welcome at the outpost camp that a king's courier had a
right to expect.

The captain in command was not the one who had passed me out. He was a
surly brute of the Yorkshire breed; and when he had heard that I was an
express rider from Major Ferguson, he was pleased to demand my papers.

To this I must needs make answer that I carried no written despatches;
that my news was for the commander-in-chief's private ear. This I told
my Yorkshire pig, demanding to be sent, under guard if he chose, to the
headquarters in Charlotte.

But Captain Nobbut would hear to no such reasonable proposal. On the
contrary, he would hold me in arrest till he could report me and have
instructions from his colonel.

Knowing what a stake it was I rode for, you may imagine how this day in
durance ate into me like a canker. With ordinary diligence the trooper
who carried the news of me should have gone to Charlotte by way of
Queensborough and returned by noon. But being of the same surly breed
with his captain, 'twas full three of the clock before he came ambling
back with an order to set me forthwith upon the road to headquarters.

Once free of the camp of detention you may be sure I put Blackstar to
his best paces; but hasten as I would it was coming on to evening when I
passed the inner safety line and galloped down the high street of the
town.

As luck would have it, the first familiar face I saw was that of Charles
Stedman, the commissary-general. On my inquiry he directed me straight.

"My Lord is at supper at Mr. Stair's. Have you news, Captain?"

I drew breath of relief. Happily the loss of the day had not made me the
bearer of stale tidings. So I made answer with proper reticence, saying
that I had news, but it was for Lord Cornwallis's ear first of all. None
the less, if the commissary-general were pleased to come with me--

He took the hint at once; and he it was who procured me instant
admittance to the house, and who took on himself the responsibility of
breaking in upon the party in the supper-room.

I shall not soon forget the scene that fronted us when we came into my
Lord's presence. The supper was in some sort a gala feast held in honor
of my Lord's accession to his earldom. The table, lighted by great
silver candelabra which I recognized as Ireton heirlooms, was well
filled around by the members of the commander-in-chief's military
family, with the earl at the head, and Mistress Margery, bedight as
befitted a lady of