reckoned they could keep us, and invited us in. The family consisted of
the planter--Major Carter--his wife, and one daughter, and a lady teacher,
who seemed to be of Northern birth. After supper the conversation
naturally turned on the war, and we discussed the situation freely, and
finding that he was a rank reb, we were, of course, in favor of a vigorous
prosecution of the war as long as there was a soldier left to fight or a
dollar in the treasury. We got on swimmingly for a time. Major Carter was
a man of intelligence, and was thoroughly posted on the situation, as well
as the position of the two armies. In fact, I began to fear that he was
too well posted to make it safe for me to attempt to tell too much of
where I had served, and it soon became convenient for my inflamed legs to
pain me so much that his good wife had one of the colored servants bring
me some warm water out on the stoop to bathe them in.

This brought the conversation, which was getting a little too deep for me,
to a close; and I asked to be shown to my room, after offering him a
ten-dollar bill to take out for our supper and lodging. I told him we
should probably wish to start before he was up and so preferred to pay
that night. The fact was, I did not wish to meet him the next morning,
after he had taken time to think over the matter, for I was quite sure his
suspicions had been partially aroused. He would have taken two dollars,
but could not change the ten, and I told him I would call on my way back
and pay him.

CHAPTER XVII.

AT MAJOR CARTERS--MY SWOLLEN LIMBS GIVE ME AN EXCUSE TO CUT OFF THE
CONVERSATION--REV. MR. BURCH GIVES US A HEARTY WELCOME AND A GOOD
BREAKFAST--PASSING A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER--RECAPTURED--ECCENTRIC BUT LOYAL
TOM HUBBARD--TAKEN BACK TO FORT EMORY.

Having partaken of a good hearty supper, we were given a room, and, for
the first time in many months, I enjoyed the luxury of a good feather bed.
Oh, how gratefully my poor tired limbs revelled in its downy recesses. It
seemed almost too bad, to soil those snowy sheets with our dusty and
travel stained clothing. Weary and tired as we were however, we soon
forgot all our troubles, and were revelling in sweet dreams of home and
loved ones.

We were awake bright and early next morning, and hastily dressing, we
quietly left the house before any of the other inmates were awake.

This was Monday, the eighteenth day of our tramp, and we had passed
through South Caroli