The Little Regiment

ipes of red and green. Upon the wooden mantel there were two little puffy figures in clay-a shepherd and a shepherdess probably. A triangle of pink and white wool hung carefully over the edge of thi

y resembled great dumplings. The picture of a man terribly leaden in complexi

in the summer sunshine. From the long grasses of the meadow came the rhythmic click of the insects. Occasional frogs in the hidden brook made a peculiar chug-chug sound, as if somebody throttled th

hed with excitement, and the hand which stretched in a strained pose on the sill trembled because of the nerv

he head of the stairs. "Well, I just know they're com

seen one yet. They never come into this neighbourhood. You just com

just know the

l violence of occasional housewives. The girl swis

was a handful of black dots-horsemen. A cloud of dust floated away. Th

ming! They'

at the table. She sprang to her feet. "No-it can't be-how you know it's them-where?" The stubby k

yet contriving to fill the air with questions, reproach, and remonstrance. The g

on the hill. She crouched back with a groan. "It's them, sure as

bent down and intently watched the green archway whence the road emerged. "Hush! I hear 'em coming," she swiftly whispered to her mother, for the elder woman had dropped dolefully upon the matt

they

to the eyes of the girl. It was as if a scene had been shifted. The fore

ed to see the troopers change into demons and gloat at her. She was at last looking upon those curious beings who rod

w stripes upon his arm. In his right hand he held his carbine, slanting upward, with th

creak of leather and tinkle of steel and tin. The girl scanned the faces of

swinging stride of his horse. The troopers glanced for a moment like casual tourists, and then returned to their study

essed a querulous mental reaching for some near thing to blame. "And it'll be lucky fer us if we ain't both

rplexed and terrified in the

John, John! why did you, why did you?" She suddenly lifted herself and sat rigid, staring at her daughter. "Mary," she said in tragic

faltered

spered, "The kitchen

e they stared into

ded. Hanging arm in arm they stole across the floor toward the head of the stai

and frequent sputterings and cracklings from the fire. These sounds were sinister. The mother an

Who's there?" Her tone was intended to be dauntless. It rang so dramatically in the silence that a sudden new panic seized them as if the suspected p

ively and the girl screamed. But the mystic presence had not swept around the corner to grab her, so she d

ed down into the kitchen. In her face was dread, as if she half expected to confront something, but the room wa

the kitchen. "Oh, dear

e sick headache.

" said t

s only here! He'd settle those Yankees mighty q

es you act so? The

e Asa and Bill off galavanting around and fighting when they ought to be protecting thei

from the window, "the barn door is op

y, I don't see what we are going to do

I'm going to see if

the mother, "d

of poor old

afe ourselves, I tell you. Never mind old Sant

d stepped out upon the porch. The

response. She stood for a moment with a curious smile

on a foraging tour. On the hillside at the rear of the grey old barn the red leaves of a creeper flamed amid the summer folia

he paused in a listening attitude and heard a horse munching placidly. She gave a cry of delight and sprang across the threshold. Then she suddenly shrank back and gasped. She h