He always hands me my haversack when I mount with a grin, and I quite understand that it is better I should ask no questions as to its contents." "You are a lucky fellow," Stuart said.

"My own servant is a good man, and would do anything for me; but my irregular hours are too much for him.

He never knows when to expect me; and as he often finds that when I do return I have made a meal an hour before at one of the outposts, and do not want the food he has for hours been carefully keeping hot for me, it drives him almost to despair, and I have sometimes been obliged to eat rather than disappoint him.

But he certainly has not a genius for cooking, and were it not that this riding gives one the appetite of a hunter, I should often have a good deal of difficulty in devouring the meal he puts into my haversack." But the enemy were now really advancing, and on the 12th of June a trooper rode in from the extreme left, and handed Vincent a dispatch from Colonel Stuart.
"My orders were," he said, "that, if you were here, you were to carry this on at all speed to General Johnston.

If not, someone else was to take it on." "Any news ?" Vincent asked, as, aided by Dan, he rapidly saddled Wildfire.
"Yes," the soldier said; "2000 of the enemy have advanced up the western side, and have occupied Romney, and they say all Patterson's force is on the move." "So much the better," Vincent replied, as he jumped into the saddle.