l carefully between
her feet as the spotted cow turned inquiringly.

"Go 'way, I don't want no stragglers here," she cried, as one having
authority.

Leaning upon the fence, Dan placidly regarded her.

"My dear madam, you commit an error of judgment," he replied, pausing to
argue.

With the cow's udder in her hand the woman looked up from the streaming
milk.

"Well, ain't you stragglers?" she inquired.

Dan shook his head reproachfully.

"What air you, then?"

"Beggars, madam."

"I might ha' knowed it!" returned the woman, with a snort. "Well, whatever
you air, you kin jest as eas'ly keep on along that thar road. I ain't got
nothing on this place for you. Some of you broke into my smokehouse night
befo' last an' stole all the spar' ribs I'd been savin'. Was you the ones?"

"No, ma'am."

"Oh, you're all alike," protested the woman, scornfully, "an' a bigger set
o' rascals I never seed."

"Huh! Who's a rascal?" exclaimed Big Abel, angrily.

"This is the reward of doing your duty, Big Abel," remarked Dan, gravely.
"Never do it again, remember. The next time Virginia is invaded we'll sit
by the fire and warm our feet. Good morning, madam."

"Why ain't you with the army?" inquired the woman sharply, slapping the cow
upon the side as she rose from her seat and took up the milk pail. "An
officer rode by this morning an' he told me part of the army was campin'
ten miles across on the other road."

"Did he say whose division?"

"Oh, I reckon you kin fight as well under one general as another, so long
as you've got a mind to fight at all. You jest follow this lane about three
miles and then keep straight along the turnpike. If you do that I reckon
you'll git yo' deserts befo' sundown." She came over to the fence and stood
fixing them with hard, bright eyes. "My! You do look used up," she admitted
after a moment. "You'd better come in an' git a glass of this milk befo'
you move on. Jest go roun' to the gate and I'll meet you at the po'ch. The
dog won't bite you if you don't touch nothin'."

"All right, go ahead and hide the spoons," called Dan, as he swung open the
gate and went up a little path bordered by prince's feathers.

The woman met them at the porch and led them into a clean kitchen, where
Dan sat down at the table and Big Abel stationed himself behind his chair.

"Drink a glass of that milk the first thing," she said, bustling heavily
about the room, and browbeating them into submissive silence, w