t," responded Jack, shutting his teeth tightly together.

Yes, there it lay in bright drops on the glistening snow, showing
where the feet of the patriot had trod. The children stood still when
they were come near to the tree. At the instant their mother appeared
in the kitchen doorway and called "Jack!"

The ragged soldier of the United American States lost his courage at
the instant and began to retire in confusion; but Becca summoned him
to "Wait a minute!" He waited.

"Did you want one of my turkeys?" she asked.

"I was going to _steal_ one, to save my brother's life," he answered.

"Is he only a boy, and has he light hair and blue eyes, and does he
lie on the wet ground?"

"That's Joseph," he groaned.

"Then take a good, big, fat turkey--that one there, if you can get
him," said Becca. "They are all mine."

The turkey was quietly secured.

"Now take one for yourself," said Becca.

Number two came down from the perch.

"How many men are there in your hospital?" asked Jack, who had
responded to his mother's summons, and was holding a pair of warm
stockings in his hand.

"Twelve."

"Give him another, Bec--there's a good girl; three turkeys ain't a
bone too many for twelve hungry men," prompted Jack.

"Take three!" said Becca. "My pa never counts my turkeys."

The third turkey joined his fellows.

"Better put these stockings on before you start, or father will track
you to the camp," said Jack. "And pa told ma never to give you
anything of his any more."

Never was weighty burden more cheerfully borne than the bag Jack
helped to hoist over the soldier's shoulder as soon as the stockings
had been drawn over the bleeding feet.

"Now I'm going. Thank you, and good night. If you, little girl, would
give me a kiss, I'd take it--as from my little Bessy in Connecticut."

"That's for Bessy in Connecticut," said the little girl, giving him
one kiss, "and now I'll give you one for Becca in Pennsylvania. Hurry
home and roast the turkeys quick."

They watched him go over the hill.

"Jack," said Becca, "if I'd told a lie to the turkeys where would they
have been to-night, and Joseph? There are eight more. I wish I'd told
him to come again. Pa's rheumatism came just right to-night, didn't
it?"

"I reckon next year you won't have all the turkeys to give away to the
soldiers," said Jack, adding quite loftily, "I shall go to raising
turkeys in the Spring myself, and when Winter comes we shall see."

"Now,