TWO SCOUTS. 175 



Evidently, if this man were honest in his in- 

 tentions, he could be of great service, but I 

 suggested the difficulty that having once started 

 for an appointed round he could not return to 

 bring us any information he might receive. To 

 this he replied that his wife believed him to 

 be in Forrest's service, and that he could at any 

 time come as a spy into our lines. 



It seemed a very questionable case, but, after 

 consultation with Voisin and the Hun, it was 

 determined to give him a trial, to prevent his 

 wife from seeing more than was necessary of our 

 position, and to believe so much as we liked of 

 the information he might give us. The condi- 

 tions of the engagement were agreed upon, and 

 after a severe public admonition, and threats es- 

 pecially appalling to his wife, he was sent out- 

 side the lines, with hints of the serious conse- 

 quences that would follow his second capture. 



We were never quite sure that his wife was 

 wrong in crediting him with complicity with 

 Forrest; but the worst that could be said of 

 him (and this was very likely true) was that he 



