arry. "It's very tempting, ham, cheese, and other
solids, surrounded by many delicacies."

The two colonels looked at each other, and then nodded approval.

"You are to be the personal guests of our army," said Dick, "and we act
as the proxies of General Grant."

"I shall always speak most highly of General Grant," said Colonel
Leonidas Talbot. "His conduct has been marked by the greatest humanity,
and is a credit to our common country, which has been reunited so
suddenly."

"But reunited with our consent, Leonidas," said Lieutenant Colonel
St. Hilaire. "Don't forget that I, for one, am tired of this war,
and so is our whole army. It was a perfect waste of life to prolong it,
and with the North reannexed, the Union will soon be stronger and more
prosperous than ever."

"Well spoken, Hector! Well spoken. It is perhaps better that North
and South should remain together. I thought otherwise for four years,
but now I seem to have another point of view. Come, lads, we shall dine
with these good Yankee boys and we'll make them drink toasts of their own
excellent coffee to the health and safety of our common country."

The group returned to a little hollow, in which Sergeant Whitley and
Shepard had built a fire, and where they were already frying strips of
bacon and slices of ham over the coals. Shepard and Harry shook hands.

"I may as well tell you now, Mr. Kenton," said Shepard, "that Miss
Henrietta Carden, whom you met in Richmond, is my sister, and that it was
she who hid in the court at the Curtis house and took the map. Then it
was I who gave you the blow."

"It was done in war," said Harry, "and I have no right to complain.
It was clever and I hope that I shall be able to give your sister my
compliments some day. Now, if you don't mind, I'll take a strip of that
wonderful bacon. It is bacon, isn't it? It's so long since I've seen
any that I'm not sure of its identity, but whatever it is its odor is
enticing."

"Bacon it surely is, Mr. Kenton. Here are three pieces that I broiled
myself and a broad slice of bread for them. Go ahead, there's plenty
more. And see this dark brown liquid foaming in this stout tin pot!
Smell it! Isn't it wonderful! Well, that's coffee! You've heard of
coffee, and maybe you remember it."

"I do remember tasting it some years ago and finding it good. I'd like
to try it again. Yes, thank you. It's fine."

"Here's another cup, and try the ham also."

Harry tr