human
You don't mean to say this is all the men you have?
gpt
I haven't any others very near,
human
Well, that's the time I was fooled for fair. I thought you had a full company stuck up there among the trees.
gpt
Are you prepared to go along peaceably?
human
Being unarmed, how can we help ourselves?
gpt
I see you have a large stock of common sense, even if you were captured, said Deck, with a laugh.
human
All right, you shall ride, but your animals must be chained to our own, or they might run away with you in the darkness.
gpt
Which means that we might try to run away on them.
human
I didn't put it quite so pointedly, Captain.
gpt
But you meant it, nevertheless. Well, it's all right,--'fortune of war,' so to speak, and I shan't complain. Who are you?
human
Major Deck Lyon, of the Riverlawn Cavalry of Kentucky.
gpt
And I am Captain Vallingham, of the South Carolina volunteers,--now on detached duty.
human
You seem to have been running a sort of a signal station up there, Captain Vallingham.
gpt
Oh, we have been amusing ourselves.
human
Do you think the persons who were signalled to were likewise amused?
gpt
How do you know we were signalling to anybody?
human
I take it for granted you didn't wave those pine knots to the stars. You are too intelligent a man to believe in negro voodooism.
gpt
Perhaps I am not as intelligent as you imagine, Major. Remember, I surrendered when I should have fought. We were three to two, and it would have been a pretty fair contest.
human
But we had the drop on you.
gpt
True, but it was pretty dark.
human
Yes, and it is too dark now to suit me, Captain. Life, let us light up a bit.
gpt
Here is an opening in the brush, Major,