he head of his men
while leading one of Pickett's regiments in the famous charge at
Gettysburg. Three of her brothers also had been killed on the field of
battle, and another had died in prison.

From her own mother Mrs. Paine had learned of the horrors of war. Before
the war her father had been a wealthy man. After the war her mother was
almost in poverty. While too young then to remember these things herself,
Mrs. Paine knew what havoc had been wrought in the land of her birth by
the invasion of armed men, and it is not to be wondered at that, in view
of the events narrated, she should view the coming struggle with anguish,
despite the fact that her own country was not involved and that there was
no reason why her loved ones should be called upon to take up arms.

Chester's father was a prominent and wealthy lumberman, and Chester,
although nearly a year younger than Hal, had graduated in the same class
with his comrade. The two families lived next door to each other, and the
lads had always been the closest of chums.

For the last three years the boys had spent each summer vacation in one
of the lumber camps owned by Chester's father, in the great Northwest.
Always athletically inclined, the time thus spent among the rough
lumbermen had given the boys new prowess. Day after day they spent in the
woods, hunting big game, and both had become proficient in the use of
firearms; while to their boxing skill--learned under a veteran of the
prize-ring, who was employed by Chester's father in the town in which
they lived--they added that dexterity which comes only with hard
experience. Daily fencing lessons had made both proficient in the use of
sword and saber.

Among these woodsmen, composed of laborers from many nations, they had
also picked up a smattering of many European languages, which proved of
great help to them on their trip abroad.

Standing firmly upon their rights from first to last, the two lads never
allowed anyone to impose upon them, although they were neither naturally
pugnacious nor aggressive. However, there had been more than one
lumberjack who had found to his discomfort that he could not infringe
upon their good nature, which was at all times apparent.

Both boys were large and sturdy, and the months spent in the lumber camps
had given hardness to their muscles. Their ever-readiness for a
rough-and-tumble, the fact that neither had ever been known to dodge
trouble--although neither had ever sough