Page 164 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

T h e soldiers, after this, made them march along between

them. T h e y carried them lo the clearing where the old
house was, and where some of their comrades were on guard
awaiting them. T h e y marched the boys up to the Tire.
J' W e ’ve got the little horse-thieves,” they declared. " T h e y

were coming over after another horse ; but J guess we’ll
break it up now,"
" W h y, they are m ighty little fellows to be horse-thieves,'
said one,
11 They are the worst kind," declared the other.
“ Must be right bad, then, corporal, for you are preLty
handy yourself,” declared a comrade.

“ We are not any horse-thieves.” asserted jack. “ We
found this horse.1’
11 Shut up !" ordered one of his captors. They began to
talk about what they would do with them. Several methods

of securing them were proposed, and it was finally deter-
mined to lock them up in the loft of the old cabin till morn­
ing. when they would carry them to camp, and the Colonel
would make proper disposition of them.
“ Can’t they get away in there ? ’f asked one man.
“ No ; there is a boll on the outside of the door,” said

another. “ Besides, we are all down here/’
They were accordingly taken and carried into the house
and up the rickety old stairs to the loft, where they were left
on the bare door with a single blanket, ft was quite dark in

there, and Jack fell very low down as he heard the bolt