first had done.

"Oh, Lord," said Andrews. He sprang from the cab. "Move up there! Get out
of my way! I'm running a special powder train! Pull up ahead!"

"I'll pull up if it'll do you any good," answered the engineer. "There's
another special train right behind me."

"How far behind you?"

"Oh, twenty minutes, maybe. What are you running a powder train for? Who
are you going to give the powder to? The Yanks?"

"To Beauregard!"

"You've got some trouble ahead. The Yanks have captured the line between
you and Beauregard--two hundred miles of it--from Tuscumbia to Bridgeport!"

The conductor and the engineer of the first train had joined them. "You'd
better turn back and go the other way," said the conductor. "If you go up
there, the Yanks will get your powder."

"I'll follow my orders," replied Andrews.

He walked back to the _General_, and called Tom. "Walk down there beside
the box-car and let the men know what has happened. Don't let anybody see
you talking with them. Tell them that we're likely to have a fight--to be
ready to jump out and use their guns."

Tom sauntered to the box-car and leaned against the door. "Hey! you men!