"Major, I pelieve it's petter we shoots them rebels."
Before the major had time to reply, a large dog, which the fugitives had not before noticed, arose from the blanket where he had lain beside his master, and uttered a low growl, whereat the rebels seized their weapons, and were beating a precipitate retreat, when a loud "halt!" from the major brought them to a stand-still.
"We takes you all two brisoners," said the captain, as he advanced from the bushes, followed by the remainder of the fugitives, who all held their weapons in readiness. "Drop them guns."
The rebels did as they were ordered, and the major said:
"Now we will talk to you. Who and what are you?"
The men hesitated for a moment, and at length one of them, turning to his companion with a meaning look, said:
"We're caught, any way we can fix it, Jim, and we may as well make a clean breast of it. We are deserters."
"What are you doing here?"
"We came here to get out of the way of you fellows who were sent after us. It is as good a place of refuge as we could find, and, to tell the truth, we did not think you would discover it. You must have followed us with blood-hounds."
"No, sir; we did not," exclaimed the major, indignantly. "What do you take us for—savages?"