day. Darkness found the two comrades still pushing on.

Some time after dark a light was seen a short distance ahead and there
was a "sound of revelry." On approaching, the light was found to proceed
from a large fire, built on the floor of an old and dilapidated
outhouse, and surrounded by a ragged, hungry, singing, and jolly crowd
of paroled prisoners of the Army of Northern Virginia, who had gotten
possession of a quantity of corn meal and were waiting for the ash-cakes
then in the ashes. Being liberal, they offered the new-comers some of
their bread. Being hungry, the "survivors" accepted--and eat their first
meal that day. Here seemed a good place to spend the night, but the
party in possession were so noisy, and finally so quarrelsome and
disagreeable generally, that the "survivors," after a short rest, pushed
on in the darkness, determined, if possible, to find some shelter more
quiet. The result was a night march, which was continued till the
morning dawned.

Thursday morning they entered the village of Buckingham Court House, and
traded a small pocket mirror for a substantial breakfast. There was
quite a crowd of soldiers gathered around a cellar door, trying to
persuade an ex-Confederate A.A.A. Commissary of Subsistence that he
might as well, in view of the fact that the army had surrendered, let
them have some of his stores; and, after considerable persuasion and
some threats, he relinquished the hope of keeping them for himself, and
told the men to help themselves. They did so.

The people of the village did not exactly doubt the _fact_ of the
surrender, but evidently thought matters had been _somewhat
exaggerated_, facts suppressed, and everything allowed to fall into a
very doubtful condition. Confederate money would not pass, however;
_that_ was settled _beyond doubt_.

As the two tramps were about to leave the village, and were hurrying
along the high road which led through it, they saw a solitary horseman
approaching from their rear. It was easy to recognize at once General
Lee. He rode slowly, calmly along. As he passed an old tavern on the
roadside, some ladies and children waved their handkerchiefs, smiled,
and wept. The General turned his eyes to the porch on which they stood,
and slowly putting his hand to his hat, raised it slightly, and as
slowly again dropped his hand to his side. The survivors did not weep,
but they had strange sensations. They pushed on, steering, so to speak,
for Carter