t, whatever it may be."

"I agree with you. Good morning, Lieutenant Kenton. A mighty and
appalling sight."

"Truly it is, sir," said Harry, saluting the two officers.

"The Yankees will force the passage," said Colonel Talbot. "Our
artillery is not strong enough to reply to their covering cannonade.
We are glad to see you safe and whole, Harry. You'll find your friends
lying in that ravine just behind us."

It was a rather deep ravine, and when Harry looked over its edge,
St. Clair and Langdon greeted him gladly.

"Come down, Harry," said Langdon, "and be joyful. This gully is pretty
well dried out and you can rest. We've got a West Point fellow here and
he's humming one of his old songs to about the biggest chorus a song
ever had. Captain Swayne, Lieutenant Kenton, once of the Invincibles,
but now of General Jackson's personal staff. Swayne's from Tennessee,
Harry, and you two are well met. Swayne belongs to a regiment a few
yards beyond the gully. He was at the Seven Days and the Second
Manassas. We three thought we won those battles ourselves, but it seems
that Swayne was at both all the time, helping us. Take off your cap,
Harry, and thank the gentleman."

Swayne, a slender, fair man, not over twenty-three, smiled and extended
a hearty hand, which Harry received with equal heartiness. The smile
turned into a slight twinkle.

"I've been glad to meet your friends here, Mr. Kenton," he said, "but
the meeting has brought a disappointment with it."

"How's that?"

"Until we began talking I thought I had won the Seven Days and the
Second Manassas all by myself. Now, it seems that I have to share the
honors with you fellows."

"So you do," said Langdon, and then he sang:

"There comes a voice from Florida,
From Tampa's lonely shore,
It speaks of one we've lost,
O'Brien is no more.
In the land of sun and flowers,
His head lies pillowed low,
No more he'll drink the gin cocktail,
At Benjamin Haven's, Oh!
At Benny Haven's, Oh!
At Benny Haven's, Oh!"

"Do I get it right, Swayne? Remember that I heard you sing it only
three times."

"Fine! Fine!" said Swayne with enthusiasm. "You have it right, or as
near right as need be, and you're using it in a much better voice than I
can."

"I'm a great soldier, but my true place is on the operatic stage,"
said Langdon modestly.

"It's an old West Point song of ours, Kenton," sa