el; and seemed to regard the whole thing
as a stupendous joke.

"Then your name is Allan Garland, is it?" demanded he, with a broad laugh
still playing on his lips.

"That is my name at present," replied Somers.

"But have you no other name?"

"None worth mentioning."

"Good! To what regiment do you belong?"

"To the Fourth Alabama, Colonel Jones; but I have already told your
respected father all the facts relating to myself, and some relating to
you."

"Say, is this a joke, a sell?" demanded Owen.

"I suppose that would be a very proper interpretation to put upon it."

"You seem to be a good fellow, and deal in four-syllable words."

"Now, as you seem to have the best of the joke, I hope you will not
detain me any longer. I have a pass in my pocket to prove that I am all
right; and, as I am in a great hurry, I must move on."

"Not till you explain the joke. Eh? What's this? Where did you get this
coat?" said Owen, glancing at the garment which Somers wore.

"This is the key to the joke."

"The key to it! I am of the opinion that this is my coat," replied Owen,
as he felt of the garment, and turned up the lapel.

"May I be allowed to inquire where you left your coat?" asked Somers, who
was quite curious to know how Owen Raynes happened to be alive just at
that moment.

"Certainly you may; but first let me ask where you found it."

"Over by the picket-line beyond the hill," replied Somers.

"Just so. A young fellow in a Mississippi regiment, encamped next to
ours, borrowed it of me last night, when he was detailed for picket-duty.
The poor fellow had no coat, and picket-duty is rather steep at night
when a man has no clothes. He is a good fellow, in poor health; and I
lent him mine."

"The nights are cool, but the days are hot," added Somers. "He took it
off, and left it on the edge of the woods, where I found it. I didn't
know that it belonged to anybody. I found some papers and a diary in the
pocket----"

"Did I leave my papers in the pocket? Well, that was stupid," interrupted
Owen.

"I read the papers with a great deal of interest. Seeing frequent
allusions in them to Allan Garland, I took the liberty to appropriate the
name myself; for the owner of it seemed to be a very good fellow."

"Thank you!" said Allan; "but, as you seem to have no further use for it,
I see no objection to your giving your own name."

"On the contrary, there are some very strong objections, and I must
trouble you