“Papa, papa, in pity don’t stop them till we know all.  If Captain Lane could watch all night and fight in the morning, can’t we listen for an hour longer?”

“Oh, yes,” cried Mrs. Vosburgh, “let them finish.  It’s like a story, and I never could sleep well till I knew how a story was going to turn out.”

“Wait a moment and I’ll bring everybody something nice from the sideboard, and you, also, papa, a cigar from the library,” cried the young girl.

Her father smiled his acquiescence, and in a few moments they were all ready to listen to the completion of a tragedy not without its dash of comedy.

“Arter Cap’n Lane posted his guards in de house an’ sent de robber off,” Zeb resumed, “he jump on a hoss an’ gallop toward de creek-road.  De light in de winder kep’ a-burnin’!  I foun’ arterwards dat he an’ his ossifers had been down on de creek-road and studied it all out.  At one place—­whar it was narrer’ wid tick woods on bofe sides—­dey had builded a high rail-fence.  Den below dat he had put sogers in de woods each side widout dere hosses, an’ farder down still he had hid a lot of men dat was mounted.  Sho’ ’nuff, wid de fust light of de mawnin’, de rebs come ridin’ toward de light in de winder.  I’d run out to de hill, not far away, ter see what would happen, an’ it was so dark yet dat eb’ryting was mixed up wid shadders.  When de rebs was a-comin’ by de Linkum men in de woods a shot was fired.  Den I s’pose de rebs tought it would gib de ’larm, fer dey began ter run dere hosses for’ard.  An’ den de Linkum men let dem hab it on bofe sides ob de road, but dey kep’ on till dey come to de fence ‘cross de road, an’ den dey git a volley in front.  Dis skeered ’em, for dey knowed dat de Linkum men was ready, an’ dey tried to git back.  Den I heared a great tramplin’ an’ yellin’, an’ dere was Cap’n Lane a-leadin’ his men an’ hosses right in ahind dem.  Dere was orful fightin’ fer a while, an’ de men widout dere hosses leap outen de woods and shot like mad.  It was flash! bang! on eb’ry side.  At las’ de Linkum men won de day, an’ some ob de rebs burst troo de woods an’ run, wid Cap’n Lane’s men arter dem, an’ dey kep’ a-chasin’ till a bugle call dem back.  Den I run to de house, fer dey was bringin’ in de pris’ners.  Who should I see ’mong dese but de bery ossifer dat was wid Missy Roberta de night afore, de one dat wanted de light in de winder, an’ he look bery mad, I can tell you.

“It was now gettin’ broad day, an’ de light at las’ was outen de winder.  Dere was nuffin’ mo’ fer it to do.  De Linkum soger dat had been in de house was now helpin’ guard de pris’ners, an’ Missy Roberta an’ Missy S’wanee run up to de ossifer dat had been so fooled an’ say:  ’We’se couldn’t help it.  Somebody ‘trayed us.  We was kep’ under guard, an’ dere was a Yankee soger a-keepin’ de light burnin’ arter we knew Cap’n Lane was aroun’ an’ ready.’  Missy Roberta look sharp at me, but I ’peared innercent as a sheep.  Missy S’wanee say:  ’No matter, Major Denham, you did all dat a brave man could do, an’ dar’s my colors.  You hab won dem.’  An’ den he cheer up ’mazin’ly.