nd the kitchen."

"Go over to my quarters and tell my man Robert to give you a big lump
of it. My house is yonder at the corner. Tell him Dr. Bayard sent you."

The soldier saluted, faced about, and moved away, a trifle wearily this
time.

"He looks very tired," said Miss Forrest.

"I believe he is," answered the doctor. "Hold on a moment there!" he
called. "Were you out with Mr. Blunt's command?"

"Yes, sir. All yesterday and last night. I had to sit up with the
lieutenant all night, sir, to bathe his wound."

"True, true. And of course you hadn't a wink of sleep. Go to your
barracks and get a nap. I'm going back to Mr. Blunt in five minutes,
and I'll send the ice over right afterward."

"I thank the doctor, but I'm not sleepy. I'll get rest enough
to-night," was the reply, and again the soldier saluted and turned
away.

"How faithful and devoted those rough-looking fellows can be to their
officers!" said Miss Forrest.

"Yes," answered the doctor, musingly, as he gazed after the retreating
form. "Yes, very. Some of them are models,--and yet, somewhere or other
I think I have seen that man before. Do you know his name?"

"No. I'll ask Celestine, if you wish to know. She ought to be up-stairs
with the children now. May I not run over and see Miss Bayard
presently."

"My Nellie? We shall be charmed. If you will only wait a moment until I
have seen Mr. Blunt, I shall be delighted to escort you. She is all
alone unless Mrs. Miller has returned to her, and the house is deserted
down-stairs. Mr. Holmes is out somewhere with the major."

But Miss Forrest did not wait. No sooner had the doctor finished his
brief visit to her sister-in-law than the young lady threw a light wrap
over her shoulders, and, just as the bugle was sounding first call for
retreat, she walked rapidly to the big house at the south-west corner,
noiselessly opened the door without the formality of ringing for
admission, and in the gathering darkness of the hall-way within, where
she had to grope a moment to find the banister-rail, she came face to
face with Mrs. Miller.

VII.

Cold and still the dawn is breaking. Faint, wan, and pallid is the
feeble gleam that comes peeping over the low hills far over at the
east. Bare and desolate look the barren slopes on every hand. Not a
tree, not a shrub of any kind can eye discover in this dim and ghostly
light. All is silence, too. Even the coyotes who have set up their
unearthly yelping at