aptain, adjusting himself to start.

"Captain," said one of the men, "my horse can't go any farther. He's
been in bad shape, and he fell and broke his knee coming up the hill."

"Well, here, take that citizen's horse. Old man, get off, and let this
man have that horse."

The Deacon started to protest, but the man was in a hurry, and almost
pulled him off, and slapped his own saddle on in a flash.

"But what am I do to?" asked the Deacon bewildered.

"Do? Do as you please," laughed the Captain. "You are as well off here
as anywhere. When a man's away from home one place's the same's another
to him. Here, I'll tell you what you can do. See that cow back there?
The boys have been trailing her along, in hopes to get her into
Chattanooga and make beef of her. We've got to leave her now, for we are
going on the jump. We'll make you a present of her and this broken-down
horse. That'll start you in business. A horse and a cow's a big start
for any man. Good-by. Attention, company! Forward, head of column
right--March!"

"Well, I've done all I could," said the Deacon, going back and picking
up the rope which was tied to the cow's horns. "The Lord knows I've
tried hard enough to git that hoss back. The cow looks as if she's a
good milker. A little milk'll do the boys good. Then, they kin have
fresh beef. Come along, Bos."

Late at night he tied the cow to the corn-crib and went to his weary
bed.

CHAPTER III. A COW IN CAMP

THE DEACON HAS SOME EXPERIENCES WITH THE QUADRUPED.

IT DID not seem that so many dangers beset the possession of a cow as
of a horse, yet the Deacon prudently rose while it was yet dark to look
after the animal.

He was none too soon, for there were getting to be thousands of very
hungry men in Chattanooga who remembered the axiom about the early bird
catching the worm, and thought the best time for "snatching" something
was in the dark just before reveille. If they could find nothing better,
and too often they did not, they would rob the mules of their scanty
rations of corn, and soon a mule's feed-box had to be as carefully
guarded as the commissary tent of the Headquarters mess.

These morning prowlers were as cunning as rats in finding their prey,
and the only security that a man had of keeping his rations till morning
was to eat them up before he went to bed. Their sharp eyes had not
failed to notice the signs of unusual plenty about the Deacon's
corn-crib, and they gave it earnest att