eft his room, except
upon my errands; and I was a prisoner all day, often all night, by the
bedside of the Rebel. The fever burned itself rapidly away, for there
seemed little vitality to feed it in the feeble frame of this old young
man, whose life had been none of the most righteous, judging from the
revelations made by his unconscious lips; since more than once Robert
authoritatively silenced him, when my gentler hushings were of no avail,
and blasphemous wanderings or ribald camp-songs made my cheeks burn and
Robert's face assume an aspect of disgust. The captain was a gentleman
in the world's eye, but the contraband was the gentleman in mine;--I was
a fanatic, and that accounts for such depravity of taste, I hope. I
never asked Robert of himself, feeling that somewhere there was a spot
still too sore to bear the lightest touch; but, from his language,
manner, and intelligence, I inferred that his color had procured for him
the few advantages within the reach of a quick-witted, kindly treated
slave. Silent, grave, and thoughtful, but most serviceable, was my
contraband; glad of the books I brought him, faithful in the performance
of the duties I assigned to him, grateful for the friendliness I could
not but feel and show toward him. Often I longed to ask what purpose was
so visibly altering his aspect with such daily deepening gloom. But I
never dared, and no one else had either time or desire to pry into the
past of this specimen of one branch of the chivalrous "F.F.Vs."

On the seventh night, Dr. Franck suggested that it would be well for
some one, besides the general watchman of the ward, to be with the
captain, as it might be his last. Although the greater part of the two
preceding nights had been spent there, of course I offered to
remain,--for there is a strange fascination in these scenes, which
renders one careless of fatigue and unconscious of fear until the crisis
is passed.

"Give him water as long as he can drink, and if he drops into a natural
sleep, it may save him. I'll look in at midnight, when some change will
probably take place. Nothing but sleep or a miracle will keep him now.
Good night."

Away went the Doctor; and, devouring a whole mouthful of gapes, I
lowered the lamp, wet the captain's head, and sat down on a hard stool
to begin my watch. The captain lay with his hot, haggard face turned
toward me, filling the air with his poisonous breath, and feebly
muttering, with lips and tongue so pa