an to tremble. His voice lowered to a whisper and he began to totter
forward.

"Mars' Cary!" he said, as if he were looking on one risen from the dead.
He came a little nearer, with his hand stretched out as if to touch him
testingly--then suddenly dropped down on his knees before Gary who had
risen from his chair. "Bless Gawd, I done fin' you," he sobbed, his face
buried in his toaster's coat. "I done fin' you at last."

The General frowned.

"Forbes," he ordered. "Put a stop to that. Bring him back!"

But Uncle Billy paid not a bit of attention as the Adjutant sprang up.
All his thought was for his master and his own explanation.

"Dey wouldn' lemme git thru, seh!" he cried, pleading absolution from
what had seemed an inexcusable breach of trust. "Dey wouldn' gimme no
pass an' I'se des been stuck! Aw, Gawd, Mars' Cary--an' I axed 'em ev'y
day!"

"There now, Billy--don't," Cary said with a gesture of pity and unending
gratitude.

Uncle Billy rose slowly to his feet.

"Yas, seh. Yas, seh," he answered obediently. "'Skuse me, Mars' Gen'l. I
couldn' he'p it, seh. I--I couldn' he'p it. Dey wouldn' eben lemme see
him in de guard house--"

"That will do," interrupted the General firmly. "Listen to me. When did
you see Mr. Morrison--last?"

"Him?" said Uncle Billy, looking around at the Union officer.
"'Twas--'twas in de spring, seh. Yas, seh. De time de Yankees bu'nt us
out."

"How's that?" asked the General, not understanding.

Lieutenant Harris came forward a step.

"The act of incendiarism I spoke of, General--on the part of Sergeant
Dudley."

The General looked up and nodded.

"I see," he said, and Harris, knowing that due weight would be given the
fact let go a faint sigh of relief and stepped back.

The cigar came out of the General's mouth. "Tell me about it," he said
to Uncle Billy.

The old negro drew himself up and shifted his weight onto his other
foot.

"Well, seh, 'twas dis way. One mornin' de blue-bellies--'skuse me, seh,
de cav'lry gent'men. One mornin' de cav'lry gent'men come ridin' up,
lookin' fer horses an' fodder an'--an' Mars' Cary--an' anything else
what was layin' roun'. Yas, seh. An' des' befo' dis here gent'man come,"
with a bow at Morrison, "a low-lived white man took'n grab me by de
th'oat--an' choke me, seh. Den he 'sult Miss Hallie--"

"Miss Hallie?" queried the General.

"My mis'tiss, seh," answered Uncle Billy. "My mis'tiss, seh," he said
again and his hand went up t