waited patiently until the pyrotechnic rain ceased, then answered,
speaking alternately, each a sentence, as if with one mind, but with two
organs.

"Captain, you hear. Last night vas de house afire. You say, 'Pring
vasser.' We pring a little. Den you say to us, 'Tarn you! why in hell
you shtop?' And you say, 'Von I tell you pring vasser, pring till I say
shtop.' Vun time more to-day you say, 'Pring vasser,' and you never say
shtop. You say, 'Trow on.' We trow on. Vat you say we do. You not say
vat you mean, dat is mishtake for you."

It is not to be supposed that Lysander listened meekly to the end of
this speech. He had caught the sound of voices without that interested
him more; and, looking, he saw Mrs. Stackridge returning, with her
children.

The Pepperill young-one had faithfully done her errand; and the farmer's
wife, believing something important was meant by it, had hastened to
accept the singular and urgent invitation. But, arrived at the poor
man's shanty, she was astonished to find Mrs. Pepperill astonished to
see her. They talked the matter over, questioned the child, and finally
concluded that Daniel had said something quite different, which the
child had misunderstood.

"Well," said Mrs. Stackridge, after sitting a-while, "I reckon I may as
well be going back, for I've left only old Aunt Deb to home, and she's
scar't to death to be left alone these times; thinks the secesh
soldiers'll kill her. But I tell her not to be afeared of 'em. I ain't!"

So this woman, little knowing how much real cause she had to be afraid,
returned home with her family. When near the house she met Gaff and
Jake, negroes belonging to the farm, who had been in the field at work,
running towards her, in great terror, declaring that they heard somebody
killing Aunt Deb.

"Nonsense!" said she; and in spite of their assurances and entreaties,
she marched straight towards the door through which the captain saw her
coming.

"Clear out!" said Lysander to the soldiers. "Go to your quarters. I'll
have your case attended to!" This was spoken very threateningly. Then,
as soon as they were out of hearing, he said to Mrs. Stackridge, "I'm
sorry to say a couple of my men have been plundering your house. Them
Dutchmen you just saw go out. Worse, than that, my mother was going by,
and she came in to save your stuff, and they, it seems, took her for
you, and beat her. You see, they have beat her most to death," said
Lysander.

"Lordy