ing--not the waving banners, not the bayonets, not the fighting in the
ranks.

His eyes were on the woman, and she smiled as all women did upon whom he
looked in kindness.

"My dear madam, you have mistaken our purpose--we are not as hungry as we
look," he said, bowing in his ragged jacket. "We were sent merely to ask
you if you were in need of a guard for your smokehouse. My Colonel hopes
that you have not suffered at our hands."

"There is nothing left," replied the woman mystified, yet relieved. "There
is nothing to guard except the children and myself, and we are safe, I
think. Your Colonel is very kind--I thank him;" and as they went out she
lighted them with her lamp from the front steps.

An hour later they returned to camp with aching limbs and empty hands.

"There's nothing above ground," they reported, flinging themselves beside
the fire, though the night was warm. "We've scoured the whole country and
the Federals have licked it as clean as a plate before us. Bless my soul!
what's that I smell? Is this heaven, boys?"

"Licked it clean, have they?" jeered the mess. "Well, they left a sheep
anyhow loose somewhere. Beau's darky hadn't gone a hundred yards before he
found one."

"Big Abel? You don't say so?" whistled Dan, in astonishment, regarding the
mutton suspended on ramrods above the coals.

"Well, suh, 'twuz des like dis," explained Big Abel, poking the roast with
a small stick. "I know I ain' got a bit a bus'ness ter shoot dat ar sheep
wid my ole gun, but de sheep she ain' got no better bus'ness strayin' roun'
loose needer. She sutney wuz a dang'ous sheep, dat she wuz. I 'uz des
a-bleeged ter put a bullet in her haid er she'd er hed my blood sho'."

As the shout went up he divided the legs of mutton into shares and went off
to eat his own on the dark edge of the wood.

A little later he came back to hang Dan's cap and jacket on the branches of
a young pine tree. When he had arranged them with elaborate care, he raked
a bed of tags together, and covered them with an army blanket stamped in
the centre with the half obliterated letters U. S.

"That's a good boy, Big Abel, go to sleep," said Dan, flinging himself down
upon the pine-tag bed. "Strange how much spirit a sheep can put into a man.
I wouldn't run now if I saw Pope's whole army coming."

Turning over he lay sleepily gazing into the blue dusk illuminated with the
campfires which were slowly dying down. Around him he heard the subdued
murm