ght when we took leave of the
Rebel President, and, arm in arm with Judge Ould, made our way through
the silent, deserted streets to our elevated quarters in the Spotswood
Hotel at Richmond. As we climbed the long, rickety stairs which led to
our room in the fourth story, one of us said to our companion,--

"We can accomplish nothing more by remaining here. Suppose we shake the
sacred soil from our feet to-morrow?"

"Very well. At what hour will you start?" he replied.

"The earlier, the better. As near daybreak as may be,--to avoid the
sun."

"We can't be ready before ten o'clock. The mules are quartered six miles
out of town."

That sounded strange, for Jack, our ebony Jehu, had said to me only the
day before, "Dem _is_ mighty foine mules, Massa. I 'tends ter dem mules
myself; _we keeps 'em right round de corner_." Taken together, the
statements of the two officials had a bad look; but Mr. Davis had just
given me a message to his niece, and Mr. Benjamin had just intrusted
Colonel Jaquess with a letter--contraband, because three pages long--for
delivery within the limits of the "United States"; therefore the
discrepancy did not alarm me, for the latter facts seemed to assure our
safe deliverance from Dixie. Merely saying, "Very well,--ten o'clock,
then, let it be,--we'll be ready,"--we bade the Judge good-night at the
landing, and entered our apartment.

We found the guard, Mr. Javins, stretched at full length on his bed, and
snoring like the Seven Sleepers. Day and night, from the moment of our
first entrance into the Rebel dominions, that worthy, with a revolver in
his sleeve, our door-key in his pocket, and a Yankee in each one of his
eyes, had implicitly observed his instructions,--"Keep a constant watch
upon them"; but overtasked nature had at last got the better of his
vigilance, and he was slumbering at his post. Not caring to disturb him,
we bolted the door, slid the key under his pillow, and followed him to
the land of dreams.

It was a little after two o'clock, and the round, ruddy moon was looking
pleasantly in at my window, when a noise outside awoke me. Lifting the
sash, I listened. There was a sound of hurrying feet in the neighboring
street, and a prolonged cry of murder! It seemed the wild, strangled
shriek of a woman. Springing to the floor, I threw on my clothes, and
shook Javins.

"Wake up! Give me the key! They're murdering a woman in the street!" I
shouted, loud enough to be heard in the