o bring his body back to Jacksonville.

This ended the war in northern Mexico. But meanwhile, as President Polk
could not buy California, he seized it. He ordered an American squadron
to take San Francisco and other harbors on the California coast. He sent
General Kearney with a cooperating force to this end. Kearney occupied
the city of Santa Fe and organized a temporary government for New
Mexico. The President also sent General Scott against the city of Mexico
and Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. These were taken; but they were used only
as levers in the settlement.

What had been accomplished? We had fixed the Rio Grande as the Texas
boundary; we had added California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming,
and Utah to the American domain. With Oregon acquired Douglas'
ocean-bound republic was realized. Was it to prove his lasting triumph,
or his undoing?

I had been gone less than a year. I was eager to reach Chicago, but I
had to stop off at Jacksonville to help bury the body of Colonel Hardin.
We made his grave near the grave of my father and not far from
Lamborn's.

What had happened in my absence? How should I find the home that I had
left? If Dorothy should be dead, or Mother Clayton, or Mammy or Jenny?

I rang the bell. Jenny came to the door. She gave a cry. Mammy came
hurrying through the hall; then Mother Clayton, flinging her arms upward
in dumb delight. Then Dorothy, lovely in her young motherhood, carrying
our boy, the tears running down her cheeks. She could not speak. She
could only rub her cheek against mine, press her lips to mine, hold our
little boy's laughing and uncomprehending lips to mine. We cried. We
uttered broken words.

I entered. The door closed behind me. I was home. All was well. I sat
down. All looked at me. Jenny and Mammy loitered in the room. I wanted
to speak. But what had I to say? Nothing! Such happiness at being home!
So we sat until I broke the silence by asking: "When was the baby born?"
Mother Clayton replied: "He is five weeks old to-morrow." Then we all
laughed. We had broken this heavy silence with such simple words. And
after that, many words, much laughter; and later a wonderful meal
prepared by the delighted hands of Mammy and Jenny.

CHAPTER XXXVI

But what of Douglas? During the war I had been entirely out of touch
with him. What was he doing? What had he accomplished? What was now
stirring in his restless imagination? They all had news for me about him
and