"Yes, sah."
The negro sprang to work, and as he moved around Artie continued to keep him covered with the gun. In a few minutes the horse was ready for use, and then the young captain made the slave bring out one of Colonel Dick Bradner's animals likewise. Both were taken to a rear doorway, out of sight of the mansion.
"Now get up there and come along with me," said Artie, as he hopped into the saddle. "And no treachery."
"Whar yo' gwine ter take me, Cap'n?"
"To the Union camp, so that you can't give your master the alarm. Do what I want you to do, and you will suffer no harm. In the sitting room you were only obeying your master's orders, so I shan't blame you for that."
At these words Sam was evidently much relieved, and he consented to show the way by a back path to the side road. With the negro in front of him, Artie put spurs to his steed, and soon gained the fork where he had separated from Life Knox. He found the captain of the seventh company taking it easy under the thick shelter of a clump of trees and some brush.
"Well, Captain, you've been a long time getting back," he remarked, as he gazed questioning at Artie with the gun and then at the negro. "Had some adventure, I reckon?"
"That's it, Life, and there is no time to waste in giving particulars. I wonder how near the nearest troops are?"
"A company of mounted infantry passed this place less than five minutes ago."
"Can we overtake them, do you think?"