to give me up."

"I began to be terribly frightened, sir--terribly frightened. I went dis
afternoon and asked Captain Burley if he had any news ob you. He said
'No'; and asked me ef I knew where you were. I said 'No, sah;' that I
knew nuffin about it except that you had gone on some dangerous job. He
said as dey had heard nuffin had happened to you. Still I was bery
anxious, and tought I would sit up till de last train came in from
Richmond. Den I tink I dropped off to sleep."

"I think you did, Dan. Well, I am too tired to tell you anything about
it now, but I have one piece of news for you: Tony has come back to his
wife."

"Dat's good news, sah; bery good news. I had begun to be afraid dat Tony
had been shot or hung or someting. I know Dinah hab been fretting about
him, though she neber said much, but when I am at home she allus asks me
all sorts of questions 'bout him. She bery glad woman now."

The next morning Vincent went to General Lee's quarters.

"I am heartily glad to see you back," the general said warmly as he
entered. "I have blamed myself for letting you go. Well, what success
have you had?"

"Here is a rough plan of the works, general. I have not had time to do
it out fairly, but it shows the positions of all their principal
batteries, with a rough estimate as to the number of guns that each is
intended to carry."

"Excellent!" the general said, glancing over the plan. "This will give
us exactly the information we want. We must set to with our
counter-works at once. The country is indeed indebted to you, sir. So
you managed to cheat the Yankees altogether?"

"I should have cheated them, sir; but, unfortunately, I came across an
old acquaintance who denounced me, and I had a narrow escape of being
shot."

"Well, Captain Wingfield, I must see about this business and give orders
at once. Will you come and breakfast with me at half-past eight? Then
you can give me an account of your adventures."

Vincent returned to his quarters, and spent the next two hours in making
a detailed drawing of the enemy's positions and batteries, and then, at
half-past eight, walked over to General Lee's quarters. The general
returned in a few minutes with General Wade Hampton and several other
officers, and they at once sat down to breakfast. As the meal was
proceeding an orderly entered with a telegram for the general. General
Lee glanced through it.

"This, gentlemen, is from the minister of war. I acquainted h