Two Little Confederates

er ladies of the country, was so devoted to the cause that she gave to the soldiers until there was nothing left. After

m the cane was the only sweetening. The boys, however, never liked anything sweetened with molasses, so they gave up everything that had molasses in it. Sassafras tea was tried as a substitute for tea, and a drink made out of parched corn and wheat, of burnt

who came to see the boys' cousins. The boys used to ride the horses to an

ridge the first year of the war. It did not seem to the boys that Cousin Belle liked him, for she took much longe

re jealous of several young officers who came from time to time, they felt sorry for the colonel,-their cousin was so mean to him. They were on the best terms with him, and had announced their intention of going into

permit them to come on visits, and things

uirrel Bridge." The Yankees, he said, were coming. It was a raid. He had ridden ahead of them, and had left them about Greenbay depot, which they had set on fire. He was in too great a hurry to stop and get something to e

eir mother exhibit so much emotion as she

troubled, and they ran up the steps and stood by her. Balla came to the

know that if you wish

ith an air of reproach; but s

maids who were standing about the yard listening to her. "I want you all to know it-ev

ght yonder;" and he turned and pointed up to the dark clumps of trees that marked the graveyard on the hill, a half mile awa

wid no Yankees or nothin'," s

s and horns," laughed one

the door behind her. The boys thought she was angry, but when they softly followed her a few minutes afterward, she got up hastily from where she had been kneeling beside the bed, and they saw t

he boys' mother, her voice no longer stra

urnin' it. That man told me they

re to-night?" as

n't travel more than thirty miles a day; but they'll be plenty of

nd unlocked it. "Go in there and get down the bacon-take a piece, each of you." A great deal

jes' what I wuz gwine do

om, but they heard her footsteps as she turned about within, and now

e while sh

l Balla to come to the chamber d

ut an hour later they heard him, coming from the stable. He at once went into the

their mother from within. "Hav

want to be 'bout here when they come,

it?" aske

large, strong box in which, they knew, the finest silver was ke

hard to tell," said the old dri

y burn t

bury it under the floo

silver there," said the boys' mother. "H

burn that down, and if they gwine dig for it then they'll have to dig a long time before the

f the flower-bed, between the

my mind," declared the old man

"it's a heap better than that. It's where we bury o

now where it is until after to-morrow, anyhow. I k

said he, simply. "I'll

oof to it, has it, Unc' Ba

him with his hand. "That boy ain' never done talkin' 'bout tha

those chickens either," respond

t you hear me say I'm gwine do

s hidden. Their mother told them they might go down into the

when we bury the treasure.

ng his hand on his side as if to draw a sword, striki

lleon' to us,

ith you," sai

gs the hole until he has his treasure at hand. To do

r mother, laughing. "I'll take care of the spoons and forks we

being actually engaged in burying treasure-real silver. It seemed too good to be true, and withal there was a real excitement about

as on his way to the garden in a very straightforward manner, but the boys made him understand that to bur

part of the affair had to be carried on in a manner different from the usual programme of pirates of the first water. Even the boys had to admit this; and they y

to a point at the lower end of the yard, on the opposite side from the garden, and left him. But he was inclined to give trouble when they both

'pend on me to bury that silver what yo' gran'ma and gran'pa used to eat off o'-an' don' wan' nobody to know nothin'

s the way all buccaneer

always go by wa

ome in at the far end of the garden,

wadin' in a ditch like chillern. I got the misery in my knee now, so bad I'se sca'cely able to s

be returned to the office, and that they should enter by the gate, after which Balla w

rouching under the rose-bushes, and at last stopped at a

rank in a whisper, pointin

he gate," added Willy, "and when this locust bush and that ced

helping him as well as they could. It took a great deal longer to dig the hole in the

heir eyes, and had turned their jacke

?" they said, as they entered the chamber wher

will do, Balla?"

I kin fin' it ag'in myself." He was not particularly enthusiastic. Now, however, he shouldered the box, with a grunt at its weigh

d to "reconnoitre," Balla said "to open the gate and l

Frank and Willy watching on every side, old B

hey heard, a sound back at the gate, but decided that it was nothing

ced earth made something of a mound, which was unfortunate. They had not thought of this; but they cover

are your horses?" a

find out what kin," replied the old

the garden, and the boys were soon