g
the entire front, made itself heard, "may I ask a favor of you?"

"Indade ye may, John, and a thousand ov them if ye plaze, to the last
dhrop in my canteen."

One of those jams so constant and annoying in the movements of large
masses of men, here gave the opportunity for John to unbosom himself,
which he did, while both leaned upon the muzzles of their pieces.

"Terence, I do not believe that I will be alongside of you many days,"
said John, with an effort.

"Why, what's the matter wid ye, boy? if I didn't know ye iver since you
thrashed that bully in the Zouaves, I wud think ye cowardly."

"It is not fear, Corporal," continued John, more determinedly. "I'm
looking the danger squarely in the face, and am ready to meet it, and I
want to be prepared for it."

"Be jabers, John," retorted Terence, "ye should have prepared for it
before you left home. I saw Father Mahan just before I left, and he
tould me to do my duty like a thrue Irishman; and that if I was kilt in
such a cause I wud go straight through, and be hardly asked to stay over
night in Purgatory. There's my poor brother, peace to his soul;--and did
ye hear----"

"But, Terence," interrupted John, "I am not afraid of death; and for the
judgment after death I have made all the preparation I could in my poor
way, and I can trust that to my Maker; but"----and here John clapped his
hand over his left breast.

"Oh, I see," said Terence. "It's a case of disease of the heart."

"I want you, in case I fall, to take the daguerreotype that you will
find in the inside pocket on the left side of my blouse, and a sealed
letter, and see that both are sent to the address upon the letter,"
continued John.

"Faith, will I, John. But who tould you that you wud be kilt, and meself
that's alone and friendless escape? Well, I'll take them, John, if I
have to go meself; and it's Terence McCarty that will not see her
suffer; and maybe--but it's hard seeing how a girl could take a fancy to
a short curly-headed Irishman, like meself, after having loved a
sthrapping, straight-haired man like you."

How John relished the winding-up of the corporal's offer could not well
be seen, as an order to resume the step interrupted the conversation.

Progress was slow, necessarily, from the caution required in the
approach to the river. Over the rolling ground, to an artillery
accompaniment unequalled in grandeur, the troops trudged slowly along.
Here and there was a countenance of se