l patriotism a
stronger power?" And she smiled at him.

"Thank you, my dear," he said with a gravity which showed that she had
touched him. "You shall not regret your sacrifice."

In the course of conversation he told Mr. Royal that Archdale had been
sent off at dawn upon an exploring expedition. "I want to find out how
near to us the Indians are," he said, "they are hanging about somewhere.
You will not see him to-day."

That morning, Elizabeth was rowed ashore with Nancy, and under an escort
they went to the hospitals; not for a visit of inspection, as it turned
out, but as workers. Nancy had had experience in illness, and Elizabeth
was an apt pupil. Before the day was over the poor fellows lying there
felt a change. There were no luxuries to be had for them, but their
beds were made a little softer with added moss and leaves, the relays
of fresh water from the brook running through the encampment were
increased. One dying man had closed his eyes in the conviction that the
last words he had sent to his mother would reach her; he had watched
Elizabeth write them down, and she had promised to put a lock of his
hair into the letter. He was sure that she would do it, and he died
happier for the thought. Altogether, in many ways the comfortless tents
grew less comfortless, for Elizabeth interpreted literally the general's
permission to do here what she chose. The eyes of the soldiers followed
both women with delight, and one rugged fellow, a backwoods man, whose
cheerfulness not even a broken leg and a great gash in his forehead
could destroy, volunteered the statement: "By George! whether in peace
or war we need our women." This was responded to by a cheer from the
inmates of his tent. The demonstration was all the more touching,
because its endeavor to be rousing was marred in the execution by the
physical weakness of the cheerers.

They spent that night on shore. Elizabeth's tent was next her father's
and a few rods from the general quarters. As Mr. Royal left her, she
stood a moment at the swinging door of her strange room, and looked at
the stars and at the scene so new to her on which they were shining.
Then leaving it reluctantly, for it fascinated her, she laid down upon
the woodland couch prepared for her, and was soon as soundly asleep as
her maid near by, while around the tent patrolled the special guard set
by General Pepperell.

The next day also was spent in the hospital. In the course of the
afternoon,