rted Jack's head while the surgeon was examining the
wound.

"You are here sooner than I thought," said Jack, gripping Harry's hand
hard, "but I knew you would--I knew it. And there is Carroll Shannon,"
he went on, holding out a hand to me. "You never were very fond of me,
Carroll, but I always liked you."

I hardly knew what to say, and therefore I said nothing. I could only
take his hand in mine and give him a grip that would tell him more than
words could tell. "Don't worry, old fellow," Jack continued, observing
the expression of grief and anxiety in Harry Herndon's countenance.
"It's all owing to the way the cards fall. Some day your turn may come,
and then I hope I'll be able to go to you." His eyes were unnaturally
bright, and his lips trembled with suppressed emotion.

The tension was relieved by the woman, who looked at both the young
fellows, and then turned to the surgeon and asked almost unconcernedly,
"Ain't war a hell of a thing?"

It was the surgeon who responded. "It would be hard to find a better
definition, ma'am."

"I've saw lots wuss'n this," she remarked, as if she would thus find
excuse for her sudden use of an expression that is rarely heard on the
lips of a woman.

"Why, yes, ma'am--a great deal worse. This is not a bad case at all. No
great damage has been done. He will be lame for some weeks--perhaps for
a longer time. The ball struck the bone, glanced, and is now close to
the surface."

In a few moments he had deftly extracted it, and the wounded man seemed
to be greatly relieved. Medicine, strange to say, had been declared a
contraband of war by the Federals, and the surgeon could spare but a
driblet of quinine from his small supply; but he left some, and gave
various directions with respect to the possible symptoms that might
arise.

Just then the woman's husband entered the door. He was an emaciated,
unkempt man, whose movements were in strange contrast with his
appearance. He was one of the most trustworthy of General Forrest's
scouts, but neither betrayed the fact that he knew the other. On the
contrary, the man was both angry and rude. "What'd I tell you, Rhody?"
he exclaimed, turning to his wife. "I know'd they'd crowd us out'n
house an' home ef they got a chance; I could 'a' took oath to it! Cuss
'em, an' contrive 'em, both sides on 'em, all an' similar! They'd as
lief make a hoss-stable out'n the house as not, an' I built it wi' my
two han's."

"An' what ef you did?" inqu