uld not hear.

"There's a line of your pickets about three miles up the road, Cary,"
said he. "If I loaned you a horse, do you think Virgie could ride behind
you?"

"_Me?_" pouted Virgie. "Why, Daddy says that when I was bornded, I came
ridin' in on a stork."

Morrison burst out laughing and dropped his hand down on the small paw
resting on his knee.

"Then, by St. George and the Dragon we'll send you home to Jefferson
Davis on a snorting Pegasus!"

Again Cary spoke to him in warning tones, which at the same time
thanked him unendingly for the kindly thought.

"You needn't trouble about the mount. Why, man," he said huskily,
"you're in trouble enough, as it is! And if our lines are as close as
you say they are--"

Once more the Union officer checked him.

"It isn't any trouble. Only--you'll have to be careful of your approach,
even to your own lines. Those gray devils in the rifle pits up there
have formed the habit of shooting _first_ and asking questions
_afterwards_. There you are," and he tore the leaf from his note book
and handed it up with a faint smile.

The Southerner took it with a reluctant hand.

"I--I wish I could thank you--Morrison," he said in tones that shook
with feeling, "but you see I--I--"

"Then please don't try. Because if you do I'll--I'll have to hold Virgie
as a prisoner of war.

"Well, young one," he said to the small Miss Cary with a laugh, "did you
really get something to eat?"

"Yes, sir. That is--we _almost_ did."

"_Almost?_" he echoed.

"Yes, sir," came the plaintive answer. "Eve'y time we start to
eat--somethin' _always_ happens!"

"Well, well, that _is_ hard luck," he said with a gentle squeeze of her
frail body. "But I'll bet you it won't happen this time; not if a whole
regiment tries to stop it."

"Come on," he suggested as he sprang to his feet and began picking up
dry twigs. "You can start in and munch on those heavenly biscuits while
this terrible Yankee builds the fire." Cary made a move as if to help;
but Morrison checked him.

"Oh, no, Cary, just you keep on sitting still. This is no work for you.
You're tired out.

"Here, Virgie, I know you want to get me some water from the spring.
Please pick out the cleanest pieces of water you can and put them
carefully in the coffee pot. All right. There you are. _'Tention!_
Carr-ee coffee pot! Right wheel! _March!_"

With a carefree laugh he turned away to light the little heap of twigs
he had placed between