WET T STEIN. 87 



and I started at nine o'clock (when the moon 

 rose), with twenty men, to go round that way, 

 directing the remainder of the rear-guard to fol- 

 low the main body at midnight. 



The ride to Magnus's was without other ad- 

 venture than bad roads and almost impassable 

 bayous always entail, and in a few hours we 

 reached the plantation, where I had a former 

 ally in an old negro who had done us good ser- 

 vice during Curtis's campaign. He said that the 

 Rebels had left the Bottom, and were going to 

 Little Rock, but, as a precaution he took a 

 canoe and crossed over to the house of another 

 negro on the south bank, and returned with a 

 confirmation of his opinion. As it was very im- 

 portant to know whether the only enemy of 

 Davidson's army had really withdrawn from his 

 front, and, as this might be definitely learned 

 through the assistance of an old scout who lived 

 in the edge of the Bottom, it seemed best to 

 cross the river to give him instructions for his 

 work. 



I took Ruby, my best horse. He was a sure 



