The littlest rebel sighed, as though a weight had been lifted from her
mind, and she cocked her head at the sound of louder hoof-beats on the
carriage road.

"All right, Daddy-man. I'll tell--a _whopper_!"




CHAPTER V


The man crawled up through the scuttle hole and disappeared; then drew
the ladder after him and closed the trap, while Virgie tiptoed to the
table and slipped into a seat.

The cabin was now in semi-darkness, except for a shaft of sunlight
entering through the jagged wound from the cannon-shot above the door;
and it fell on the quaint, brown head of little Miss Virginia Cary, and
the placid form of Susan Jemima, perching opposite, in serene contempt
of the coming of a conquering host.

The jingling clank of sabers grew louder to the listeners' ears, through
the rumble of pounding hoofs; a bugle's note came winnowing across the
fields, and Virgie leaned forward with a confidential whisper to her
doll:

"Susan Jemima, I wouldn't tell anybody else--no, not for anything--but I
cert'n'y am awful scared!"