The tall host whom Noel had followed into the house had remained seated near the door throughout the interview. In spite of his indifferent manner, the young soldier was startled when several times he was suspicious that the man was listening for the approach of some one. He glanced frequently toward the door, and there was an air of anxiety or expectation in every movement he made. However, Noel had been so tired and now was so refreshed by the simple food which the woman soon provided for him that he dismissed his fears from his mind and soon was sleeping soundly.
He was awakened by the sound of voices in the adjoining room. It was daylight now and his bedroom was flooded with sunshine. It was, however, the conversation in the kitchen that chiefly interested the young soldier, and in a brief time he was keenly excited by what he heard. He looked about the room for his uniform, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile from the parts of the conversation which he overheard, he was convinced that the visitor was a soldier in the Confederate army.
CHAPTER XIII
FRIENDS OF THE UNION
Noel's excitement gave place to alarm as he listened to the conversation in which the two men were engaged.
The lack of his uniform prevented him from trying to leave his room, and as yet he was uncertain whether or not the visitor even was aware that a young soldier of the Union was in the house.
For a time Noel listened intently, striving to discover something which would give him the information he desired; but the words of the visitor, whose part in the conversation was much greater than that of his tall host, did not imply that he was suspicious.
There were moments when snatches of the conversation almost convinced Noel that the man was a spy. It was plain that he was more or less familiar with the conditions existing in the Union army, but how he had obtained such detailed information was something the listening young soldier was unable to explain.