at his fellow-conspirator. Then he
drawled out, 'I done it.'

"'You didn't,' came back the instant retort from his young master, 'I
did it myself.'

"'I done it,' repeated Ben, and 'You didn't,' reiterated his young
master.

"The father sat and looked on at the dispute, and his mouth twitched
suspiciously, but he spoke up sternly. 'Well, if I can't get the truth
out of you this way, I'll try some other plan. Mandy,' he hailed a
servant, 'put these boys on a diet of bread and water until they are
ready to answer my questions truthfully.'

"The culprits were led away to their punishment. Of course it would have
just been meat to Mandy to have stolen something to the youngsters, but
her master kept such a close eye upon her that she couldn't, and when
brought back at the end of three hours, their fare had left the
prisoners rather hungry. But they had evidently disputed the matter
between themselves, and from the cloud on their faces when they
reappeared before their stern judge, it was still unsettled.

"To the repetition of the question, Vaughan answered again, 'I did it,'
and then his father tried Ben again.

"After several efforts, and an imploring glance at his boy master, the
little black stammered out:

"'Well, I reckon--I reckon, Mas,' me an' Mas' Vaughan, we done it in
cahoots.'

"Old Fairfax Fairfax had a keen sense of humour, and as he looked down
on the strangely old young darky and took in his answer, the
circumstance became too much for his gravity, and his relaxing laugh
sent the culprits rolling and tumbling in the sand in an ectasy of
relief from the strained situation.

"'Cahoots--I reckon it was "Cahoots,"' the judge said. 'You ought to be
named that, you little black rascal!' Well, the story got around, and so
it was, and from that day forth the black boy was 'Cahoots.' Cahoots,
whether on the plantation, at home, in the halls of the Northern
College, where he accompanied his young master, or in the tragic moments
of the great war-drama played out on the field of Malvern.

"As they were in childhood, so, inseparable through youth and young
manhood, Robert Fairfax and Cahoots grew up. They were together in
everything, and when the call came that summoned the young Virginian
from his college to fight for the banner of his State, Cahoots was the
one who changed from the ease of a gentleman's valet to the hardship of
a soldier's body-servant.

"The last words Fairfax Fairfax said as his son