at he was astonished, but he
followed without a word.

She saw that the hall was clear and then she led quickly into her
father's room. Colonel Woodville was propped up against the pillows, and
there was color in his face.

"Young man," he said, "come here. You can afford to obey me, although
I'm a prisoner, because I'm so much older than you are. You have a heart
and breeding, young sir, and I wish to shake your hand."

He thrust a large hand from the cover, and Dick shook it warmly.

"I wouldn't have shaken it if you had been born north of the Ohio
River," said Colonel Woodville.

Dick laughed.

"My chief purpose in having you brought here," said Colonel Woodville,
"was to relate to you an incident, of which I heard once. Did I read
about it, or was it told to me, Margaret?"

"I think, sir, that some one told you of it."

"Ah, well, it doesn't matter. A few words will tell it. In an old,
forgotten war a young soldier quartered in the house of his defeated
enemy--but defeated only for the time, remember--saw something which
made him believe that a wounded nephew of the house was hid in an upper
room. But he was generous and he did not search further. The second
night, while the young officer and his comrades were at supper, the
nephew, who was not hurt badly, was slipped out of the house and escaped
from the city in the darkness. It's not apropos of anything, and I don't
know why I'm relating it to you, but I suppose this terrible war we are
fighting is responsible for an old man's whim."

"I've found it very interesting, sir," said Dick, "and I think it's
relevant, because it shows that even in war men may remain Christian
human beings."

"Perhaps you're right, and I trust, young sir, that you will not be
killed in this defeat to which you are surely marching."

Dick bowed to both, and left them to their fears and hopes. The glow was
still about his heart when he rode forth with the Winchester regiment
after midnight. But, owing to the need of horses for the regular
cavalry, it had become an infantry regiment once more. Only the officers
rode.

At dawn they were with Grant approaching a ridge called Champion Hill.

CHAPTER VIII. CHAMPION HILL

Dick on that momentous morning did not appreciate the full magnitude of
the event about to occur, nor did he until long afterward. He knew
it was of high importance, and yet it might have ranked as one of the
decisive battles of history. There were no s