ntly polished, stood a pair of
buttoned gaiter boots, the heels decorated with small glistening brass
spurs. In the corner, close at hand, leaned a long curved sabre, its
gold sword-knot, its triple-guarded hilt, its steel scabbard and plated
bands and rings, as well as the swivels and buckle of the black
sword-belt, showing the perfection of finish in manufacture and care in
keeping. From a round leather box Ananias now extracted a new gold-wire
_fouragere_, which he softly wiped with a silk handkerchief, dandled
lovingly an instant the glistening tassels, coiled it carefully upon
the sash, then producing from the same box a long scarlet horsehair
plume he first brushed it into shimmering freedom from the faintest knot
or kink, then set it firmly through its socket into the front of a
gold-braided shako whose black front was decked with the embroidered
cross cannon of the regiment, surmounted by the arms of the United
States. This he noiselessly placed upon the edge of the mantel, stepped
back to complacently view his work, flicked off a possible speck of dust
on the sleeve of the coat, touched with a chamois-skin the gold crescent
of the nearest epaulette, then softly, noiselessly as before vanished
through the door-way, tiptoed to the adjoining window, and peeked in.
Mr. Doyle had thrown himself into Pierce's arm-chair, and was trying to
read the morning paper.

"Wunner what Mars'er Pierce will say when he gits back from breakfast,"
was Ananias's comment, as he sped softly down the stairs, a broad grin
on his black face, a grin that almost instantly gave place to
preternatural solemnity and respect as, turning sharply on the sidewalk
at the foot of the stairs, he came face to face with the battery
commander. Ananias would have passed with a low obeisance, but the
captain halted him short.

"Where's Mr. Waring, sir?"

"Dressin' fo' inspection, captain."

"He is? I just heard in the mess-room that he didn't propose
attending,--that he had an engagement to breakfast and was going in
town."

"Ye-as, suh, ye-as, suh, General Roosseau, suh, expected de lieutenant
in to breakfast, but de moment he hyuhd 'twas review he ohdered me to
git everything ready, suh. I's goin' for de bay colt now. Beg pahdon,
captain, de lieutenant says is de captain goin' to wear gauntlets or
gloves dis mawnin'? He wants to do just as de captain does, suh."

What a merciful interposition of divine Providence it is that the
African cannot b