e regarded Talbot's look of wonder and admiration
with a secret pleasure. What would Talbot say, he thought, if he were to
tell him that this was the girl for whom he had searched Miss Grayson's
house?

"Prescott," said Talbot, "a bruised head has put you here and a
scratched arm keeps me in the same fix, but this is almost our old crowd
and Richmond again--Miss Harley and her brother, Mrs. Markham, you and
myself. We ought to meet Winthrop, Raymond and General Wood."

"We may," added Prescott, "as they are all somewhere with the army;
Raymond is probably printing an issue of his paper in the rear of it--he
certainly has news--and as General Wood is usually everywhere we are not
likely to miss him."

"I think it just as probable that we shall meet a troop of Yankee
cavalry," said Talbot. "I don't know what they would want with a convoy
of wounded Confederates, but I'm detailed to take you to safety and I'd
like to do it."

He paused and looked at Lucia. Something in her manner gave him a
passing idea that she was not of his people.

"Still there is not much danger of that," he continued. "The Yankees are
poor horsemen--not to be compared with ours, are they, Miss Catherwood?"

She met his gaze directly and smiled.

"I think the Yankee cavalry is very good," she said. "You may call me a
Yankee, too, Captain Talbot. I am not traveling in disguise."

Talbot stroked his mustache, of which he was proud, and laughed.

"I thought so," he said; "and I can't say I'm sorry. I suppose I ought
to hate all the Yankees, but really it will add to the spice of life to
have with us a Yankee lady who is not afraid to speak her mind. Besides,
if things go badly with us we can relieve our minds by attacking you."

Talbot was philosophical as well as amiable, and Prescott saw at once
that he and Lucia would be good friends, which was a comfort, as it was
in the power of the commander of the convoy to have made her life
unpleasant.

Talbot stayed only a minute or two, then rode on to the head of the
column, and when he was gone Lucia said:

"Captain Prescott, you must go back to your wagon; it is not wise for
you to stay on your feet so long--at least, not yet."

He obeyed her reluctantly, and in a few moments the convoy moved on
through the deep woods to the note of an occasional and distant cannon
shot and a faint hum as of great armies moving. An hour later they heard
a swift gallop and the figure of Wood at the head of a h