ld, swift but can't last long. This is old Rube,
nigh onto ten, mighty strong, but as balky as a Johnny Reb hisself.
Don't want him! No? Then I think that's about all."

"No it's not! You open that last stall door at once!"

The farmer made a wry face, and threw back the door with a slam. Harry
still covering the man with the pistol that couldn't go off, saw a
splendid bay horse about four years old.

"Holding out on me, were you?" he said. "Did you think a Confederate
officer could be fooled in that manner?"

"I reckon I oughtn't to have thought so. I've always heard that the
rebels had mighty good eyes for Yankee horseflesh."

"I'll let that pass, because maybe it's true. Now, saddle and bridle him
quicker than ever before in your life."

The farmer did so, and Harry took care to see that the girth was secure.

"At how much did you value this horse?" he asked.

"I did put him down at two hundred dollars, but I reckon he's worth
nothin' to me now."

"Here's your money. When General Lee goes through the enemy's country he
pays for what he takes."

He thrust a roll of good United States bills into the astonished man's
hand, and sprang upon the horse. Then he turned from the stable and rode
swiftly up the road, but not so swiftly that he did not hear a bullet
singing past his ears. A backward glance showed him an elderly farmer in
his night clothes standing on his porch and reloading his rifle.

"Well, I can't blame you, I suppose," said Harry. "You can guess pretty
well what I am, and it's your business to stop me."

But he rode fast enough to be far beyond the range of a second bullet,
and maintained a good pace for a long time, through hilly and wooded
country. His uniform dried upon him, and his hardy form felt no ill
result from the struggle in the river. The horse was strong and spirited,
and Harry knew that he could carry him without weariness to Lee. He
looked upon his mission as already accomplished, but his ambition to
reach the commander-in-chief first was yet strong.

He rode throughout the rest of the night and dawn and the pangs of hunger
came together. But he decided that he would not turn from his path to
seek food. He would go on straight for Lee and let hunger have its way.
He had a splendid horse under him and he was faring quite as well as he
had a right to expect. He thought of Shepard, and felt pity for him.
The man had only striven to do his duty, and while he had use