irritated. Both Harry Herndon and myself had tried hard to impress
the negro with the necessity of taking unusual precautions to secure
the safety of the horses, for they had attracted the attention of the
whole camp, which was full of questionable characters, some of whom
would have answered to their names if Falstaff had appeared to call the
roll of his ragamuffins.

The key had been turned in the lock, but the bolt of the lock had
failed to catch in the socket. It was plain that the negro thought he
had locked the door, but it was quite as plain that he had been
careless, and I made a resolution then and there to look after the
safety of the horses myself. I swallowed more than half of my
irritation when I found that the horses were in their stalls, warmly
blanketed, and an abundance of food before them. I was on the point of
locking the door with my own key, when I heard the sound of approaching
footsteps. There were two men, civilians, as I judged, and one of them
stuttered. Their conversation was of a nature to interest me.

They paused near the door of the stable. "This is the place where they
keep them," remarked one of the men. "They are the finest horses in the
rebel army, and it would be a good job to run them into the Union lines
some fine night. I know a man that would pay a cracking good price for
them."

"But the nigger sleeps in there with 'em," said the other man, "and
what are you going to do about him?"

"That's as easy as picking up rocks in the road. A nigger will sell his
immortal soul for ten dollars, and I'll git him to leave the door open
some night when he's got a job of jiggering on the peanner and
whistling with his mouth at the tavern in the woods."

"But that's horse-stealing."

"No, it ain't; it's turn and turn about. How many horses has old
Forrest took from the loyal citizens of Tennessee? You couldn't count
'em if you was to try. I'll give you three hundred dollars for them
three horses delivered at my brother's house--three hundred dollars in
gold--and you'll have two men to help you. Don't you call that picking
up money?"

"An' whilst I'm a-gittin' the horses, what'll you be doing?"

"Ain't I told you?" answered the man with some display of irritation.
"I'll be putting up the money, the cold cash. What more do you want?
I've always heard that good money is good enough for anybody."

They passed on, and I slipped from the stable, taking care to lock it
behind me, and followe