Love under Fire

of my scouting service, and the knowledge of danger was merely the prick of a spur. The rusty buckles holding the flap in place resisted the grip of my fingers, and, opening a kn

, so as to peer out from under the hood, loosened reins in one hand, a whip in the other. The darkness of the night ena

ntion upon the road, and his efforts to accelerate the speed of the pony. The present opportunity was as good as I could ever hope for. I grasped the back of the seat with one

. "Not a movement now; th

ad in the surprise of the shock, but his hands held to reins an

"do you think I'm

own to a walk, and finally stopped. I could catch merely a glimpse of the man's profil

ened. "If you value your

t of a boy rather than a man, the slight blur of

over the back of the seat. He shrank back from contact with me farther into the co

ily. "Well, I can't help that, and you'll not find me such a ba

r his rapid breathing, and catch

intend to

the shapeless f

d, "what is the use of

p in surprise, st

e what? Why do y

outfit for the last eight miles just for fun, or exercise ei

O

hand over those particular papers, Billie, the

. It was firm with purpose now, even a bit sarcastic. "You've merely g

'm still satisfied I've got the right party. You

se I d

beginning to lose patience. "I'll simply take them, if

convinced apparent

-see here!" The soft hat was whipped off the head, and the slender figure leaned forward t

wave over her shoulders, and she flung it back with a movement of the hand. The gleam of the stars gave me the contour of her face, and the sparkle of her eyes. A woman, young, pretty--an

last, the words bursting forth unconsciously.

f my face appealed to her sense of humor. Evidently the lady was

ed cheerfully, "and won't Billie

but it doesn't make me laugh." Then a vague suspicion

llie Hardy was going to try to run the lines to-night. So it was easy enough to guess who you were

would have pu

ly provoking, "but I reck

on to take into our lines of any value, and had failed utterly in my efforts to intercept the important despatches for Beauregard. The knowledge of my mistake stung me bitterly, yet I could blame no one for the failure except myself. The apparent carelessne

ontented," I said. "A

to bend slightly forward so as to look into my sha

ou--a Yank. You are on th

s are demons. I don't believe you are. I like your voice. You see, I was educated in the

ven realizing why she asked, until s

ow. You look as though you would fight too, but not with a woman." She stopped with an

round us afforded any guess as to where we were. The pony stood with drooping head, his flanks still heaving from his late run. To the right the ground appeared open and level

lishly. "But I confess I am all

r to laugh, and evidently

excused herself, "but I

vice for more than two years. Moreover, I was a good enough scout to pass withi

he interrupted archly. "Tell me, do

west, but I have no recollection of it. What p

instead. This is the old road to Jonesboro, and has been used very little since the new road was

be, at least, ten miles east, and the Confederate left scarcely nearer. Beauregard was off in here somewh

ay is th

ht about th

ird's

rtain she smiled,

nd this road comes down to it at Jonesboro; there is

osition in mind. The peculiar winding course of the river would leave me nearer our lines at Jonesboro than where we then were. Indeed foragin

ng to Jonesb

dded s

she would say to such a request. "Of course you will be aiding the ene

ngly. "You are a man, and armed.

toward me. I have acted as a gentlema

grateful. Then you do not order me t

t is

I don't mind your being a Yankee if you

ow the road, and the

wn after the whip. At the first movement the little animal