Wood's coming into my and Decaradeux's room, and telling us he suspected something, and had put Conner and Harry Stewart into solitary confinement.

"Before I could arrange any new plan Decaradeux and myself were exchanged, and I was free again. It was well I didn't adopt Harry Stewart's plan. After a while he was allowed to go back to his room, and having bribed the two sentinels in the back yard, he attempted with Conner to escape one night. Just as he raised the window to get out, one of the sentinels said, "There is the d-d rascal-fire on him!' The man fired, and shot him through the heart. I don't know what became of Con

ner.

"When I got to Richmond, I set off for Centreville to get my trunk, intending to go out and join some friends in the Southwest; but General Stuart met me there; gave me a fine horse; and told me if I would stay with him, he would show me some sport.

"I accepted his offer; and have been with him ever since."

IV.

INCIDENTS ON THE PENINSULA.

Having given me the history of his adventures at Langly and in Washington, Captain Darrell yawned, and persisted in changing the subject. It was evident that he had made up his mind not to talk any more at that time upon military matters; and we accordingly passed to other topics.

He was here again yesterday, however, and I immediately attacked him on the subject of his adventures.

He shook his head.

"You are making me talk too much about myself," said the Captain, "and I will get up the reputation of a boaster. One of the greatest dangers with hunters, partisans, and scouts, is the temptation to exaggerate, and tell 'good stories. All that I say is true, and scouting with me is no more than hunting-as

if it were after bear or deer-and I speak of it as such. But I don't wish to be thought a boaster."

It was some time before I could eradicate from the Captain's mind the impression that his histories were listened to with sentiments of cynical doubt. He yielded very gradually-thawing very slowly before the warmth of my assurances; but at last I succeeded in quieting his scruples, and getting him in a talkative humour. One thing led to another; this incident brought forth that; and finally the Captain was persuaded to give me the following story of his adventures at Williamsburg.

As before, I give the narrative almost exactly in the words of the speaker. It was as follows:

"I might as well commence at the beginning. On the retreat from Yorktown, last spring, when our army was falling back to the Chickahominy, I was with General Stuart, and the cavalry were retiring by the Telegraph and Williamsburg roads, covering our rear. These two roads make a sort of triangle; like the two sides of the letter V, the point of the V being down the Peninsula. The Williamsburg road was the left side of the V -look at these two straws-and the Telegraph road the other. There were two by-roads running through the triangle and connecting the main roads. If you have a clear idea of this, you will understand what took place easily.

"The cavalry were falling back in two columns upon the Telegraph and Williamsburg roads, General Stuart being in command of the force on the latter. He was anxious to keep up thorough communications with the other column, however, and as I was familiar with every part of that country, he sent me with Captain Conner, of the Jeff. Davis Legion, who was ordered to cut across with a party, leave pickets at openings, and see that the cavalry on the Telegraph road fell back regularly in good order-parallel with the other column, and neither too fast nor too slow. Well, I proceeded with Captain Conner along the sort of bridle path which was the lowest down of the two which I have mentioned, as connecting the main roads, keeping a keen look-out for the enemy, who, I was pretty sure, were all

around us. The pines were too thick to see much, however—you know what sort of a country it is-and we went on rather blindly. About half way we met a countryman who was leading a cow by the horns, and he told us that a party of the enemy's cavalry had just passed along the other cross road above toward the Williamsburg road.

"It occurred to me at once that our men on the Telegraph road had fallen back more rapidly than the other column, and unmasked the mouth of the upper cross road, which the enemy had then struck into, intending to get into the Williamsburg road and cut the General off. I stated my opinion to Captain Conner, but he seemed to think differently. The cavalry which the countryman had seen could not possibly be any but our own, he said. I stuck to it, however, that they were probably the enemy's; and as the countryman told us they were then drawn up on the cross road, I offered to go and reconnoitre. Captain Conner said he would go with me, and we started off at a gallop through the pines toward the spot where the man said they were.

"When I got within fifty yards I could see a party of cavalry drawn up, as the countryman stated, and I was sure they were Yankees. Captain Conner still adhered to his opinion, however, that they were a part of our own force, and I told him I would dismount, creep up, and determine the matter. He agreed; and I got off my horse, threw the bridle over a stump, and crept through the pine brush until I was within fifteen feet of them. I saw the blue pantaloons and jackets plainly, and knew they were Federals; so I crept back toward my horse. At the same moment-it all occurred in a twinkling-I heard, 'Halt! halt! halt! halt! bang! bang! bang!' in front, and saw Captain Conner, who had pushed on, certain that they were Confederates, taken prisoner by the enemy. I had mounted, and the first thing I knew I was in the midst of them-carried by my horse, who became ungovernable-and I saw that my best chance would be to make straight for the Williamsburg road, which was not far, and if I got out, inform the General that a party was lying in wait for him. I ran through them, followed by bang!

bang! bang! from their carbines, and drove ahead into the Williamsburg road-right plump against a column of the enemy's cavalry, drawn up to charge the General, when he came near enough. My horse ran right against a Yankee's, who wiped at me with his sabre-for they all had their sabres drawn-and just missed me. I was going so fast though that I passed straight through the column, and seeing that the other side of the road was lined with heavy undergrowth, I jumped off my horse and ran in, leaving my horse to the Yankees.

"They banged away at me as I went in, but only a few had their carbines ready, and they did not come near me. They could not follow me, as the pines were too thick for any horseman to enter. My object now was to get back to the General and tell him of the attempt to cut him off. I thought I would reconnoitre, however, first, and ascertain their force, so I crept up to the edge of the bushes, and looked out. As I did so, I saw them moving backwards and forwards, greatly excited, with 'Here they are!' 'Look out!' but soon afterwards they fell back, apparently looking for a better position. The next thing I saw was Colonel Goode, of the Third Cavalry, coming up the road, and I ran out and met him, telling him what I knew, and stating that they were going to charge him. He drew his men up on the right of the road so as to let the Yankees charge by, and slash into them; and as I had no horse I got into the bushes just in advance of the head of the column, intending to shoot the commander of the Federal cavalry as soon as I could see him well. I had my carbine and pistol, which I had hung on to through all, and soon I heard the enemy coming, shouting and yelling, right down on Colonel Goode.

"As they came within about fifteen yards, I levelled my carbine at the officer in front, and pulled trigger; but the cursed thing snapped. I had been skirmishing all day, and it had got dirty. I fired my pistol into them, however, and the Federal Cavalry halted, both sides sitting in the saddle and banging away with carbines. Our men had the better of it, though, as the Yankees had their sabres drawn, and we got the first fire on them, killing several of them, I saw in the road afterwards. I wounded three

or four myself, and was still popping at them when they concluded to give it up, and go back. They turned round, and I ran out, looking for a good horse, as several were running about without riders. I got a good one, but found he was wounded, and just then I saw a splendid black stallion, who took my eye wonderfully. I tried to catch him-walking up and holloing 'woe!' to him-but whenever I got near, he trotted off, and I missed him. I determined not to give it up, however—and I kept following and trying to catch him until I was at least a mile. and a half back toward Williamsburg. I caught him at last, mounted him, and started back toward the scene of the skirmish. I remember feeling in fine spirits, and looking down at my splendid stallion, who was full of fire and spirit—a big black fellow, the very horse I wanted-admiring his neck and action. I was still examining him, with my head down, as we went on at full speed toward the spot where I expected to find Colonel Goode, when suddenly I heard a quick Halt! halt! halt!' 'Here's one of 'em!' in front; and a carbine ball whizzed by me. I looked up, and there was the enemy in the road instead of Colonel Goode, who had fallen back. They had got reinforcements, and brought up artillery to plant in the road-and I had run right into them!

"There was only one thing for me to do, and that was to get away from there as fast as possible. I accordingly wheeled round and went back over the same road I had come, followed by a dozen men, shouting 'halt! halt! halt!' and firing at me. I leaned over on my horse, and could hear the balls whizzing by me every second-I afterwards found the accoutrements, especially the thick bundle behind the saddle, full of bullet holes. I would have got away from them, but all at once my horse threw up his head-a ball had passed clean through it. He still kept on, however, horses will go long with that sort of wound-but another bullet struck him right behind my leg, on the left side, and I felt him staggering. The party saw this, and set up a whoop, which was rather too near. I saw that they would catch me, if I depended on my horse, so I threw myself off and ran down a little path in the bushes, by the side of the road, and did