CLEAR, cold morning in November of 186-, two horses were ready for the riders who were saying last words to the family gathered on the broad piazza of a planter's residence near Hernando, Mississippi.

The hostess turned from the tall lady in the riding habit to the handsome young cavalryman standing on the steps, as she said:

"You think I am croaking, Dred, but you know it's a foolhardy thing for you to go so near the enemy's lines. You may meet a scouting party anywhere above Horn Lake."

"It is possible, but hardly probable. Henderson's scouts are close to the Yankee lines, and some one of them would have invited himself here to breakfast if a raid threatened. Those fellows have a nice thing of it up here on the border. They live on the fat of the land; but, to give them due credit, they do watch the enemy between meals. They get points from the cotton traders, who carry harmless bits of news to Memphis, and thus keep in high feather

at headquarters. However they manage it,

Henderson's fellows rarely fail to let Forrest know who to expect out from Memphis."

"But, Dred, you——"

"Oh, there is not the slightest risk in my morning ride. I could not let Mrs. Hamner go from here to Captain Edmondson's with so young a protector as Tom, when Cartwright's gang are known to be in the neighborhood."

"Cartwright's gang would rather capture Black Agnes than a cotton-train. If you tempt them with such a prize they may try a shot at you. Their patriotism is hardly strong enough to resist the reward which is offered for your capture; for that much money and Black Agnes they would sell the Confederacy."

"I do not think they will attack me, nor will they capture my bonny mare. A shot at one of Forrest's men would bring a swarm of hornets

about their ears. They have a wholesome dread of Old Bedford.' But we must be off."

The blooded pony-a long, slender little gray, with quarters which told the "Autocrat" strain in his pedigree-had fretted himself into a lather. He seemed trying to knock out the glistening white teeth of the grinning little negro who was bobbing from side to side in constant effort to dodge the pony's head.

Of a very different temper was the thoroughbred mare which an old groom was leading up and down the avenue. She was a dark, dappled chestnut; so dark, under the shade of the heavyleaved magnolias, that the name "Black Agnes" seemed no misnomer. Her small, beautifullyshaped head was gracefully poised on an arching neck, set into superb sloping shoulders. Of great girth, ribbed up almost to the point of the hips, her heavy quarters and the bone below the knees. told at once the staying qualities of the racer. There was not a light hair in her silky, chestnut coat except a tiny white star in her forehead and a dash of silver floss from below the knee to the centre of the right forefoot. Not quite sixteen hands high, in perfect condition, with every muscle fully developed, Black Agnes was indeed a prize to tempt the border outlaws gathered in Cartwright's gang, which held a somewhat similar position in the debatable land between the Federals and Confederates below Memphis-from Nonconnah Creek to Horn Lake -to that which was held by the "Skinners" in the country above New York during the Revolution.

Cartwright's gang had been recruited from the deserters of both armies. Its captain was a Tennesseean. Its first lieutenant was a deserter from Connecticut. Each of these worthies proved his patriotism by a fine scorn of mere sectional distinctions.

They robbed with a like readiness and good will the Mississippi planter of the cotton which he brought up to sell and the Yankee trader of

the goods which he brought out to barter. With neither did they leave a greenback or a Confederate dollar.

Their impartiality was imperturbable. No entreaty ever shielded a pocket or got back a shilling; and, in a business-like way, they did listen to much entreaty while steadily going through with their work.

In their dealing with the Federal and Confederate cavalry the " gang was equally unsectional. They hid in the swamps whenever Forrest came thundering through the enemy's lines in Tennessee, and with like prudence sought a secret shelter if a column of "Yankee Raiders " ventured down from Memphis into North Mississippi.

At the cross-roads above Horn Lake Mrs. Hamner and her escort met a squad of the "Home Guard," in which were several acquaintances of the young cavalryman. They stopped, as all travelers did then, to ask and tell news. The cavalryman had left General Forrest the previous morning at Panola. The "Home Guard" had later intelligence:

"Forrest is at Senatobia. Three of the Bluff City Greys came up from there before daylight this morning. Do you think 'Old Bedford' will go into Memphis?"

"He is the only man who could tell you. He has taught us to take no thought of the morrow. He says, 'Come!' and, no matter what are the odds or how difficult the path, we come. Is there any movement above?"

"Yes. Two of Henderson's scouts went down to Senatobia last night, and another fellow passed here two hours ago with despatches, sent out from Memphis to Forrest."

"We did not meet him !”

"He went the old road by Perkins's place." "Are the Yankees this side of Nonconnah ?" "Yes; a regiment of Michiganders are camped on the hill beyond Nonconnah. Their pickets are two miles this side of the creek."

"Did Henderson's man say that a raid was coming out?"

"No; he thinks there is no sign of their moving. A company of their scouts came down as far as Major Anderson's yesterday. Are you going there?"

"No; we are expected at Captain Edmondson's at the rebel headquarters."

"Yes, his house is free to every Confederate. He's the gamest old man alive; and the young ladies are true as steel. A rebel's safer there than at any other place on the border. It's off

"But, Dred, watch the swamp paths; look out for that red-headed lieutenant of Cartwright's. The scamp is somewhere over the bayou with the very worst lot in the 'gang.' The thief would risk his ears. to get that mare of yours."

"I'll have his ears before he will get her. I promise you he shall pay his footing if he ever comes near my dainty Agnes."

The "Home Guard" rode on to Hernando, while the two travelers galloped eastward into a neighboring horse-path, which wound through deserted plantations, where broken columns of crumbling chimneys told of burned homes and of ruined and scattered families.

The lonely road that led through gloomy hollows and around silent pools, in which the melancholy cypress grew, disposed the cavalryman to confidential talk. With a quick look into the distant glades and over the neglected fields the watchful look of a soldier who thinks an enemy may be near-the young cavalryman reined his mare to a walk, a walk in which Black Agnes kept up with the fox-trot of the ponythat easiest and most restful of gaits which is the peculiar inheritance of blooded southern horses. The bridle had fallen on Black Agnes's neck, and the rider, in an effort to steady himself for some speech which seemed difficult of utterance, plucked restlessly at every overhanging bough or vine, until looking at his companion he caught an amused expression, which gave him courage to say:

"Mrs. Hamner, I am going to ask a great favor."

"Ask. Unless it is impossible it will not be refused. Even then I should not refuse, but would try. You know, Dred, the favors have all come to me. Without your kindness and your sister's assistance I could not have reached Mr. Hamner when he was wounded; nor could I have sent clothing or shoes to my barefoot brothers in Virginia. It will be a great pleasure, Dred, to do anything I can for you."

"If your Cousin Lillias is not at Captain Edmondson's

"Why do you think Lillias may be there?" interrupted Mrs. Hamner.

"I had a letter from her last week. One of Henderson's scouts brought it. Miss Belle Edmondson gave it to him for me. Lillias wrote she would be there this week. But if she is not I want you to take Miss Belle with you and go in this afternoon. I know you can arrange for her to come back with Miss Belle."

"But, Dred, you must not stay at Captain Edmondson's to-night. Of course I will do what you ask. But Belle and Lillias could not come out until to-morrow. There may be some difficulty about getting passes to-morrow, and we would all be miserably anxious if you were so near the Yankee pickets."

"If you will promise me that if Lillias is not at the Edmondson's you will send her out to-morrow, I will go back to Hernando as soon as I see you safely under Captain Edmondson's roof. You must tell my sweetheart, Mrs. Hamner, that if she does not come out with Miss Belle I will ride into Memphis to see her."

"Oh, Dred, you will not be so reckless?"

"I have a week's leave of absence, and I give you my word I will see Lillias before the week ends if I have to race through the Yankee pickets at Nonconnah and back through their lines on the old Fort Pickering road. I can easily go in-that dash would be nothing at night-fall. They would think me a belated cotton trader chased in by Cartwright's gang. Why, I might send them out to catch the rascals. You know three of the Bluffs' are up here somewhere, and they would like the fun. They could personate the 'partisans' and lead the Yankees a wild-goose chase into the swamp. It would be capital if they got into Cartwright's camp." And the gay young soldier laughed at the possibility he pictured.

Half amused and half alarmed at the thought of the threatened ride into Memphis, Mrs. Hamner turned from her escort. Suddenly her face blanched; with a cut of the whip she started the pony into a gallop, as she called:

"Dred! look! over on the ridge path, coming this way, are two of Cartwright's men."

"I see no one," he said, as he rode up to her. "They are in that bushy little hollow; but they are coming."

"Oh, Dred, I am sure they are Cartwright's

men."

There was a glitter of excitement in the cavalryman's eyes, but his voice was steady in tone as he answered:

"We will ride on and see. That bridle-path crosses this road further up the ridge. We will be on the high ground before they come to the crossing."

They galloped rapidly up the easy slope which led to the top of the broad, sweeping, billowy ridge that was dotted with a few sparse cottonpatches, which served to emphasize the desolation of the wide fields, where the rusty, brown stalks of the last year had fallen or were brokenly bent over the weedy furrows.

They were near the opening in the path which crossed the ridge when they caught sight of the two horsemen. The path crossed their road at an acute angle, running through the fields and then down into a densely-timbered hollow. With quick decision the young cavalryman took the only advantage his position offered.

"Go on, Mrs. Hamner; send the pony at his best when you cross the path. Ride slowly until then. After you cross they cannot see you for the thick undergrowth. It is a Godsend that the open fields are on this side. When you get to the old orchard you can draw rein. From that rise you will be in sight of the overseer's house. It will be safe for you to wait there to see what happens here. I must see these fellows, and not have them following us to Captain Edmondson's. If it comes to shooting, run the pony to Marshall's overseer. The overseer's family is there, and I think Marshall himself is up here. I will get rid of the fellows someway and follow you. There! I see them. They are Cartwright's men."

"I was sure, Dred

"Go on slowly till you cross the path. Then with a rush

"But you?"

"I must meet them here, Mrs. Hamner; it is the only way. Go, please!"

Mrs. Hamner understood that perfect obedience was the best assistance she could give. When she crossed the path the men were yet 100 yards away. She ran the pony at his top

"No. They had on Confederate uniforms." "Then they are two of the 'Bluffs' who came up this morning."

under shelter of the trees, and looked back. The young cavalryman had reined up below where the path crossed the ridge. His position was such that he could not be taken at a dis