The Littlest Rebel

al

xpected a place the officer at the head of the troop threw up his gaunt

ning curiously around in his

p and down on the wall, all forgetful of her

hat on

red vigorously up to the wall where he dismounted and came up to take

to take her in when, suddenly, his eye fell on O'Conne

what is the meaning of this? Why

tout defense of the nice Yankee who carried

mile flicker across Morrison's face, but h

ders?" he

, sir," was the

orward and the two officers e

spring, we were put under arrest by a corporal and four troopers. Naturally, I presented your pass, but the corpora

motives were only too often mis-read. In his mind's eye he saw the vindictive Dudley, eager for a revenge which he could not encompass any other way, laying the proof of this act before his superiors with an abundance of collateral evidence which, he knew, would condemn him before any military tribunal in the world. It mattered not what kindly impulses had guided his hand when he wrote the safeguard on the othe

hole miserable business stopped before revenge could set the inexorable

ay did D

headquarters," the young Irishman answered, only too glad of a chanc

" came back th

or. Ye cud catch

," he shouted. "Take a squad and ride to camp by the wood road. Overtake Corporal

up to his hat in ready salute

Harris and his men were riding madly down the road in a chase, which the Lieutenant suspected, meant somethi

r O'Connell and jerked hi

Irishman, thankful to be well out of the mess, quickly clambered over the

n," called the child. "Th

rward and gripped

as passing through Morrison's mind, "I hope no trouble will co

cting hand and a laugh which Morrison

l right. Harris will

sing Miss Virginia, "that

and caught his hand in hers. "He ra

, clean, white one this time. Come on, little sweetheart. W

ers idling in the road and very plainly interested in what the small g

obably lost was no reason why he shouldn't play the game out bravely to the end. So he only smiled at Virgie, who came and sat beside him, and began to

up the road, Cary," said he. "If I loaned you a

dy says that when I was bornde

d dropped his hand down on the

gon we'll send you home to Jeffe

nes, which at the same time thanked h

said huskily, "you're in trouble enough, as it is!

Union office

gray devils in the rifle pits up there have formed the habit of shooting first and asking questions af

took it with a

son," he said in tones that shook

if you do I'll-I'll have to ho

small Miss Cary with a laugh, "did

That is-we

t?" he

answer. "Eve'y time we start to

queeze of her frail body. "But I'll bet you it won't hap

. "You can start in and munch on those heavenly biscuits while this terrible Ya

on sitting still. This is no

out the cleanest pieces of water you can and put them carefully in the coffee p

had placed between two flat stones. "It's mighty considerate of my boys

co'ns." He settled the pot on the fire and sat back with a grin. "Oh, oh! Don't watch it," he cried, in well feigned alarm as Virgie, unwilling to belie

and she sank wearily down against her father

smiles and Cary murmured som

a roguish light in her dark eyes. "He's only afraid I'll pray so terr

omething out of a rear pocket. Presently

. "Join me, won't you? Of course, you un

ed the Southerner, "you are

o fill his own cup, the

ou and yours. Here's hoping that

urprise in the other's fac

way I could ever hope to sho

ace with his hands, not a li

fortunes of war, you know. One side or the other is bound to win. Perhaps-who knows-it may be your t

le I wash these cups suppose you go on another voyage of disco

knapsack. "If you find any Yankee spoons-put the

"Have any trouble on the

man shoo

l we met Dudley. And now I'm worried, Colonel," he said frankly, while his eyes tried to tell the other all that he f

tn't try to carry any more burdens than your own, just now. I know what you me

ing before them with anxiously furrowed brow, a paper

was saying in tragic tones,

ir. "Well, dash my buttons if

ild. Dropping her supplies and utensi

ious gesture to the assembled troopers. "One of you men rid

ed States a roar of laughter went up from the troopers, though some of

" called her fat

ed. "She's only starting in at giving

ose luxuries next time, or when I come to see you in Richmond afte

m the wall and patt

sked with the perfect di

ow. Ah-hah! Th

t down on a rock where, presently, he b

le it?" she aske

questions were as easily clea

and let's fill up. This one for your daddy-you can put

up to her father and put it i

addy, isn't it?" she said, with a flirt of

ag at once, digging out spo

you. Now do sit down and eat. No, not anothe

biscuits had appeared on the Cary table a month ago they would have probably been scorned. But eager as her appetite was it did not stop the active wor

admonished

out like a boy an

swallow-an

he task-gulped, blinked, swallowed with pathetic

y. I guess I was

ed. What were y

in her eyes that the two men recognized as the

en out there would like some of these heavingly things to eat

ry about the boys. They'll have theirs when they get back to camp. Go on

he had left behind Morrison suddenly produced a small earthenware jam jar in which was something now indubitably liquid in form but n

her face glowing with anticipation. Then she paused and, with a little

this-because you tried to bring m

Morrison and caught Virgi

g you eat that little bit than he would out of owning a whole cellar of big stone crocks jam full. Do you know-I think when we

the child looked over at Morrison,

m see her face again or hear her voice-or feel her chubby arms around his neck. She was very, very far away-well cared for, it was true, but he knew only too well that it would need but one malignant leaden missile to make her future life as full of hardships as those which th

but did not startle him. When she spoke, it seemed as if some subtle thought-cu

aid, curiously, "that Gertru

oked up with eyes th

s thinking of he

e was dreamy, tender, as he seemed to look with unseeing eye

harder part when, in reality, we make our loved ones' lives a deeper, blacker hell than our own. Theirs to watch and listen with the love hunger in their hearts, month in, month out and often without a word! Theirs to starve on the crusts of

truth he did know, "but I want you to remember that for you t

hose who would some day go back to live the life for which the Almighty made them. God grant then that he might have for his friend this man who, in the time of his own greater grief, was

her and another-then a volley, which almost a

to his feet. "Look!

otionless, listening for every sound which might tell them what it meant. For a

practical young lady. Having seen food, real food, vanish away before her v

y and resignation were oddly mingled. "Didn'

ts top. Out in the road the troopers had mounted without waitin

anything?"

ss we came too close to your nes

hand went up, "ride up to the fork of

is horse's sides and dashed up the road C

n for a battle. It wi

rner assented, and he looked tho

t is

nd, for that matter, I can't send you to the rear. In fiv

he Southerner returned. "

hy

rs, I'm still your prisoner." With his eyes brave and steady on the others he took the newly writ

re crowding upon them too fast. From down the road came the sound of furious galloping. Almost at once Lieutenant

n!" he shouted.

son in tones so even that Cary marveled at

ner the danger which might now be disclosed or be forever forgotten a

of hesitation and t

ied hard but co

hands tightened until the nails dug dee

your repor

etting horse and delive

Major Foster at the fork and hold the road at any cost. Two light field piece

irgie he caught her up in his arms and kissed her. "Good-b

y struck hands. "I can't wish you luck

he enemy, as he sprang over

elf into the saddle without touching the sti

men! F

n her childish treble. "Good

own in their hiding place behind the w

one. But you wo

shock of steel tires striking viciously against the stones,

anger in which his gray uniform placed him. "Here come the

terments the guns rushed by while the child stared and

n wonder. "There wasn'

eeth are very long. Ah! There they go! Over yonder on the hill-in the ed

ened for the defiant reply of those men who, being Americans, were ne

nd crashed over the hills and ro

tly, while he caught the child closer in his arms

down in terror-something that whined and screamed as it sped on its d

dy!" the child crie

but a shell. They sound much worse than they rea

e, the road to the Union rear now turned into a stream of living blue, with cavalry madly

he road. A whole regiment of infantry. And they're going up against our men across an open field! By Jiminy, but those Yanks will get

and again the world was filled with

ing lips, but still dry eyed. "I don'

rank closer under the protection of the wall. "K

k his upturned face. He winced at the thought that the bullet might have flow

o himself, "it's a bigge

oped into a general engagement covering a space of half a mile along the line. A reconnoitering force of Federal cavalry had ridden

d himself opposed, not by a straggling line of Rebel pickets, but by a moving wall of tattered gray, the unit

er force of cavalry; and thus the order came to Morrison to join the detachment an

rgie watched, the case of the Union horsemen seemed an evil one. True, that infantry and guns were soon advancing

intermingled with the wreathes of drifting smoke, and thro

know till his dying day-the rebel yell. An exultan

stood there hidden in the woods and that his voice could carry only a few yards agai

do you hear? We're getting them o

ide eyes grown darker than ever with exc

they kill t

n, with a groan he gave back his answ

ry scrutinized it closely and was glad he did not recognize it. In its wake came soldiers, infa

. "We're whipping 'em! Close, darlin

t from behind it, but before he dropped down he would fire one last shot. His gun came up to his shoulder-he aimed at some unseen foe and fired. But from somewhere, out of the crash of sound a

d, with ashen face, "it's t

tinctively to cover her eyes.

on with such a deadly whirl came limping back with slashed traces and splintered wheels. With fascinated eyes the Rebel officer watched from behind his wall, while

! Help! Someo

Quick as a flash, she sped away on bare feet over rocks and sharp, pointed branches of fallen trees to the spring, where she caught up a cup and fill

With a great leap he was at her side, forcing her

sank back and his

out one long, shuddering sigh. His body grew slack and his chin fell. Troop

aught Virgie up in his arms. "Come dear, you can't help him any more," and

es and burnt their eyes and throats. Again came men in blue retreating and among them an officer on horseback, wheeling his animal madly around among them and shouting encouragement as

ere left began to waver. "Steady, men! Don't flinch," cam

on the back of a man who had flung away his g

ll the gun had been snatched up, then fired a

nd," he yelle

ke a hinge. Another slackening of his body and the stricken bearer

ht gripped hand; but even as he bent, his horse went down. He leaped to save himself, then

s, and give

ught alone. The "gray devils" were all around him now, and he backed against the wall, fighting till his sword was sent spinning from his fist by the blow of a musket butt; then, gra

in the dust; yet now through an eddying drift of smoke came another ragged Southerner, a grim, gaunt man whose vo

! Don't kil

the brothers of his country and his State. With a downward stroke he arrested a sa

he beat at the bayonet points. "I'm Cary!

d yet he had made no saber stroke to wound or kill; instead, his weapon had come between their own and the life of a well-nigh

for battle, hot to retrieve the losing fortune of the day. The road was too narrow for a concentrated rush, so they streamed into the fields on either side, re-formed, and swept like an avala

e other, all that was left of the Rebel force ran helter-skelter for a screen of protecting trees. But bef

king on a stone. Under his very eyes and just as he was putting out his han

d came running with outstretched arms and piteous voice-a frightened child, weeping for the father w