The sergeant saluted, and told his story: The troop was riding in a straggling manner, one of the men, who had a prisoner bound behind him (he with the scarred face), being in the rear.  Without warning a stout rope that had been stretched between two trees on opposite sides of the road was dropped, and, catching the unfortunate soldier under the chin, hurled him and his prisoner to the ground.  In a moment a party of men had run from the cover of the brushwood, freed the captive, and, after hamstringing the trooper’s horse, had made their escape to the depths of the forest before the rest of the escort could realize what had occurred.