Our night had been sleepless from the
tormenting myriads of insects, noisy and
bloodthirsty. Even when exhausted into feverish
slumber, we were immediately awakened by
the hoarse croaking of the bull-frog. Only
those who have passed a night in a southern
swamp can realise the riot that fills the air.

Stretching ourselves, therefore, in the bottom
of the dug-out, we reclaimed in the day part of
the sleep that was due to us at night; our relieved
appetites materially assisting our slumbers.
It was late before we awoke, and our first
thought was to make our escape, but in front
of us still floated the vigilant jailer, so quiet in
the blackness that, but for the stream of sparks
from the chimney-stacks as he banked his fires,
we should have been ignorant of his presence,
and possibly have run into his very jaws.

Another night of contest with the insect
world brought tardy daylight, and, peeping
through our lattice of rushes, we at last enjoyed
the satisfaction of beholding our nightmare
pass away with the dawn, steaming full speed
towards the mouth of the river many miles
below. Both Jeb and I, filled with joy and little
else, were soon clutching at the reeds, and
hauling our dug-out backward into the stream,
and there watching until the gun-boat was hull
down, we darted forward. In less than two
hours I enjoyed the extreme satisfaction of leaping
on to Virginia soil, and after an affectionate
parting with Jeb, which cost me twenty-five
dollars in silver, I started, under his directions,
for a point seven miles from the shore, where I
could, he affirmed, procure the means of
transportation to aid me on the way.

The section through which my route lay
towards the Rappahannock was subject to the
continual raids of Federal troopers, who came
down from the neighbourhood of Alexandria by
Ocoquan, holding in check the inhabitants,
whose loyalty to the North was doubtful, and
causing them to maintain a neutral position. I
could not consider myself to be in the midst of
genuine Southerners until the Rappahannock
should be crossed. It was not long before I
found out, to my cost, that any assistance I
might require would have to be paid for at war
prices, and that the "sympathy" in the shape
of a cart and a pair of mules, the first vehicle I
hired, was charged at a rate which, after a very
few miles of journey, would amount to the
prime cost of the entire turn-out.  While bargaining
with the close-fisted proprietor, who never
ceased to remind me that he possessed the only
light cart, "with springs," capable of carrying
me, I was fortunate enough to meet with two
young Marylanders, who were on their way to
join the Southern army as volunteers, and they,
as loudly as myself, expressed their disgust in
strong terms at the attempted extortion. This
"riz" the trader's "dander," and he made a
suggestive movement behind his back, which one of
my companions immediately anticipated by
producing his own revolver. On occasions of
these little difficulties there is no foreseeing
which direction the balls may take, and the
listening crowd prudently scattered. Of course,
I and the remaining Marylander were forced to
espouse our companion's cause, and our pistols
had also to be displayed. This gave us a
preponderance in weight. A truce was rapidly
established and ratified in the whisky-shop.
After the second "smile," the case was argued
at the bar, and the terms reduced from a
flagrant imposition to a simple case of impudent
overcharge.

The travelling, despite the "springs," was
anything but pleasant, for we had not proceeded
many miles before we were warned of Federal
cavalry scouting in the neighbourhood, and we
were told that we were likely to meet them at
any of the cross-roads on our way. Sure
enough, when within five miles of the
Rappahannock, we heard of them in our front, and
nothing remained but to make for the woods,
and lie hidden until we received satisfactory
information of the coast being clear.

The negro driver at first volunteered to go
on a scout; but, from the behaviour of his
master, we did not feel inclined to place confidence
in the honour of the servant, especially
as the hire-money had been already paid. The
errand was therefore entrusted to one of the
Marylanders, who, leaving us crouching in a
leafy ravine, started off at a double quick, which
promised to shorten our anxiety. Alas! hour
after hour passed without tidings of either our
scout or the enemy. We began to have serious
fears that he had been captured, and possibly
had drawn the attention of the raiders to
ourselves. At one moment we argued whether it
would not be better to retrace our steps, but
this was unanimously overruled, and in the end
we agreed upon passing the night under the
leaves, and awaiting our destiny on the morrow.
At dawn, I was aroused by a rough shake of
the shoulder, and prepared immediately to
surrender at discretion to the United States soldiers,
to have my arms bound behind my back, and to
be trotted to Washington with the suggestive
point of a sabre forcing me to keep up with
the pace, when I was delighted to behold our
lost sheep returned with the news that the
scouts had gone on their way at dawn, leaving
no trace of their presence but a few smouldering
fires. Our trusty friend had remained in
observation during the night, knowing from the
manner of the bivouac, and the simply loosened
girths of the saddles, that it was nothing more
than a halt to rest, and he had waited until the
order to boot and saddle was given, and had
seen the men moving off westward.

Now the spring-cart had to rattle along at the
smartest of paces to make up for lost time, and
we soon reached the Rappahannock, which,
without hindrance, we crossed in "a flat."

We were now in security. Long miles lay
before us; but the mere fact of our being
sympathisers journeying to the camp, made the
hiring of carts easy, and reduced the price of
travelling. For our food and lodging we
depended upon the planters of the neighbourhood,
who would accept of no remuneration. Still,