, and we may have a long distance to go."

"But he is not ours," objected Jeanne, whose residence among soldiers had
not been long enough to render her conscience elastic on this point.

"Yes, he is," answered Dick. "The Government confiscated all the property
belonging to the Johnnies long ago, and I guess this horse comes under
that act. I am only doing my duty in taking the animal."

"Do you think so?" asked Jeanne, dubiously.

"Certainly, I do," and the lad led the horse away from the road into the
thicket. "I thought I was going to have lots of trouble to get you away
from those people," he said, when they were a safe distance.

"They don't care anything about me," said the girl, sadly. "O Dick, I've
had such a time!"

"There! There!" Dick drew her head against his shoulder caressingly.
"It's all over now. I'll take care of you. But tell me, Jeanne, how in
the world did you come down here in this benighted country? I left you
safe at home in New York and find you here. How did it happen?"

"I thought that perhaps father had written," and Jeanne looked up through
her tears.

"No; I have not heard from the folks for quite a while, but we have been
on the march, and I was taken prisoner. I know that there are letters for
me somewhere."

"Then I will begin at the beginning," said Jeanne, stroking his hair
tenderly. "Oh, Dick, it is so good to be with some one who belongs to me!"

CHAPTER XXIII

RECAPTURE

"We must not stay here, Jeanne," said Dick, after his sister had finished
her narrative. "We must strike out for the Mississippi River. Once there
we may see some of our boats. That will be our best show for getting to
our lines."

"Is it far to the river, Dick?"

"I don't know, Jeanne. If I felt sure that Colonel Peyton would send you
to our men, I would let you go on with him, but after the treatment given
you, I don't like to let you go back."

"No; let me stay with you, Dick. I feel as if I never wanted to see a
rebel again."

"You are liable to see a good many of them before we are out of this,"
remarked Dick. "The woods are full of them. I fear----"

"What?" asked Jeanne, as the lad paused.

"For you, sister. It will be a long, hard journey. I wish I had known
just how matters stood and I would have left you where you were. You
have shown yourself a brave girl, and it will take all your courage and
resolution now to stand up under the perils we will have to encounter. I
wish we had