aid the woman. "They couldn't come very fast; had to
kind o' beat the bushes every hundred yards or so. If they'd of been
more of 'em they'd a-come faster, 'cause they'd a-left one or two behind
at each turn-out, and come along with the rest. There; now that there
hat, there, on the table." As Mary took the hat the speaker stepped to a
window and peeped into the early day. A suppressed exclamation escaped
her. "O you poor boy!" she murmured. Mary sprang toward her, but the
stronger woman hurried her away from the spot.

"Come; take up the little one 'thout wakin' her. Three more of 'em's
a-passin'. The little young feller in the middle reelin' and swayin' in
his saddle, and t'others givin' him water from his canteen."

"Wounded?" asked Mary, with a terrified look, bringing the sleeping
child.

"Yes, the last wound he'll ever git, I reckon. Jess take the baby, so.
Sam's already took her cloze. He's waitin' out in the woods here behind
the house. He's got the critters down in the hollow. Now, here! This
here bundle's a ridin'-skirt. It's not mournin', but you mustn't mind.
It's mighty green and cottony-lookin', but--anyhow, you jess put it on
when you git into the woods. Now it's good sun-up outside. The way you
must do--you jess keep on the lef' side o' me, close, so as when I jess
santer out e-easy todes the back gate you'll be hid from all the other
houses. Then when we git to the back gate I'll kind o' stand like I was
lookin' into the pig-pen, and you jess slide away on a line with me into
the woods, and there'll be Sam. No, no; take your hat off and sort o'
hide it. Now; you ready?"

Mary threw her arms around the woman's neck and kissed her passionately.

"Oh, don't stop for that!" said the woman, smiling with an awkward
diffidence. "Come!"

* * *

"What is the day of the month?" asked Mary of the spy.

They had been riding briskly along a mere cattle-path in the woods for
half an hour, and had just struck into an old, unused road that promised
to lead them presently into and through some fields of cotton. Alice,
slumbering heavily, had been, little by little, dressed, and was now in
the man's arms. As Mary spoke they slackened pace to a quiet trot, and
crossed a broad highway nearly at right angles.

"That would 'a' been our road with the buggy," said the man, "if we
could of took things easy." They were riding almost straight away from
the sun. His dress had been changed again, and i