General Schoepf received the news of General Thomas' advance with great satisfaction.
"If I can only hold on," he said, "until Thomas comes, everything will be all right."
"We must show a bold front, General," replied Fred, "and make the enemy believe we have a large force."
"It's the enemy that is showing a bold front nowadays," replied General Schoepf, with a faint smile. "They have been particularly saucy lately. They have in the last few days, cut off two or three small scouting parties. But what worries me the most is that there is hardly a night but that every man on some one of our picket posts is missing. There is no firing, not the least alarm of any kind, but the men in the morning are gone. It is a mystery we have tried to solve in vain. At first we thought the men had deserted, but we have given that idea up. The men are getting superstitious over the disappearance of so many of their comrades, and are actually becoming demoralized."
"General, will you turn this picket business over to me?" asked Fred, quietly.
"Gladly," replied the general. "I have heard much of your ability in ferreting out secret matters. Your success as a scout I am well acquainted with, as you know. I hope you will serve me as well in this matter of the pickets, for I am at my wits' end."
"Well, General, to-morrow I will be at your service, and I trust you will lose no more pickets before that time," and so saying Fred took his leave, for he needed rest badly.
The next morning, when Fred went to pay his respects to the general, he found him with a very long face. "Another post of four men disappeared last night," he said.
Fred gave a low whistle. "Well, General, if possible, I will try and solve the problem, but it may be too hard for me."
"Have you any idea yet how they are captured?" asked the general.