the appearance of the cards.

"They will be here pretty soon," replied Ben.

The foppish man looked at his watch, and declared they would come in the
course of five or ten minutes. He then took the cards out of the box, and,
after shuffling them, returned them to their place. Fred placed a
"quarter" on the table; the gambler put another by its side, and drew out
a card from the silver case. Tom did not understand the game; but his
companion put the quarters in his pocket.

"See that, Tom!" said he. "Got any money?"

"If I have I shall keep it."

"Put down a quarter, and make another."

"No, sir! I'm no gambler!" replied Tom, with emphasis.

"Quite respectable, I assure you," added the blackleg at the table.

"I'm going," said Tom, decidedly.

"Baby!" sneered Ben. "Afraid to play!"

"I _won't_ play! I'm going."

The negro opened the door, and he passed out. Contrary to his expectation,
he was followed by Fred and Ben.

"Baby is afraid of cards!" sneered Ben, as they passed through the long
entry.

"Afraid of cards, but not afraid of you," replied Tom, as he planted a
heavy blow between the eyes of his companion.

Ben Lethbridge returned the blow, and it cost him another, and there was a
prospect of quite a lively skirmish in the entry; but Fred Pemberton
interposed his good offices, and effected a compromise, which, like most
of the political compromises, was only the postponement of the conflict.

"I told you not to call me 'baby,' again," said Tom, as they passed out of
the building. "I will convince you before I am done that I'm not a baby."

Ben found it convenient to offer no reply to this plain statement of
facts, and the three soldiers made their way back to the camp, and, having
obtained their pails and filled them with water at the hydrants, they
passed the guard without a question.

CHAPTER XII.

ON TO RICHMOND.

It so happened that Ben Lethbridge, probably satisfied that it was not the
fist of a baby which had partially blackened both of his eyes, and
produced a heavy pain under his left ear, did not demand the satisfaction
which was needed to heal his wounded honor. The matter was duly discussed
in the tent of Tom's mess; but our soldier boy, while he professed to be
entirely satisfied, was willing to meet Ben at such time and place as he
desired, and finish up the affair.

The other party was magnanimous, and declared that he too was satisfied;
and old Hapgood thought they h