Part 26 (1/2)

”There!” said the Colonel, as the girls kissed. ”That's better. Leave it to the men to settle the differences of the country. It is not pleasant to see girls quarrel. Introduce the little lady to me, Bob.”

”Jeanne, this is my father, Colonel Peyton,” said Bob. ”Dad, this is Jeanne Vance, from New York city. And she is a brave girl, if she is a Yankee. You must get her to tell you all about her adventures.”

”I am sure that I shall be pleased to hear them,” said the Colonel, affecting not to notice Jeanne's start of surprise as she heard his name.

”Do you girls know that it is breakfast time?”

”Mercy!” cried Bob. ”Have the drums beaten the call? I did not hear them.

Did you ever! We've been two hours talking and--quarreling,” she added, in a lower tone.

”Yes; there was a time when I thought that it would be coffee and pistols for two,” laughed the father. ”Come, let us have breakfast. I will hear the little lady's story while we eat.”

Jeanne looked about her with curious eyes as they emerged from the tent.

Everywhere there were tents that were arranged with military precision back of a parade-ground which formed the front. First were the tents of the men arranged by companies. Next after the tents of the men came those of the commissioned officers of the companies. These faced on streets which ran at right angles with the company streets. Still back of these were the tents of the Colonel and his staff. The flag-staff at the edge of the parade-ground, and immediately in front of the Colonel's tent, sported a Confederate flag that waved gaily in the breeze. In the rear of all were found the Quartermaster's and Sutler's departments. d.i.c.k had often written about the soldiers doing their own cooking but here the camp seemed filled with negroes who bustled about cooking and waiting upon the soldiers as if they had been in their own dining-rooms.

”We are here awaiting orders,” said the Colonel, when Jeanne had told him her story, ”but we expect to leave soon for Jackson. There are a number of Federals in that vicinity. It seems to me that your best plan would be to remain with us until we reach Jackson where I will try to get you to your own side. They will a.s.sist you to get home. That is where you ought to be.”

”And where I wish to be,” said Jeanne. ”You are very kind, Colonel Peyton.

Kinder than my own people were, and yet you know that I am a Yankee.”

”I am treating you as I would wish my own daughter treated under like circ.u.mstances,” replied the Colonel gravely. ”I don't war on girls, and it seems to me that you have had rather a hard time of it. Well, we'll get you out of it as soon as possible unless you and Bob destroy each other in your quarrels.” And he looked at them with a humorous twinkle in his eye.

”We won't quarrel any more,” decided Bob. ”We have had our say and we feel better. Don't we, Jeanne?”

”Ye-es,” said Jeanne hesitatingly. ”Only I didn't say all I wanted to.”

”Never mind,” laughed Colonel Peyton. ”I've no doubt but that you will have the opportunity yet. Did Bob tell you how she came to be with me?”

”No; how was it?”

”I ran away,” said Bob, her mouth full of chicken. ”I have no mother.

n.o.body but dad. So when the war broke out, and he went into it I made up my mind that I would go too. Dad sold off our darkies and sent me to stay with Aunt Betty in Mobile. I stood it just as long as I could, then I took Jack, my horse, and struck out for dad. I found him finally, and now I've been with him for six months. And I am going to stay too. Am I not, dad?”

”Until we get to Jackson,” answered her father, regarding her fondly.

”Then I shall send you on to Vicksburg to stay with sister Sally. That is the safest place in the Confederacy. Once there my mind will be easy about you. A camp is no place for a girl.”

The breakfast was finished and Colonel Peyton was about to leave them when he turned to Bob abruptly.

”By the way,” he said, ”wasn't it Mr. Vance who bought s...o...b..ll?”

”Yes; it was, dad. I wonder how Madame treats her! It seems to me that I've heard some awful stories about the way she uses her darkies.”

”When she whips them she does whip dreadfully,” said Jeanne. ”But I only know of once that she had s...o...b..ll whipped. And you are the Colonel Peyton who bought her?” Then she told them of Tenny, s...o...b..ll's mother.

”That was why you started when you heard my name, was it not?” asked the Colonel.

”Yes, sir.”