ackson lay prostrate on the ground,
groaning and crying like a child.

Sitting down beside the miserable creature, he spoke to him in gentle,
soothing tones. "You have been here a long time?"

"The longest year that ever I lived! but it won't last much longer," and
he uttered a fearful oath.

"Are you expecting to be exchanged?"

"Exchanged! no. What do those fellows at Washington care about our lives?
They'll delay and delay till we're all starved to death, like hundreds and
thousands, before us;" and again he concluded with a volley of oaths and
curses, bestowed indiscriminately upon the President and Congress, Jeff
Davis, Wirtz, and the guard.

Harold was shocked at his profanity. "Man," said he solemnly, "do you know
that you are on the brink of the grave? and must soon appear at the bar of
Him whose holy name you are taking in vain?"

"Curse you!" he cried, lifting his head for a moment, then dropping it
again on the ground; "take your cant to some other market, I don't believe
in a God, or heaven or hell: and the sooner I die the better; for I'll be
out of my misery."

"No; that is a fatal delusion, and unless you turn and repent, and believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, death can only plunge you into deeper misery.
You have only a little while! Oh, I beseech you, don't cast away your last
chance to secure pardon, peace and eternal life!"

"You're 'casting your pearls before swine,'" returned the man, sneeringly.
"Not to say that I'm a hog exactly, but I've not a bit more of a soul than
if I was. Your name's Allison, isn't it?"

"It is."

"D'ye know anybody named Dinsmore? or Travilla?"

"Yes; and I know who you are, Jackson, and of your crimes against them. In
the sight of God you are a murderer."

"You tell me to repent. I've repented many a time that I didn't take
better aim and blow his brains out; yes, and hers too. I hoped I had, till
I saw the account in the papers."

Harold's teeth and hands were tightly clenched, in an almost superhuman
effort to keep himself quiet; and the man went on without interruption.

"He'd nearly made a finish of me, but I was smart enough to escape them,
bloodhounds and all. I got over the border into Texas; had a pretty good
time there for awhile--after I recovered from that awful blood-letting;
but when secession began, I slipped off and came North. You think I'm all
bad; but I had a kind of love for the old flag, and went right into the
army. Besides, I thought i