"You can bet your horse they won't," added Life. "They can't see us yet, and I think we had better fix things a little before we begin business."
"We obey orders, Sergeant. There's a knoll over on the right covered over with trees."
"I was looking at that; and we will move over there, and take a position behind it, where they can't see us," replied Knox, as he led the way through a hollow, which brought the party to it.
The mansion-house was on the highest ground in the vicinity, though it was not on a hill. The fire seemed to be plentifully supplied with wood; for it burned brightly, and shed its light on the road leading from the house to the grove. A group of men could be seen approaching the elevation where the fire burned. They moved very slowly, and appeared to have considerable trouble in making any progress at all. There was a prisoner in the midst of the party, and he was very unwilling to move in the direction indicated by his oppressors.
While they were observing the spectacle, Cato joined them, for he had followed the cavalrymen as rapidly as he could on foot. He evidently belonged on the plantation, and knew all about the nature of the affair in progress, though the sergeant was not disposed to listen to a story as "long as Uncle Zeke's sermons."
"Do you know what those villains are doing there, Cato?" he asked, when the negro had recovered his breath.
"Dey drag ole Mars'r Barkland ober to de tree, whar dey will hang him," answered Cato promptly.
"Then your master has plenty of money?"
"I dunno, Mars'r; he neber tole me notin' about dat."
"I s'pose not. Are the men who came to the mansion in uniform, Cato?"