The owl hooted again from the same point directly in front, and then came
the reply of the other, now nearer. The sergeant drew a deep breath of
satisfaction.

"Yes, sir, I was right," he said. "Their meeting place is straight in
front. Will you let me slip forward a little through the brush and see?"

"Go ahead, Sergeant. We need all the information we can get, but don't
walk into any trap yourself, leaving us here without eyes or ears."

"Never fear, sir. I won't be caught."

Then he disappeared with a suddenness that made the colonel and Dick
gasp. He was with them, and then he was not. But he returned in
ten minutes, and, although Dick could not see it in his face, he was
triumphant.

"There's a glade not more'n four hundred yards ahead," he whispered to
the colonel, "and about a hundred and fifty men, armed with long rifles,
are lying down in it waiting for a second force, which I judge from the
cry of the owl will be there inside of five minutes."

"Then," said Colonel Winchester, breathing fast, "we'll wait ten minutes
and attack. It would be a great stroke to wipe out Slade's band.
I'm sorry for those Ohio fellows, but the luck's ours to-night, or I
should say that the sergeant's skill as a trailer has given us the
chance."

It was soon known along the black, winding line that the enemy was at
hand, and the men were eager to attack, but they were ordered to have