The next day's trail varied but little from the preceding one, except that it
was shorter, owing to the necessary fatigue of man and beast. At night the
scout, having received permission from the Commissary, quietly took his berth
in the wagon which had been before robbed, and which he stated had been

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marked. Truth to say, however, the said mark looked very much like a dozen
other stains upon the cover, from the red clay which had soiled it by the
splashing of the wheels. The scout, however, was an important character,
and displayed so much more knowledge of the country and the habits of the
Indians, than had been anticipated, that he was suffered to have his own way,
in those things not pertaining to military discipline. The early part of the
evening was spent by the Governor and his associates, very much as the
previous ones had been, except that the latter began now to seek their rude
pallets much earlier than at first. Nothing occurred to disturb the solemn
tramp of the sentinels, and the more selemn cry of the whippoorwill, as they
resounded through the silent forests at midnight. Scarcely a soul stirred in
all that little city of canvass, except poor Hall, who walked about on the outskirts
of the camp, like some disturbed spirit. The melancholy flickering of
the camp fires, as they died away, and the solemn moaning of the tree-tops
seemed more in unison with his depressed spirits, than the revelry of his companions.
He had just taken a walk within the line of sentries, and was
standing in front of his tent and gazing at the clear cold moon—its silvery
tints falling over tree and shrub, and flower, when he was startled by a stealthy
tread. He drew himself within the shadow of a large tree, which stood near,
and watched and listened for a renewal of the sounds which had alarmed him.
But a few moments had elapsed before he heard a sharp ringing sound like the
springing of machinery, followed by a most hideous and unearthly screech,
and the next moment Joe's merry laughter was ringing through the woods.
He followed the sound toward the baggage wagons, and beheld, what he then
supposed, to be an enormous dog, with his forefoot fastened in a wolf-trap
and cutting the strangest antics on his hind legs, he had ever seen a quadruped
perform. Joe had sprung upon the ground and was performing others
very little less extravagant, and exclaiming “I told you I would trap the
varmints, I told you I would trap the varmints!” By this time several of the
nearest sentinels also came running in to see the cause of alarm. To these
Joe consigned his prisoner, and darted off into the woods in the direction of
the river, which was some fifty yards off.

The dog turned out to be a young Indian, enveloped in the skin of the animal,
and he had passed the sentinel on all fours, doubtless, as they all averred
that no biped had crossed their walks. Lee, with many others of the young
officers had, by this time, gathered around, and the former ordered the young
rascal to be released from his agonizing position, which he was increasing
every moment, by his vain efforts to work himself loose. The wolf-trap was
made of parallel steel bars, without teeth, but clasping together with great
force. Nothing but the thick dog's hide had prevented it from crushing the
bones of the prisoner's wrist. He was now standing on his legs, and before
the bright pine torches at midnight, presented one of the strangest sights imaginable.
His very writhings and tortures from the pain of the steel-trap,
produced merriment among the soldiers, as he looked through his canine
mask, and whisked his tail about. While the crowd gathered around the
young Indian, each indulging his curiosity or his merriment according to the
taste of the new comer, the report of Joe's gun was heard, but a short distance
off, immediately followed by that startling sound to all civilized ears, the
war-whoop.

The captive was quickly deserted by all except the two soldiers who had him
immediately in charge. When the party arrived at the bank of the river they beheld,
by the light of the moon, Joe in a truly perilous position. He was standing
in a canoe in the middle of the stream, and defending himself most manfully
against four stalwart warriors, and a negro, each scarcely inferior in size to
the scout himself. He had what appeared to be a handspike in his hand, with
which he was laying about him at a tremendous rate, while his foes each in
a separate canoe, (with the exception of the negro who sculled for one of the

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party,) attempted to surround him at first, but when they discovered what a
formidable giant they had to deal with at close quarters, they changed their
method of attack and attempted to drown him. The anxious spectators on
shore could render no assistance, for there was not a canoe or plank to float
upon, along the shore. Frank Lee dashed down the banks with frantic speed
in search of some such thing, but to no purpose. The savages had been careful
enough to leave only one for the escape of the young rogue who had been
caught in the steel-trap. By this time, Joe had reduced the numbers of his
antagonists to the warrior in the canoe with the negro, but the others were in
the water and would speedily swamp his canoe. He saw them approaching,
and knew that his scouting days were ended if they once got round him, and
he was powerless as to all direction of the frail thing in which he stood. At
this stage of the desperate rencounter, young Hall threw off his outer garments
and would have thrown himself into the stream, had he not been forcibly
detained by Lee. At the same time Joe made a coup de grace worthy of a
more veteran scout. At one bound he sprang into the enemies' canoe and lit
right upon the negro sculling with a paddle in the stern. Down went Indian,
scout and negro; but in less time than we have taken to relate it, Joe rose to
the surface, dragging the negro by the hair with one hand, while he struck for
the shore with the other. Fortunately the negro came up with his back towards
him, and whenever he made an effort to change his position, Joe submerged
his nose until he completely cooled his courage. The Indians made
an attempt to follow, but the scout in a few yards touched bottom, and then the
crowd from the shore rushed in pell mell to his rescue. As soon as he was
completely separated from his antagonists, the bullets began to whistle and
skip over the water among the swimming heads, while the savages dived like
ducks. They tried hard to save their canoes, but so hot became the shower
of lead around them, that they were glad to escape with the broken crowns
which the scout had given three of them.

“Why Cæsar,” exclaimed Lee, “is it possible?” “Why Cæsar,” repeated
many voices. He was but lately a servant near the person of Harry Lee.
Every one from the capital knew him at once. Joe shook off the water from
his mane like a lion, and then gave a snort to blow it from his pipes, which if it
had been on the ocean might have been mistaken for a whale's.

The Governor was roused by the first report from the scout's gun, and by
the time the party from the river returned, he was dressed and met them on
the way. “Old times you see a coming back, Governor, with the Ingins—they,
hav'nt all gone to Heaven yit.”

“No Jarvis, and I am afraid you will not teach them the way there soon.”

“I don't know that Governor, if you had seen some of the hard knocks I
give some of their knowledge boxes jist now, you would 'a sworn I was in a
fair way to sendone or two on 'em to the happy huntin' ground.”

At this moment the Governor cast a scrutinizing glanoe at the shrinking
negro, whom the scout still continued to drag by the hair.

“Why Cæsar!” exclaimed he also; but in a moment after, a dark suspicion
seemed to cross his mind, and he turned to one side and led Frank by the arm
a few yardsdistant, and then they talked and gesticulated with great earnestness
for a quarter of an hour, when they resumed their walk towards head
quarters, Frank expostulating and the Governor insisting upon some measure
which he had proposed.

“Well, well, Lee,” said the latter at length, “I will send the rascal back
to the capital in irons, and we can investigate the matter privately when we
return.”

“No privacy on my account your Excellency—tuck him up now, and learn
the extent of the treachery at once; it may be important to the success of our
expedition.”

“Impossible—impossible, it requires a laborious and pains-taking

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investigation to get at the bottom of such affairs. As for the treachery, I think the scout
has pretty well blown their present schemes of annoyance. One thing I want
to know of him—here Jarvis! Was the interpreter in that cut-throat gang?”

“I'll tell you how it was your Excellency—when I tuck yon young varmint
in the steel trap, (here he had to stop and indulge in one of his heart-some
chuckles,) when I tuck the varmint in the trap,” he was compelled to
give way in a loud guffaw.

“Why, what is there so amusing in it, Jarvis?—it seems to me quite a serious
business.”

“You know Governor, the first day out, you snubbed me off short about
callin' of 'em varmints, and said they had souls as much as we had. Well
jist step here and look if this is'nt a varmint I've tuck in my wolf, trap?”
Saying which he walked up to the wagon where the guard held the young
rogue a close prisoner, and taking him by the throat led him into the
presence of the old chief. Governor Spotswood started back as the strange
animal stood before him, apparently on its hind legs.

“Now,” said Joe, “do you see this here wolf in sheep's clothin'—if that is'nt
a varmint, I don't know what is?”

“Well,” said the Governor, “I give it up for the present—go on with your
account of this affair.”

“Jist so—as I was a sayin', when I saw this here dog's hide, I know'd it
in a minute, the yaller niggers ai'nt got no such dog among 'em, and thinkin'
of the nigger track we saw on the trail last night, I jist popped out of the
wagon, give this here thing to the guard, and made chase. When I came to
the bank of the river, it was swelled monstrous with the rains, and not a thing
in sight but a leetle bark canoe. In I jumped, determined to scout along the
banks, and catch the nigger if I could. You see I thought it was that ere
snow ball all the time, kase I know'd his dog, or the varmints would'nt a
caught me nappin' as they did. Well, when I got into the canoe, there was
nothin' to paddle with but a club which this son of a bitch left in it.”

“Fie, fie, Jarvis, remember in whose presence you speak.”

“I beg ten thousand pardons; but I thought if ever so mout be I could use
the word at all, now's the time, seein' he's made a dog of himself! But that's
neither here nor there. When I had got some twenty yards or more from
shore, I hearn a sort of snake in the grass, and when I looks round, what
should I see but four canoes stealin' out of the bushes from round a point of
land, and cutting me completely off. I soon seed how the cat jumped; there
was five on 'em to me one. So I ups with old Sally Wagoner (his gun,) and
let fly at the biggest lookin' of 'em; they did'nt know I had her a layin'
asleep in the bottom.”

“Did you kill him?”

“I'm ashamed to say I did'nt, but I commenced a sculpin of him, which I'll
finish some day, please God.”

“Scalping him?—why how did you commence scalping him?”

“I sent a bullet, you Excellency, a scoutin' right along the top of his
knowledge box, for I seed the blood a tricklin' down his face, arter the water
had washed all the paint off.”

“You have not yet answered one of my questions, Jarvis?”

“Oh, I ax your pardon, Sir; but I can't say whether the interpreter was
one on 'em or not. The one I shot is exactly his size; but if so be it's him,
he's changed all them ere red cloaks, and gold lace, and grand feathers, he
used to wear down to Temple Farm. If it was him, I guess he smel't hell.”

“Jarvis, Jarvis, this sort of disrespectful language will never do—for tho'
not belonging to the regular command, your example breeds disrespect and
insubordination among those who are;” saying which, he walked off in such
an offended manner, that Joe was alarmed, and appealed in a whisper to.
Frank Lee, to know if he was really angry.

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“It will all blow over, Joe, by morning, especially when he remembers the
timely and excellent services which you have rendered to-night.”

The Governor did not proceed far, before he stopped and called Nat. Dandridge
to him, and told him to have the dog's hide taken from the young rogue,
and to put handcuffs upon Cæsar, and have them carefully guarded till daylight

“Egad! I think Cæsar had an idea of imitating his great patronymic,”
said Carter to Moore, as they turned away to seek their tents again.

“Yes,” replied Moore, “if we may take the poetical license of naming this
stream the Rubicon.”

“It's a far nobler one, I assure you, but poor Cæsar looks very little like
the hero now.”

The same dark suspicions crossed Moore's thoughts as he was thus forcibly
reminded who Cæsar's master was, and of all the other suspicious circumstances
of the case, and knowing Carter's friendship for Harry Lee, and
not wishing to provoke a quarrel by giving utterance to them, he changed the
subject, and they soon after separated for the night.