The excitement being over, Hommat began to move very slowly again.

His feet and legs were so swollen that he could scarcely walk, and it took us a long while to pass over those eight miles.
At last we came in sight of our pickets.

They were negros.

They halted us, and Hommat went forward to speak to them.

They called for the Officer of the Guard, who came, passed us inside, and shook hands cordially with us.