5th of April. We were then crossing some tilled lands, intersected by frequent narrow belts of woodland. Our course ran parallel to the mountain-road leading from Greenland to Petersburg. The former place was then nearly three miles behind us, and our guide felt certain that we had passed the outermost pickets. It was very important that wo should get housed before break of day; so we were on the point of breaking into the beaten track again, and had approached it within fifty yards, when suddenly, out of the dark hollow on our left, there came a hoarse shout:-"Stop! Who are you? Stop! or I'll fire !"

Now, I have heard a challenge or two in my time, and felt certain at once that even a Federal picket would have cmployed a more regular formula. The same idea struck Shipley too.

"Come on!" he said, "they're only citizens."

So on we went, disregarding a second and third summons in the same words. We both looked round for the Nevil, but keener eyes would have sought for him in vain. At the first sound of voices he had plunged into the dark woods above us, where a footman, knowing the country, might defy any pursuit. Peace and joy go with him! By remaining he would only have ruined himself, without profiting us One jot.

Then three revolver-shots were fired in rapid succession. To my question if he was hit, my guide answered cheerily in the negative. Neither of us guessed that one bullet had struck his mare high up in the neck; though the wound proved mortal the next day, it was scarcely perceptible, and bled altogether internally. One of those belts of woodland crossed our track about two hundred yards ahead. We crashed into this over a gap in the snake-fence; but the bar.

rier on the further side was high and intact. Shipley had dismounted, and had nearly made a breach by pulling down the rails, when the irregular challenge was repeated directly in our front, and we made out a group of three dark figures about thirty-five yards off.

"Give your names, and where you are going, or I'll fire!' "He's very fond of firing!" I said in an undertone to Shipley, and then spoke out aloud-(I saw at once the utter impossibility of escape, even if we could have found our way back, without quitting our horses, which I never dreamed of):

"If you'll come here, I'll tell you all about it."

I could not have advanced if I had wished it. In broad day, the fence would have been barely practicable. I spoke those exact words in a tone purposely measured and calm, so that they should not be mistaken by our assailants. I have good reason to remember them, for they were the last I ever uttered on American ground as a free agent. They had hardly passed my lips, when a rifle cracked. I felt a dull numbing blow inside my left knee, and a sensation as if hot sealing-wax was trickling there! At the same instant, Falcon dropped under me-without a start, or struggle, or sound, beside a horrible choking sob-shot right through the jugular vein !

Before I had struggled clear of my horse, Shipley's hand was on my shoulder, and his hurried whisper in my car:

"What shall we do? Will you surrender?"

Now, though I knew already that I had escaped with a flesh-wound from a spent bullet, I felt that I could not hope to make quick tracks that night. Certain reasons--wholly independent of personal convenience-made me loth to part with my saddlebags. Besides this, I own I shrank from the

useless ignominy of being hunted down like a wild beast on the mountains. So I answered, rather impatiently:

แ What the deuce would you have one do, with a dead horse and a lamed leg? Shift for yourself as well as you can."

Without another word, I walked toward the party in our front, with an impulse I cannot now define. It could scarcely have been seriously aggressive, for a hunting-knife was my solitary weapon. But, for one moment, I was idiot enough to regret my lost revolver. I was travelling as a neutral and civilian, with no other object than my private ends. The slaughter of an American citizen, on his own ground, would have been simply murder, both by moral and martial law, and I heard afterward that our Legation could not have interfered to prevent condign punishment. But reason is dumb sometimes, when the instincts of the "old Adam" are speaking. I suppose I am not more truculent than my fellows; but, since then, in all calmness and sincerity, I have thanked God for sparing me one strong temptation.

Before I had advanced ten paces, the same voice challenged again.

"Stop where you are! If you come a step nearer, I'll shoot !"

I was in no mood to listen to argument, much less to an absurd threat.

"You may shoot and be d-d!" I said. "You've got the shooting all your own way to-night-I carry no fire-arins;" and walked on.

Now, I record these words, conscious that they were thoroughly discreditable to the speaker, simply because I mentioned them in my examination before the judge-advocate (after he had insisted on the point of verbal accuracy)

and from his office emanated a paragraph, copied into all the Washington journals, stating that I had cursed my captors fluently. I affirm, on my honor, that this was the solitary imprecation that escaped me from first to last.

So I kept on advancing: they did not fire, and I don't suppose they would have done so, even if they had had time to reload. I soon got near enough to discern that, among the three men, there was not a trace of uniform; they were evidently farmers, and roughly dressed "at that." So I opened parley in no gentle terms, requiring their authority for what they had done, and promising that they should answer it, if there was such a thing as law in these parts.

"Well, if we ain't soldiers," the chief speaker said, "we're Home Guards, and that's the same thing here; we've as much authority as we want to back us out. Why didn't you stop, and tell us who you are, and where you're going?"

By this time I was cool enough to reflect and act with a purpose. For my own as well as for his sake, I was most anxious that Shipley should escape. I knew they would not find a scrap of compromising paper on me; but he was a perfect post-carrier of dangerous documents, and a marked man besides-altogether a suspicious companion for an inno cent traveller. So I began to discuss several points with my captors in a much calmer tone-demonstrating that from the irregularity of their challenge we could not suppose that it came from any regular picket-that there were many horsethieves and marauders about, so that it behooved travellers to be cautious-that it would have been impossible to have explained our names, object, and destination in a breath, even if they had given more time for such reply. Finally, making a virtue of necessity, I consented to accompany them to the regular outpost of Greenland, stipulating that I should have

a horse to carry me and my saddle-bags; for my knee was still bleeding, and stiffening fast.

All this debate took ten minutes at least, during which time my captors seemed to have forgotten my companion's existence, though they must have seen his figure cross the open ground when they first fired. Long before we got back to the horses, Shipley had "vamosed" into the mountain, carrying his light luggage with him; only some blank envelopes were lying about, evidently dropped in the hurry of removal.

I knelt down by Falcon's side, and lifted his head out of the dark-red pool in which it lay. Even in the dim light I could see the broad, bright eye glazing: the death-pang came very soon; he was too weak to struggle, but a quick, convul sive shiver ran through all the lower limbs, and, with a sickening hoarse gurgle in the throat, the last breath was drawn.

A MODEST WISH.

AT the battle of Kinston, the Junior Reserves (made up of lads under eighteen) were sent to force the crossing of Southwest creek, and drive the enemy away, to make good the passage of the other troops. This they did very handsomely, but encountering a severe fire, a portion of one regiment sought a safer place. As they were streaming to the rear they met the Alabama boys, and were greeted with shouts of laughter. A general officer, in no laughing mood at their behavior, took steps to stop the disorder, and, with his own hands, seized one of the fugitives.

General." What are you running for?'