before he was taken
prisoner, I guess," said the third boy, closing his knife. He drew out
of his pocket an envelope with the picture of an American flag on it.

"Go on and read it to us," said the oldest boy, wriggling himself up
closer. And Hosmer Curtis began--following the words with his thumb:

"CRUMMS'S LANDING.

"DEAR BROTHER,--I wish I was to home to-night, with you all
sitting in the kitchen, and mother reading to us the way she used
to, rather than being here. I am writing this by moonlight mostly,
as it is getting late. We have had a big fight all day, but drove
the Rebs back across a crick into a swamp, where we captured a lot
of them stuck in the mud. I am dreadful sorry to say that Tom
Ditchard was killed. Poor Tom! I suppose the home papers will tell
all about it; he was shot fording the crick. I have his watch; he
gave it to me to bring back home. I hope I shall do so. To-morrow
we will move westward to head off Morgan, I guess; I hope we won't
march far, for my boots are all worn out, and my feet are sore.
But I am well; love to all, and kiss mother. I wrote her two days
ago.

"Your affec brother,
ALFRED.

"P.S.--The Fourth of July will soon be here. I suppose you will
have no fireworks, though perhaps we shall. Good-by."

"I don't know as I'd like to be a soldier," said the boy with the
gunpowder bottle--he was also the proud possessor of the long rifle.
"'Tisn't so much fun, I guess. Think so, Skinny?"

"You're a 'fraid-cat," returned the boy with the belt. "That's what you
are, Will Tevis."

The other flushed, but said nothing; he was by far the smallest of the
three.

"How do you know Alfred was captured?" said the thin one, after a
silence of a minute.

"He was on the missing list--that's all we know," said Hosmer, putting
the letter back into his pocket.

"It will be the Fourth in two days, now," remarked Skinny, as if to
change the subject. "But I hain't heard any talk about any celebration."

"Let's have one all to ourselves," suggested Hosmer.

"What with?" asked the smallest boy. "I guess this is all the gunpowder
there is in town." He held up the bottle. "'Tain't more'n three charges,
anyhow," he added.

"I know where there's all the powder you want to look at," said the thin
warrior, who jumped suddenly down from the fence. "Oh! and I say, you
know the two old iron cannon--if we could only ge