"It's time to get up. The sooner we get out of here the safer it will be for us both."
All this time Noel was sharing the alarm of his comrade. Not merely was there an odor of burning wood, but there was no concealing the fact that smoke was penetrating their hiding-place.
To add to his alarm, at that very moment there were sounds of men running about near the shack, and then abruptly above the noise was heard the voice of some one shouting, "Fire! Fire!"
The danger of meeting the owner of the plantation was not so great in the mind of the young soldier at the time as that of being burned or suffocated in the place where he and Dennis had been concealed.
"Come on, Dennis! Come on!" he called in a low voice, as instantly he crawled toward the opening.
The place, however, had been closed after the entrance of the two boys and in the darkness it was impossible at first for Noel to find the exit. By this time his fears had been greatly increased and the sounds of confusion outside were much more alarming.
Men were shouting and running about, and in the midst of it all were heard the screams of the terrified children.
"Lad," whispered Dennis, "we can't wait to find the door. We must make a break for it anywhere we can." As he spoke the young Irishman threw himself with all his strength against the side of the little room.
Instantly the partition gave way and to the consternation of Noel the entire structure collapsed. Both boys were buried beneath the cornstalks, but it was only the work of a moment for them to free themselves.
As they leaped to their feet they discovered that one of the little whitewashed cabins, which they had seen the preceding evening, was on fire. Surrounding it were crowds of colored people, and among them Noel saw a tall white man, who he instantly concluded was the man whose voice had been overheard by him and Dennis. Without question the man before him was the owner of the plantation and the one who had warned Aunt Katie's little boy against the "terrible Yankees with hawns."