True To His Colors

aristocratic place of about three thousand inhabitants. It was a square stone building, flanked wi

Sam and his slow-going mule to bring them their letters and papers. They threw the regulations to the winds, and openly defying courts-martial and every other form of punishment, climbed the fence in plain sight of the sentries and went to town in a body

ed, white, and blue rosettes were seen on every side, and strange banners were waving in the air; those who had no flag-staffs in their yards or on their houses hanging the colors out

n a glance around and noted these little things. "And wha

de its appearance for the first time on the 4th

ickening his pace. "We're going to hear great news this evening, and I am

d their caps to them, and Ed continued, pointing first to the red, white, and blue rosettes wi

ely? And what has become of all the

me when the Yankees shall come marching through he

om secession sympathizers who lived in the North. Fire and sword were just what Jefferson Davis intended to give the Stat

l grow in Northern cities where the pavements have been worn off by the tread of commerce. We will carry war wh

Davis, assuring him that, "If there is any fighting it will be within our own borders and in our o

If the Northern people fool with us we will keep them so busy on their own ground that they will never think of coming down here. But what's the use of talking about war! They'll

it when you get your paper. The president has been e

e apologized for the interruption

o we not? All the government property in the Confederacy has bee

that. Our school battalion, if the boys were

the girls. "You do not mean to say th

red that the academy was a hotbed of treason, and Cole and Bil

cat or a mind of his own," continued Billing

w," said one of the girls. "The colonel is friendly to it; but still, if you young gentleme

rom doing it; for he knew the girls would laugh at him. They might do even worse than that. They might tell him that he need not trouble himself to c

"He says it will be time enough to bother with the

se colors when your own gallant Louisiana ha

od soldier always obeys orders, you know. Wait unt

e shows such a want of spirit as to be willing to remain in the Union after all that has happened. The next time you come to see me, Mr. Cole," said the young lady sw

toward the Stars and Bars that waved from several buildings within

y's mail, and our patriotic citizens lost no ti

sort at the academy," said Cole. "So how are we

the girls. "We are at work upon one now, and will have it ready for you to-morrow at this hour, pr

e to a fellow, wasn't it? That meant a fight, sure; and the Union boys were not only as brave as boys ever get to be, but their fists were as hard as so many bricks. Cole knew that by experience. And

s full of them. The colonel does not often honor us girls with his visits, but the young gentlemen do sometimes, and we should li

onists, and of course they did not care to associate with those who stood up for the Yankees and for the flag they worshiped. The cousin whom he had always loved as a b

y relative of mine for on

ard aright. They looked at each other in silenc

cy Gray was such a cowar

onfederate Army and became a partisan ranger, never forgot the warm friendship he cherished for Mar

or a fellow to say that he is for the Union when he is so far away from the North that he can not, by any possible chance, be called

nswered Dick. "When you fellow

mean," exclaimed

urage vindicated, if there were any way in which it could be done. "What did he do? Did you

determined to say something to his cousin's injury if he could, and Dick Graham

tried their level bes

rs were much too numer

e were some middling hea

came in for a few that

oke, but it was easy to see that he

t you took in that fracas," sai

sn't gone out of the Union yet, and I don't intend to make a move until she does. See?

to the Union, why does he stay here, flinging his obnoxious doctrines in ou

interposed. "He stands up for them when he thinks it

or that," said

ontinue to admire him when I tell you that he hoped the Yankees would send

who talked that way. If that was his doctrine, he had bett

trying to reach," continued Rodney. "That was what I meant

id horseman and looks so handsome riding with his battery! And to think that he sympathizes with our oppressors! I can't realize it.

served Billings. "He doesn't haul in his shingle one inch, but blurts out his views

try it," Dick Graham remarked. "Mar

t with the government," said the girl. "One other thing our Congress did was to pass a law requiri

ate hasn't joined the Confederac

d me of the fact," was the reply; "but she will join it b

ised, he hastened to add: "I say it is good news, for when Marcy hears of it he will understand that he must quit his nonsense and come ou

. "Tell him to come and see us, and we will turn him from the er

sk us to come in

wn that flag and run the banner of the Confederacy up in

tance until he has made up his mind to ho

th him, and if we fail to win him ov

aps to the girls and once more turned toward the post-office. "They are sweet on Marcy,

ose girls have imposed upon him a task that is quite beyond his powers. Couldn't you get along without wagging your jaw so

orld did I say?" as

ls, almost as plainly as you could speak it, t

enders of the flag were too many and too strong for you fellows who tried to haul it down,

talks as he does," said Rodney spitefully. "I despi

, and waited for Rodney to finish the sentence. For a second or so it looked as tho

k to the academy and fight the Yankees and their sympathizers. That's what we've got to do tomorrow, if we run that new flag

pe to gain anything by showing so much hostility toward his cousin, who was popular both at the academy and in the town, and that the Taylor girls, from whom they had just parted, didn't think any the more of him for what he had said. Rodney saw that plainly, and it was another thing that made him angry; but he was careful not to let Billin

ake the hint and make themselves scarce about here, I will set somebody on their track. There are a good many traitors in and around Barrington, and I wonder that they h

evious to the beginning of the fight known in history as "Woodstock Races." Having formed his line of battle, Rosser sat on his horse watching the mov

, of whom the Yanks are so proud, and I intend to give h

ial of speed, rather than a battle, and that is the reason the engagement is called "Woodstock Races." The Confederates lost everything they had that was carried on wheels, and the Union