"It may make all the difference in the world," whispered Tom. "That fellow who just rode by would ask nothing better than to send or take word to the Yankees where they could capture me and a squad of conscripts on a certain day."
"Whew!" whistled the captain. "If he does that I'll arrest him and ship him off to Richmond."
"But would that make a free man of me?" demanded Tom impatiently. "And how are you going to prove it on him?"
"That's so; and when it comes to that I don't suppose Griffin is the only one about here who would be glad to see you and all the Home Guards packed off to a Northern prison. The only thing you can do is to look out for yourself. Take as big a squad with you as you can muster, and stand ready to fight your way."
Captain Tom was almost disheartened, but made one more effort to shirk the duty to which, until this particular morning, he had looked forward with the liveliest anticipations of pleasure.
"Can't you ask the Confederate authorities to send regular troops here to act as guards, and leave me at home to protect the town?" said he desperately. He knew it was a confession of cowardice on his part, but he did not care a snap for that.
"Protect the town!" said Captain Roach in great disgust. "No, I can't. Yes, on second thought, I can; but it will end in you and the Home Guards being sent to the front."
The captain spoke impatiently and jerked a sheet of paper toward him on the desk, intimating by the action that he could not waste any more time with his friend Tom just then, and the latter walked out of the office, mounted his horse, and rode slowly homeward. Something was forever happening to upset his plans, and this last trouble was all the fault of that man Lambert. If he had not fired upon that unarmed boat the Federals would never have thought it necessary to send a force to Baton Rouge, and Captain Tom could have escorted his conscripted neighbors to the camp of instruction without fear of coming in contact with the blue-coated cavalry. He would have had many opportunities to show his fine sword and uniform to soldiers from other parts of the State, and could have talked as big as he pleased about whipping iron-clad gunboats in a fair fight. He had hoped to gain admirers among the officers stationed at the camp, and perhaps he could have himself recommended to fill the commanding officer's place when the latter was ordered to take the field.
"But that's all past and gone now," said Tom as he saw these bright hopes disappearing like the river mists before the rising sun. "If the Yankee cavalry blocks my way, as it surely will if Ned Griffin gets a chance to send them word, I just know I shall be captured, for I can't expect raw troops like my Home Guards to stand against veterans. I wish Lambert had been hanged before he fired on that boat. Who are these, I wonder? Strangers; and spies, I'll bet."