bunk. Yes, lieutenant, you must take it. I could put you ashore
to-night, but it's not worth while. Get a good night's sleep, and we'll
see to-morrow."

Dick knew that he was right, and, quelling his impatience, he lay down
in one of the bunks and slept until morning.

Then, after a solid breakfast, he went ashore with the good wishes of
Captain Hays, and, a few hours later, he was with the Union army and his
own regiment. Again he was welcomed as one dead and his own heart was
full of rejoicing because all of his friends were alive. Warner alone
had been wounded, a bullet cutting into his shoulder, but not hurting
him much. He wore a bandage, his face had a becoming pallor, and
Pennington charged that he was making the most of it.

"But it was an awful day," said Warner, "and there's a lot of gloom
in the camp. Still, we're not moving away and the reinforcements are
coming."

Dick explained to Colonel Winchester why he had failed in his mission,
and the colonel promised to report in turn to the commander that the
hand of God had intervened. Dick's conscience was now at rest, and he
resumed at once his duties with the regiment.

Many days passed. While Grant did not make any other attack upon
Vicksburg his circle of steel grew tighter, and the rain of shells and
bombs upon the devoted town never ceased. Reinforcements poured forward.
His army rose to nearly eighty thousand men, and Johnston, hovering
near, gathering together what men he could, did not dare to strike. Dick
was reminded more than once of Caesar's famous siege of Alesia, about
which he had read not so long ago in Dr. Russell's academy at Pendleton.

There were long, long days of intrenching, skirmishing and idleness. May
turned into June, and still the steel coil enclosed Vicksburg. Here the
Union men were hopeful, but the news from the East was bad. Not much
filtered through, and none of it struck a happy note. Lee, with
his invincible legions, was still sweeping northward. Doubtless the
Confederate hosts now trod the soil of a free State, and Dick and his
comrades feared in their very souls that Lee was marching to another
great victory.

"I wish I could hear from Harry Kenton," said Dick to Warner. "I'd like
to know whether he passed through Chancellorsville safely."

"Don't you worry about him," said Warner. "That rebel cousin of yours
has luck. He also has skill. Let x equal luck and y skill. Now x plus y
equals the combination of luck and s