enty-first night out since leaving the stockade, and we
were now 275 miles from Tyler, Texas, and fifty miles from Little
Rock--"so near and yet so far."

CHAPTER XX.

IN THE TOILS.

On reaching Arkadelphia we were taken to the provost marshal's office,
which was located in a two-room house in the centre of the town, and
there we found a lieutenant at the desk in one of the rooms, while
fourteen or fifteen men were gathered around an old-fashioned fireplace,
telling stories and spending a pleasant evening. Some of these men were
soldiers and some were not.

I shall never forget that little room in that old house. It was about
twelve feet by sixteen, the walls were bare, the ceiling was low and
smoke-stained, the floor was without covering, and the only furniture
was the old table which served as a desk for the lieutenant, a number of
more or less rickety chairs and the two huge old-fashioned andirons
which supported the blazing logs in the enormous, ancient fireplace.

Rocket took the lieutenant aside and told him our story, the evident
impression being that it was all right. He then left us.

They had a lot of cooking utensils, bedding, etc., in the second room,
and soldiers were passing in and out of the rooms at intervals.

As we stood awaiting the termination of the interview between Rocket and
the lieutenant, I thought I recognized several of the men in the room,
and I was certain as to two of them. It is needless to say that I
avoided observation as much as possible, without seeming to do so, and I
was not recognized.

As Rocket left, the lieutenant came up to us, and, evidently thinking it
necessary, as a matter of form, began asking questions.

I told the same story that I had told to Rocket, while Miller and Rummel
got into the crowd before the fireplace, adding that we were from
Northern Missouri in the first place, that my wife was the sister of my
two companions, that their name was Miller and mine Swiggett, and that
we had had to leave Missouri when it had gotten hot up there, coming to
"Arkansaw" and joining the 15th "Arkansaw."

While telling this story, which I did in response to questions asked, I
could hear comments on the side between the men sitting around, and
heard one say that Rockport was not in Hot Springs county, and then
another say that it was and that I was right.

These comments disturbed Miller so much that he could not keep quiet to
save his soul, and I nearly laughed