“No, sir — only the talk when men of our party meet. And Major Lockwood has a price on his head.”

“Oh! Is that all?”

“That is all, sir.”

Boyd nodded laughingly, wheeled his horse, and we rode slowly out into the Bedford Road, the mounted rifleman dogging our heels.

From every house in Bedford we knew that we were watched as we rode; and what they thought of us in our flaunting rifle dress, or what they took us to be — enemy or friend — I cannot imagine, the uniform of our corps being strange in these parts. However, they must have known us for foresters and riflemen of one party or t’other; and, as we advanced, and there being only three of us, and on a