on you that you look as if you'd been passin'
through a river."

"Correct. That's exactly what happened."

"But there's none on your horse."

"He didn't pass with me. I'm willing to answer any reasonable number of
questions, but, as I told you before, I ride on an important service.
I must have breakfast at once, and I'll pay."

"Whose service? Ours or Reb's?"

"A military messenger can't answer the chance questions of those by the
roadside. I tell you I want breakfast at once."

"Fine horse you ride, stranger. How long have you had him?"

"All this year."

"Funny. When I saw him last week he belonged to Jim Kendall down by the
Potomac, an' livin' on this very road, too."

"It isn't half as funny as you think. Hands up! Now call to your wife
as loud as you can to bring me coffee and food at the gate! I know
they're ready in the kitchen. I can smell 'em here. Out with it,
call as fast as and as loud as you can, or off goes the top of your head!"

Although a horse pistol held in a firm hand was thrust under his nose,
the man's blue eyes glared hate and defiance, and his mouth did not open.
Harry, in his excitement and anger, forgot that the charge in his weapon
was ruined and hence it was no acting with him when his own eyes blazed
down at the other and he fairly shouted:

"I give you until I can count ten to call your wife! One! two! three!
four! five! six! seven! eight! nine!--"

"Sophy! Sophy!" cried the farmer, who saw death flaming in the eyes that
looked into his, "Come! Come a-runnin'!"

A good looking young woman threw open a door and ran, frightened, toward
the gate, where she saw her husband under the pistol muzzle of a wild and
savage looking man on horseback.

"Sophy," said the farmer, "bring this infernal rebel a cup of coffee and
a plate of bread and meat. If it weren't for his pistol I'd drag him off
his horse and carry him to General Meade, but he's got the drop on me!"

"And Sophy," said Harry, who was growing cooler, "you make it a big tin
cup of coffee and you see that the plate is piled high with meat and
bread. Now don't you make one mistake. Don't you come back with any
weapon in your hand in place of food, and don't you fire on me from the
house with the family rifle. You're young and you're good looking, and,
doubtless the widow of our friend here with the upraised hands, wouldn't
have to wait long for another husband just as good as he is."

The woman paled a