Page 162 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

startled by some 011c springing* out of the bushes before him
and calling ,J H a lt!” as he Hung up his gun, Jake clutched
him, and Jack halted* Several men surrounded them, and
ordered them to gel down. The;" slipped off the horse, *md
one of the men took Et, They all had guns.
“ Why, this is the Colonel’s thoroughbred Lhat was stolen

two weeks ago/1 declared one of the men, " Where did you
steal this horse ? " asked another of them, roughly,
'■ W f did not steal him,” asserted Jack, hotly. " W e
found him arid eaugfht him in the woods;”
iD
■ You hear that?" The man turned to his comrades.
"Come, little Johnnie, don't tell lies. We've got you, and
you were riding a stolen horse, and there were Several Others
stolen at the same time. You’d better tell the truth, and
make a clean breast of it, if you know what's good for you."
jack indignantly denied that he had stolen the horse, and

told how they had caught him and were bringing him Lack.
He had a letter from his mother to Colonel Wilson, he
asserted, to prove it,
"W here is the letter? Ir they asked

Jack turned to Jake, “ Jake's got it in his pocket,"
"Y es, I got de pass/1 declnred Jake, feeling in his pocket.
He felt first in one and then another. His countenance fell.
" Hi ! I done !os’ it/’ he asserted.
The soldiers laughed. That was a little too thin, they
declared. Come, they must go with them. They proposed

to put a stop to this horse-stealing. It had been going on