Page 153 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

would not get ioose. They approached the trap with great
excitement. They were careful, however, for they did not
want to scare him. As they drew near they were pleased to
find he had got tjuiet. They came nearer; he was so quiet

that they thought probably he was asleep. So they crept up
quite close, Jack in advance, and peeped over the bank into
the trap. Jack's heart jumped up into his throat It was
em pty! he was gone! Jack could not help a few tears
stealing down his cheeks. Yes, he was gone. At first
lie thought he had escaped, and he could catch him again ;

but no, an examination of the place showed him that he
had been found in the trap by some one, and had been
stolen. The barricade was pulled down, and the poles of
the entrailer were thrown back quite out of the way. Be­

sides, there were men's tracks in the wet place on the edge
of the pool, jack sat down anti cried. It was some of those
Yankees, he knew. Jake poured out all his eloquence upon
the subject. This relieved him. ■
" If J had my gun I’d go right straight and shoot thetn,"

declared Jack.
This valorous resolve set him to thinking. He got up,
and wont down to the gap. He could see the tracks where
the horse was led out. He must have “ cut up ” a good deal,
for the grass outside was very much trampled. Jack could

see where he was led or ridden away. The tracks went
straight toward the clearing where the picket was. They
were quite fresh ; he could not very long have been taken.