilton."

"Is he home?"

"No, suh. Yas, suh. I don' jest 'member whether he's home or not," stammered the negro.

Noel's experiences with Long John had made him somewhat suspicious of the colored people of the region. He decided that he would be extremely cautious, and at once said, "In which direction are you going?"

"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro.

"Come on, then," said Noel. "I'm going in the same direction."

The colored man hesitated a moment, and then as he moved nearer he was convinced that he did not need to fear the young stranger and obediently joined him.

As soon as they had advanced beyond the point in the road which hid the little house from their sight, Noel turned to his companion and said, "What are you doing—leaving home at this time of night?"

"I don' lib dar," replied the negro promptly. "I b'long to Massa Frost."

"Where does he live?"

"Fo' or five miles up yonder," replied the negro, pointing ahead of him as he spoke.

"What are you doing down here, and what are you leaving at this time in the night for?"

"Is yo' all a Union sojer?" asked the negro abruptly.

"Do I look like it?"

"Yas, suh; though yo' clothes is so covered with mud I dess can't tell 'xactly what you are."

"What would you say if I was?"

"I want to know whether yo' is or yo' isn't befo' I answers dat ar question."

"All right," laughed Noel, who was convinced now that in no event should he have to fear his colored companion.

The house had been safely passed and the negro apparently was inoffensive and harmless. Noel was still watchful for the appearance of any of Stuart's men, for whom he entertained a feeling of most wholesome respect.

"What's your name?" he asked again as he turned to his companion.

"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "My name's Nick."

"Are you related to 'Nicodemus, a slave, of African birth,' and did you call your friends to 'meet you down by the swamp and wake you up for the great jubilee'?" The young soldier was speaking in apparent seriousness and his companion stopped abruptly and stared at the man who had asked him these strange questions.

"No, suh," he said. "I never kno' nuthin' 'bout no swamp. Wha's dat yo' all is tellin' 'bout anyway?"

In a low voice Noel began to sing the song which was familiar even in his far-away home on the St. Lawrence,—

"Yas, suh," said the negro, "but it's not dis yere Nick. Dat's some oder Nick. I know milliums of darkies named Nick."

"Nick," demanded Noel abruptly, "do you know any men around here who are friends of the Union?"

"Yas, suh. I sho'ly does," replied the negro, so promptly that the young soldier at once decided that he might rely upon his friendship.

"Are any of the men at home now?"

"Yas, suh. Yas, suh. Massa Hilton, back yonder; I reckon he mought be er Union man."

"Is your master?"

"Yas, suh. Massa Hilton's brother Sam, he's fo' de South. I reckon it almost comes to blows when dey talks about de war."

"Isn't either of them in the army?"

"Yas, suh; Massa Sam Hilton, he's in de 'fed'ate a'my."

"But this Mr. Hilton who lives back in the house we passed, he's not a soldier, you say?"

"No, suh. No, suh."

"You're sure he's a good friend of the Union men?"

"He sho'ly am."

"Then I'm going back there," said Noel, stopping as he spoke and turning abruptly about.

Nick in surprise also stopped and looked at his companion. "Is yo' all a Union sojer?"

"I am, and I want to go where I can find somebody who will be good to me for a day or two. You say you're sure Mr. Hilton will be glad to see me?"

"I can't jes' say as how he will be glad to see yo'," replied the negro, shaking his head slowly.

"But you said he would," interrupted Noel.

"No, suh; 'scuse me. What I done say was dat he would be good to yo'. I don' know as Massa Hilton will be glad to see a Union sojer des' now."

"Why not?"

"Dar's some special reasons what I don't recomember," replied Nick, speaking in such a manner that Noel's suspicions again were aroused.

"But you say he's a Union man?"

"Yas, suh. Yas, suh, he sure am."

"Why won't he be glad to see me?"

"I done tell yo', suh, des' now dat dere's all dis yere trouble what am goin' on. I reckon dey isn't nobody what's glad to have a sojer come to his house des' now."

"Oh, I see," said Noel slowly; "but if I do come he will take care of me for a day or two? Then I'm going back there. What have you got in your bundle, Nick?"

"Nothin' much. Des' some stuff what Massa Frost done tol' me fo' toe git at Massa Hilton's."

"Why do you call for it in the night? Why don't you go out in the daytime?"

"I'se feared some of the sojers mought see me if I start after sunup—"

"You're more afraid they will take away from you what you have in those bundles."

"Dere ain't nuthin' in dis yere bundle. I mus' be goin' on," Nick added excitedly. "I mus' git toe Massa Frost's befo' sunup."

"Well, good luck to you," laughed Noel. "I hope you won't fall in with any of Stuart's cavalry, and I hope a good deal more that I shan't, but I'm going back to that house."

The young soldier was aware that he was incurring great risk in his venture, but he was wet and weary, and it had been long since he had tasted food. He might be hidden about the place somewhere and fed for a day or two, when matters might so shape themselves that he would be able to join the main army of McClellan, which he knew could not be very far away.

Acting at once upon his decision, Noel rapidly retraced his steps and soon arrived at a place from which he was able to see the house and the few low outbuildings that were in the rear. He stopped a moment and listened intently. The rain had almost stopped, though the air was heavy with mist. Not a sound broke the silence.

Cautiously approaching the house, Noel turned from the roadside and started toward the building. He was watchful, for not only was there peril from men who might be within, but also from the huge dogs which he knew were common in the region.

When at last he approached the grounds of the house he stopped once more and again listened intently. Still the silence was unbroken and there was no appearance of danger.

He decided to go to the door, which he believed would be in the rear of the house and that opened into the kitchen. Perhaps he might there find a shelter or some place of refuge which would protect him in a measure from the night. If such a place should be found, he planned to wait there until daylight before making his presence known to the inmates of the house.

To his great delight Noel discovered a lean-to or shed in the rear of the house. The floor was of brick, and though it was too dark to enable him to see what was inside, the fact that no dogs had challenged his coming encouraged him to enter. Stepping inside, he turned to look once more out into the night and make certain that his movements had not been seen.

The young soldier was startled when, appearing around the corner of one of the low buildings, he saw a man, who in the dim light seemed to loom head and shoulders above the height of an ordinary human being. At first Noel almost believed that it was the negro, Long John, by whom he had been led into the trap set by the Confederate soldiers. Certainly the man was as tall as the negro, but there was something in his movements which convinced the watching boy after a brief interval that this man was not colored.

Suddenly it occurred to him that the proprietor of the place, the man of whom Nick had spoken as "Massa Hilton," might be the one who was approaching, though why he should be out of the house at such a time and in such a night the lad could not understand. Boldly advancing from his hiding-place, Noel approached the startled stranger, and in a low voice hailed him.