I deferred to Graves’s suggestions, as he was quite a famous scout. “But,” said I, “Mr. Graves, I hope you can make your owl hoots very natural. You know these fellows we are after are quite familiar with woodcraft, and they would only be aroused and made suspicious by a bad imitation of an owl.”
“Don’t you fear for that, captain. I can cheat the owls themselves, let alone these butternuts.”
Graves and Rogers left us with their party, disappearing as silently in the gloomy shadows of the night as wood goblins. I gathered my own men closely together, warned them in low tones against making the least noise, and then waited patiently for the signal.
While on board the boat or during the excitement of the march, I had not felt the cold; but now that we were quiet I found myself chilled to the bone, notwithstanding my thick pea-jacket, which I wore with my sword and pistol belt buckled outside of it. Occasionally I heard the distant baying of a hound; a possum or rabbit rustled through the dead leaves as he crossed the path, and once I heard the hoot of an owl from the woods in the rear of the house we were watching. I listened anxiously, but there was only a single call, evidently not from our companions. Then I heard what boded ill for the success of our venture—the sharp yelp of a foxhound near the barn, and soon it was repeated nearer at hand!
“The brute has scented us, sir,” said Mr. Watson, “and he will have the whole place alarmed if he is not stopped. What shall we do?”
But before he had finished speaking, three distant hoots of an owl were heard. We paused, and in a moment they were followed by a single hoot, and then all was still.
“Five minutes more, Watson, and we will make our rush. Let the cur bark if he will.”
Again the hoot of the owl broke the stillness of the night, this time nearer, and, giving the word, we rushed at double-quick from our cover, deployed, and, as our comrades appeared, we had the house closely surrounded on every side.
“Keep a sharp lookout, Mr. Watson, and do not let a living soul pass your line. Don’t parley with any who may try to escape. If they fail to stop and throw up their hands, shoot! We have shrewd and dangerous men to deal with, sir.”
With Rogers, Graves, and a dozen men I mounted the steps of the porch and knocked loudly at the door. There was no reply, but we could hear movements within.