over his chances for capture and escape with surprising deliberation for
one who had never before been placed in so exciting and dangerous a
situation. We have seen that he felt fear. Had it been otherwise he must
have possessed nerves of steel, or have been utterly destitute of the
power of reasoning; but that fear did not so completely overpower him as
it had but a short time before, when he lay behind the bush, and
listened to the guerrilla's plan for the capture of the Boxer and her
crew. On the contrary, it nerved him to make the greatest exertions to
effect his escape.

In a few moments, to his great joy, he emerged from the woods and
entered an open field, across which he ran with redoubled speed.
Directly in front of him was another belt of timber, and beyond that lay
the river, which, if he could reach, he would be safe. The baying of the
hound had continued to grow louder and louder, and, when Archie had
accomplished perhaps half the distance across the field, a crashing in
the bushes and an impatient bark announced, in language too plain to be
misunderstood, that the hound had discovered him.

In an instant he stopped, faced about, and drew one of his revolvers.
Stooping down close to the ground, he finally discovered the hound,
which approached with loud yelps, that were answered by triumphant
cheers from the pursuing rebels. Waiting until the animal was so close
to him that he presented a fair mark, Archie raised his revolver and
fired. The hound bounded into the air, and, after a few struggles, lay
motionless on the ground. Scarcely waiting to witness the effect of the
shot, the young officer sprang to his feet, and again started for the
river. The yells of the rebels--who had heard the shot, and knew, from
the silence that followed, that the hound was dead--again arose fierce
and loud; but Archie, knowing that his pursuers had now lost the power