At that moment the captain of the guard, followed by a squad of men, came running up.
“Why did you fire?” he asked.
Spencer told him.
“We’ll start the fellow out,” the officer said, and, turning to his men, he ordered them to fire a volley into the ravine.
They obeyed; but centered their fire on a spot several yards beyond the lad, and he was not injured. The bullets dislodged some animal, however, that ran up the opposite bank, and, scudding by the sentinel on that side, disappeared in the bushes beyond.
“It was a fox,” he cried. “Spencer mistook a fox for a man. Ha! ha!” and the officer laughed loudly.
The men on the other bank joined in the mirth.
“I don’t care,” Spencer declared. “It shows I was looking out so sharply that even a fox could not escape me.”
The laugh subsided; the squad returned to their stations; and the pickets resumed their beat.
As soon as they had departed Dan hurried on, and in a few minutes gained the road leading to Bemis Heights. Down this he ran until halted by three hoots of an owl, twice repeated. Stopping suddenly, he gave the same cry, and after a few seconds Late and Joe came out from the forest.