he woman he had loved asleep
forever beneath the pines, the future could only be an unending, barren
stretch of gray.

Then, almost as quickly, recollection of his duty towards her whom he
carried in his arms came to him and he raged at himself for his moment
of selfish discouragement. Spurred on by the necessity of gaining a
point of safety for his child he began to calculate the distance yet to
be covered and their chances of gaining friendly lines before
encountering scouting parties of Federals. Behind him, a few miles south
on the other bank of the James at Light House Point Sheridan was in camp
with two brigades and Cary knew this fast riding, hard striking
cavalryman too well not to suspect that the country, even in front of
him, was alive with Union men. There was the pass which Morrison had
given him, of course, but the worth of a pass in war time often depends
more on him who receives it than on the signature.

But all those things, even food, would have to wait for a while because
he was consumed with thirst and must find water before he went another
mile forward.

A tired sigh from Virgie caught his ear and he stopped by a stone wall
and let her get down from his shoulder. The child stood up on the broad,
flat stones and then gave a little cry of pain. She raised one foot up
and nursed it against her dusty, brown leg, meanwhile clutching her doll
closer to her neck.

"It's all right, honey; be a brave little girl," her father said
consolingly. "There's a spring along here somewhere and we can look
after that poor little foot. Ah, there it is," he cried, as he caught
sight of a big rock behind a stone wall with a seepage of water under it
among some trees at one side. "Just sit still a minute--till I rest--and
then we'll have a look." He leaned back against the wall and closed his
eyes to shut out the dizziness with which exhaustion and hunger filled
his aching head.

The child watched him anxiously for a moment and then put a soft little
hand on his shoulder:

"Are you _so_ tired, Daddy-man?"

"Yes, dear," he answered with a faint smile as he opened his eyes. "I
had to catch my breath, but I'm really all right. Now then, we'll call
in the hospital corps."

Virgie slipped down and sat on the top of the wall with her foot in her
hand, rocking to and fro, but bravely saying nothing until her father's
eye caught the look of pain on her pinched face.

"Does it hurt you much, dear?" he asked.

"Yes,