I came hither to ask you some questions, and to
these I expect plain replies."
Swartz looked at the speaker intently, but without suspicion. His
glance, on the contrary, had in it something strangely open and
unreserved.
"I will reply to all your questions, general," he said, "and reply
truthfully. I have long expected this interview, and will even say that
I wished it. You look on me as a Yankee spy, and will have but little
confidence in what I say. Nevertheless, I am going to tell you the
whole truth about every thing. Ask your questions, general, I will
answer them."
Mohun was leaning one elbow on the broken table. His glance, calm and
yet fiery, seemed bent on penetrating to the most secret recess of the
spy's heart.
"Well," he said, "now that we begin to understand each other, let us
come to the point at once. Where were you on the morning of the
thirteenth of December, 1856?"
Swartz replied without hesitation:--
"On the bank of Nottoway River, in Dinwiddie, Virginia, and bound for
Petersburg."
"The object of your journey?"
"To sell dried fruits and winter vegetables."
"Then you travelled in a cart, or a wagon?"
"In a cart, general."
"You reached Petersburg without meeting with any incident on the way?"
"I met with two very curious ones, general.
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