no saying who's about."

"Hab you brought de stuff?"

"You don't suppose I should hab come all dis way to tell you I hab not
got it. How am do prisoner?"

"Oh, he's dere all right. My orders was to look in at dat little winder
ebery five minutes, and dat when it began to get dark me was to tie him
quite tight, and me hab done so. And one ob de sentries goes in every
five minutes and feels to see if de ropes are tight. He am dar, sure
enough."

"Dat's quite right, Sergeant Newson. I knew, when you came to 'lieve me,
as de captain knew what he was doing when he choose you for dis job. He
just pick out de man he considers de very best in de regiment. Now, here
is de spirit; and fuss-rate stuff it am, too."

"Golly, but it am strong!" the sergeant said, taking a long gulp at the
canteen. "Dat warm de cockles ob de heart in no time. Yes, it am good
stuff--just de ting for dis damp air. I hear as a lot of de white
soldiers are down wid de fever already, and dere will be lots and lots
more ef we stop here long. Here, you two men, take a drink of dis; but
mind, you mustn't tell no one 'bout it. Dis a secret affair."

The two negroes each took a long drink, and returned the canteen with
expressions of approval.

"De oder men are on duty," the sergeant said with the air of a man who
knew his business; "dey mustn't hab none of it, not until dey comes off.
As we are de relief, it am proper and right dat we drink a drop out ob a
canteen ef we want it."

"Quite so, Sergeant Newson," Tony said in a tone of admiration. "Dat's
de way to manage dese tings--duty first and pleasure afterward."

"It am nearly time to relieve guard," the other said; "and den dey can
hab a drink."

In five minutes the two soldiers relieved those on guard, and they,
also, took a long drink at the canteen, to which the sergeant also again
applied his lips.

"Now I must be going," Tony said. "I will leave the canteen with you,
sergeant. I have got some more of the stuff over there, and I dare say
you will like another drink before morning."

Then he stole away, but halted and lay down twenty yards distant. In ten
minutes he heard the sergeant say:

"I feel as if I could do jus five minutes' sleep. You keep your eyes on
de shed, and ef you hear any officer coming his rounds you wake me up."

Tony waited another half hour and then crawled up. The sergeant was
lying on his back sound asleep; the two men with him were on their
faces, with their rif