Every one helped, he said, and these five birds, added to the forty or fifty they were to steal that night, would make a good start toward the fifty dozen they wanted.
After the boys had eaten supper, they secured four meal bags, which they hid away in a fence corner, so that they could find them again when they wanted them, and then adjourned to the wagon-shed to lay their plans for the night's campaign.

Of course their expedition could not be undertaken until everybody about the General's plantation was abed and asleep.

That would not be before ten or twelve o'clock--the negroes kept late hours since they gained their freedom, Bob said--and they dared not go to sleep for fear that they would not awake again before morning.

They hardly knew what to do with themselves until bed time came.

They spent an hour in talking over their plans, then went into the house and played checkers, and were glad indeed when the hour for retiring arrived.