party,
spurred into a gallop, and dashed into London, to be received with
boundless enthusiasm.

"Somebody ought to ride back to Wildcat immediately," said Kent, after
they had enjoyed their reception a little while, "and report this to the
General."

All assented to this position.

"It is really the duty of myself and comrade here to do it," said Kent,
shifting uneasily in his chair, to find a comfortable place to sit upon;
"but as we have been for two days riding the hardest-backed horses over
roads that were simply awful, and as previous to that time we had
not taken any equestrian exercise for several years, there are some
fundamental reasons--that is, reasons lying at the very base of things,
(he shifted again)--why we should not be called upon to do another mile
of horseback riding until Time has had an opportunity to exercise his
soothing and healing influence, so to speak. Abe, I believe I have
stated the case with my usual happy combination of grace and delicacy?"

"You have, as usual, flushed a tail-race of big words."

"In short," Kent went on ("Ah, thank you. That is delicious. The best
I ever drank. Your mountain stills make the finest apple jack in the
world. There must be something in the water--that you don't put in. It's
as smooth as new-made butter. Well, here's to the anner of Beauty and
Glory.) In short, as I was saying when you hospitably interrupted me, we
are willing to do anything for the cause, but unless there is some other
way of riding, the most painful effort I could make for our beloved
country would be to mount that horse again, and ride another hundred
yards. To be messenger of this good news would be bliss; what prevents
it is a blister."

The crowd laughed boisterously.

"Mister," said one of the Kentuckians who accompanied them, with that
peculiar drawling inflection of the word that it were hopeless to
attempt to represent in print, "ef ye want ter send some one in yer
places me an' Si heah will be powerful glad ter go. Jes' git a note ter
the Jineral at Wildcat ready while we saddle fresh beasts, an' we'll hev
hit in his hands afore midnight."

The proposition was immediately accepted, and in a little while the
Kentuckians were speeding their way back to Gen. Schoepf, with a letter
giving the news, and signed: "Kent Edwards, Chief of Scouts."

That evening a party of young men who had followed the Rebel retreat
some distance, brought in a wagon which had been concealed in