wo into
the woods. Collins! You'll have to stay on sentry duty till I get back.
If any troops pass here, get out of sight at once and give Harry
warning. Now, boys--come along with me--we'll take it on the trot," and
climbing quickly over the wall the man who held two lives in the hollow
of his hand ran down the road with the two troopers, finally cutting
over into the woods and disappearing from view.

Gary and Virgie stood still by the spring. Out in the road the sentry
paced back and forth. Behind them Trooper O'Connell stood on guard, his
carbine in his arms across his breast.

Virgie pulled gently at her father's hand.

"Daddy," she whispered, "are they--are they goin' to carry us off to the
Yankee camp?"

"I'm afraid so, darling, but I don't know," he answered sadly. "We'll
just have to wait. Wait," he repeated, as he sat down on a rock and drew
her close to him. Without being seen either by Virgie or O'Connell he
picked up a jagged stone the size of his fist and hid it under his knee
against the rock. It would be a poor weapon at best, but Cary had grown
desperate and if the trooper once turned his back and gave him
opportunity poor Harry O'Connell would wake up with a very bad headache
and Virgie would be in Richmond.

But Virgie's eyes were on neither the hidden stone nor her father's
watchful, relentless face. All that Virgie could see was a knapsack open
on the ground and food--real food displayed round about with a
prodigality which made her mouth water and her eyes as big as saucers.

"Daddy," she murmured, clutching at his sleeve, "while we are waitin' do
you reckon we could take just a _little_ bit of that?"

"No, dear--not now," her father answered, with a touch of impatience. It
would be too much, even in those bitter times, to accept a man's food
and then break his head for it.

"Well," said Virgie, completely mystified at the restraint, "I don't see
why they shouldn't be polite to us. We were just as polite as could be
when the Yankees took our corn."

Just then the young Irishman with the carbine turned around and caught
the wan look on Virgie's face and the hunger appeal in her big dark
eyes. At once a broad smile broke over his freckled countenance and he
gestured hospitably with his gun.

"Have somethin' to eat, little wan."

Cary's knee loosened. The jagged stone fell to the ground.

"Thank you, old fellow," he cried, springing to his feet. "I can't show
my gratitude to you in any