r your own good," said the Mississippian gravely.
"Anyway, you won't be troubled by the cold weather 'cause if you don't
go back into the no'th where you belong, we'll be takin' you a prisoner
way down south, where you don't belong. But you could have a good time
there. We won't treat you bad. There's fine huntin' for b'ars in the
canebrake an' the rivers an' bayous are full of fish. Your captivity
won't be downright painful on you."

"Glad to get your welcome, Mr. Henderson," said Whitley, "'cause we've
heard a lot 'bout the hospitality of Mississippi, an' we're shorely
goin' to stretch it. I'm comin', an' I'm bringin' a couple of hundred
thousand fellers 'bout my size with me. Funny thing, we'll all wear blue
coats just alike. Think you'd find room for us?"

"Plenty of it. What was it the feller said--we welcome you with bloody
hands to hospitable graves--but we ain't feelin' that way to-night. Got
a plug of terbacker?"

The sergeant took out a square of tobacco, cut it in exact halves with
his pocket knife, and tossed one-half across the Antietam, where it was
deftly caught by the Mississippian.

"Thanks mightily," said Henderson. "Mr. Commissary Banks used to supply
us with good things, then it was Mr. Commissary Pope, and now I reckon
it'll be Mr. Commissary McClellan. Say, how many fellers have you got
over thar, anyway?"

"When I counted 'em last night," replied the sergeant calmly, "there was
five hundred and twelve thousand two hundred and fifty-three infantry,
sixty-four thousand two hundred and nineteen cavalry an' three thousand
one hundred and seventy-five cannon, but I reckon we'll receive
reinforcements of three hundred thousand before mornin'."

"Then we'll have more prisoners than I thought. Are you shore them three
hundred thousand reinforcements will get up in time?"

"Quite shore. I've sent 'em word to hurry."

"Then we'll have to take them, too."

"Time you fellers quit your talkin'," said Brayton, "a major or a
colonel may come strollin' 'long here any minute, an' they don't like
for us fellers to be too friendly. Dan, I'm powerful glad to see you
ag'in, an' I hope you won't get killed. I've a feelin' that you an'
me will be ridin' over the plains once more some day, an' we won't be
fightin' each other. We'll be fightin' Sioux an' Cheyennes an' all that
red lot, just as we did in the old days. Here's a good-bye."

He thrust out the muzzle of his gun, an' Whitley thrust out his. Then
the