oy," whispered Harry, "I'd give you food if I could,
but since I can't give you food I've got to give you more work."

He put on the bridle, leaped into the saddle, which had been left on the
horse's back, and rode away on his mission. The password that night
was "Manassas," and Harry exchanged it with the pickets who curved in a
great circle through the lone, cold forest. They were always glad to see
him. They were alone, save when two of them met at the common end of a
beat, and these youths of the South were friendly, liking to talk and to
hear the news of others.

Toward the Northern segment of the circle he came to a young giant
from the hills who was walking back and forth with the utmost vigor
and shaking himself as if he would throw off the cold. His brown face
brightened with pleasure when he saw Harry and exchanged the password.

"Two or three other officers have been by here ridin' hosses," he said
in the voice of an equal speaking to his equal, "an' they don't fill
me plum' full o' envy a-tall, a-tall. I guess a feller tonight kin keep
warmer walkin' on the ground than ridin' on a hoss. What might your name
be, Mr. Officer?"

"Kenton. I'm a lieutenant, at present on the staff of General Jackson.
What is yours?"

"Seth Moore, an' I'm always a private, but at present doin' sentinel
duty, but wishin' I was at home in our double log house 'tween the
blankets."

"Have you noticed anything, Seth?" asked Harry, not at all offended by
the nature of his reply.

"I've seen some snow, an' now an' then the cold top of a mountain,
an'--"

"An' what, Seth?"

"Do you see that grove straight toward the north four or five hundred
yards away?"

"Yes, but I can make nothing of it but a black blur. It's too far away
to tell the trunks of the trees apart."

"It's too fur fur me, too, an' my eyes are good, but ten or fifteen
minutes ago, leftenant, I thought I saw a shadder at the edge of the
grove. It 'peared to me that the shadder was like that of a horse with
a man on it. After a while it went back among the trees an' o' course I
lost it thar."

"You feel quite sure you saw the shadow, Seth?"

"Yes, leftenant. I'm shore I ain't mistook. I've hunted 'coons an'
'possums at night too much to be mistook about shadders. I reckon, if I
may say so, shadders is my specialty, me bein' somethin' o' a night owl.
As shore as I'm standin' here, leftenant, and as shore as you're settin'
there on your hoss, a mounted man co