sir," shaking his head gloomily, "I'm afraid (?) the last shell has
been thrown into Vicksburg."

"Why do you fear so?"

"It is surrender. At six last evening a man went down to the river and
blew a truce signal; the shelling stopped at once."

When I entered the kitchen a soldier was there waiting for the bowl of
scrapings (they took turns for it).

"Good morning, madam," he said; "we won't bother you much longer. We
can't thank you enough for letting us come, for getting this soup boiled
has helped some of us to keep alive; but now all this is over."

"Is it true about the surrender?"

"Yes; we have had no official notice, but they are paroling out at the
lines now, and the men in Vicksburg will never forgive Pemberton. An old
granny! A child would have known better than to shut men up in this
cursed trap to starve to death like useless vermin." His eyes flashed
with an insane fire as he spoke, "Haven't I seen my friends carried out
three or four in a box, that had died of starvation! Nothing else,
madam! Starved to death because we had a fool for a general."

"Don't you think you're rather hard on Pemberton? He thought it his duty
to wait for Johnston."

"Some people may excuse him, ma'am; but we'll curse him to our dying
day. Anyhow, you'll see the blue-coats directly."

Breakfast despatched, we went on the upper gallery. What I expected to
see was files of soldiers marching in, but it was very different. The
street was deserted, save by a few people carrying home bedding from
their caves. Among these was a group taking home a little creature born
in a cave a few days previous, and its wan-looking mother. About eleven
o'clock a soldier in blue came sauntering along, who looked about
curiously. Then two more followed him, and then another.

"H., do you think these can be the Federal soldiers?"

"Why, yes; here come more up the street."

Soon a group appeared on the court-house hill, and the flag began slowly
to rise to the top of the staff. As the breeze caught it, and it sprang
out like a live thing exultant, H. drew a long breath of contentment.

"Now I feel once more at home in mine own country."

In an hour more a grand rush of people setting toward the river
began,--foremost among them the gentleman who took our cave; all were
flying as if for life.

"What can this mean, H.? Are the populace turning out to greet the
despised conquerors?"

"Oh," said H., springing up, "look! It is the boats com