with a
quantity of food, for they might not be able to procure a dinner or a
supper as readily as they had a breakfast.

They dismounted, and entered the store. They found the postmaster half
asleep behind his counter; and when Deck inquired if he had anything to
eat, he replied in a very sulky manner that he had nothing. He had been
robbed of about everything he had that was eatable by runaway soldiers
like themselves, who had deserted from the army.

"Haven't you got anything?" persisted Deck.

"Not a thing; a dozen of you runaways came here last night, and took
everything I had, and never paid me a cent for what they carried off,
and threatened to shoot me if I made a row about it. I can't afford to
keep store for sech fellers," protested the man, with intense disgust.

"But I have a little money, and I am willing to pay for whatever we
obtain," added the lieutenant.

The storekeeper raised his head sharply, and appeared to be wide awake
at these words.

"Don't you think you could raise something for us?" asked Deck.

"Provisions is mighty skeece down here, for the army has picked up
everything they could find; and we are as poor as starved turkeys."

"Well, if you hain't got nothin', of course we can't git nothin',"
added Life.

"If you're gwine to pay for what you have, I might raise somethin' for
you," said the storekeeper. "I bought two mighty handsome chickens
yesterday, and had to give a dollar apiece for 'em. My wife roasted 'em
last night, and hid 'em away for our own use. If you don't mind payin'
two dollars apiece for 'em, you shall have 'em."

"All right; bring them along," answered Deck.

The man left the store, and was absent about ten minutes, when he
returned with the chickens. They were quite large, and were a toothsome
morsel for hungry men. Deck then called for a dollar's worth of
crackers, which the storekeeper had to bring from their hiding-place
outside the building. General Woodbine had provided him with five gold
half-eagles, which the lieutenant had concealed in as many different
places about his own and Life's person, and a few dollars' worth of
silver.

Deck paid in gold for the provisions. The postmaster, who looked like a
happy man since he saw the precious coin, wrapped the chickens in
papers, putting a little package of salt with each; and the wanderers
stuffed them into their capacious pockets, finding also space enough
for the crackers.

"We are all right now," said De