like
his rider suffered for the fall on frozen ground.

There was just then for a time less work than usual for the engineers,
and he had begun to feel troubled by the fact that two weeks had gone by
since Leila wrote, without a home letter. Then it came and was brief:

"DEAR JOHN: I have truly no better and no worse news to send about dear
Uncle Jim and this saddened home. To be quite frank with you, your letter
made me realize what is hardly felt as here in our home we become used to
war news. I thought less of your mischievous attempt to torment my
curiosity than of your personal danger, and yet I know too well what
are the constant risks in your engineer duties, for I have found among
Uncle Jim's books accounts of the siege of Sevastopol. As to your naughty
ending, I do not care who the man was--why should I? I doubt if you
really know.

"I am,
Your seriously indifferent
LEILA GREY.

"P.S. I am ashamed to admit that I reopened my letter to tell you I
fibbed large. _Please_ not to tease me any more."

He replied at once:

"DEAR LEILA: I am off to the front as usual. The man was Henry Grey. An
amazing encounter! I had never seen him, as you may know. I did not wait
to reply to him because the Rebel pickets were not so considerate as
their colonel. I recalled Uncle Jim's casual mention of Henry Grey as a
rather light-minded, quixotic man. I am glad he is, but imagine what
a tragedy failed to materialize because two men were awkward with the
pistol. But what a strange meeting too! It is not the only case. A
captain I know took his own brother prisoner last month; the Rebel would
not shake hands with him. Do not tell Aunt Ann--or rather, do what seems
best to you. I trust you, of course. The encounter made me want to know
your uncle in some far-off happier day.

"In haste, Yours,

"JOHN PENHALLOW."

CHAPTER XXIX

When late in March Grant about to move left the engineer brigade at City
Point, the need to corduroy the rain-soaked roads called some of the
corps to the front, and among them John Penhallow. As usual when
unoccupied they were set free to volunteer for staff duty. It thus
chanced that Penhallow found himself for a time an extra aide to General
John Parke.

The guarded outer lines of the defences of Petersburg included forests
with here and there open spaces and clumps of trees. More than a half
mile away from the enemy, on rising ground, amid bushes and trees, lay
the army corps of Gene